Azerbaijani is a way to talk.
People use it in many places. It is spoken in a place called Azerbaijan. It matters to many people. We can learn it too. Do you want to hear it?
Azerbaijani is a way of talking.
Many people speak it. They live in lands like Azerbaijan. They also live in Iran.
Some people use a Latin script to write it. Other people use a different script. This is because they live in different places. It is a way to share stories and poems. It is a special way to connect with others.
Azerbaijani is a way of speaking and writing.
It belongs to the Turkic language family. People speak it in the Republic of Azerbaijan and in Iran.
In the Republic, it is the only official language. It uses the Latin script, which is a set of letters. In Iran, people use the Perso-Arabic script. These two ways of writing look very different.
For a long time, people used this language to write poems.
Famous rulers like Jahanshah and Sultan Yaqub wrote poems in it. A great poet named Fuzûlî also wrote many works. Later, Mohammad-Hossein Shahriar became a very important writer.
His famous work was translated into more than 30 languages. Today, students can study this language at many universities. This includes schools in the United States. It is a way for people to share their history and art.
Azerbaijani is a beautiful Turkic language used by many people.
It belongs to a branch called Oghuz. People speak it in the Republic of Azerbaijan and in Iran.
In the Republic, it is the only official language. It is also one of the 14 official languages in Dagestan, Russia. Some people also speak it in Georgia and Turkey. Small groups of speakers live in Europe and North America too. This language helps people share their stories and their history.
There are two main ways people speak and write Azerbaijani.
The people in the Republic speak North Azerbaijani. They use the Latin script, which is a set of letters. Since 1991, they have used this script after gaining independence. The people in Iran speak South Azerbaijani. They use the Perso-Arabic script to write their words. Both groups can understand each other quite well. However, they use different sounds and different words sometimes.
This language has a very long and interesting history.
It grew from the Oghuz Turkic branch during medieval migrations. Long ago, it was often called "Turkic" or "Turki." In the 1600s, a writer named Raphael du Mans used a different name for it. During the time of the Safavid rulers, it was called "ḳızılbaşī." Over hundreds of years, the language changed and grew. It moved from being a language of poetry to a language of science.
Poetry has always been a huge part of this language.
In the 14th century, writers like Hasanoghlu helped make it a literary language. Even powerful rulers like Jahanshah and Sultan Yaqub wrote poems. In the 16th century, the poet Fuzûlî wrote many famous works. Later, a very important poet named Mohammad-Hossein Shahriar wrote "Heydar Babaya Salam."
This famous book was translated into more than 30 different languages. These writers showed how much skill the language holds.
Today, Azerbaijani is studied all over the wide world.
You can find it being taught in many universities. In the United States, schools like UCLA and Indiana University offer courses. Most of these classes teach the North Azerbaijani version. This version uses the Latin script that students often know. Learning the language connects people to a rich culture. It is a way to explore art, news, and science.
Azerbaijani, also known as Azeri, is a Turkic language belonging to the Oghuz sub-branch.
It serves as a vital tool for communication and cultural expression for millions of people. The language is primarily spoken by Azerbaijani people living in the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijan region of Iran. It is the sole official language in the Republic of Azerbaijan. Additionally, it is one of 14 official languages in Dagestan, a federal subject of Russia. Smaller communities also speak the language in Georgia and Turkey. Diaspora communities in Europe and North America maintain the language as well.
Linguists often divide the language into two main varieties: North Azerbaijani and South Azerbaijani.
North Azerbaijani is spoken in the Republic of Azerbaijan and parts of Russia. It is based on the Shirvani dialect. South Azerbaijani is spoken primarily in Iran and uses various regional dialects. While there is a high degree of mutual intelligibility between these two forms, they are not identical. They possess significant differences in phonology, which refers to speech sounds. They also differ in lexicon, morphology, and syntax. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) classifies them as distinct languages.
The two varieties are also separated by the writing systems they use.
Since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the Republic of Azerbaijan has used the Latin script. In contrast, South Azerbaijani has always used and continues to use the Perso-Arabic script. These script changes were influenced by political shifts. For example, the Soviet Union implemented two successive script changes for Northern Azerbaijani. It moved from the Persian script to the Latin script, and then to the Cyrillic script. After independence, the Republic decided to switch back to a modified Latin script.
The history of Azerbaijani is rooted in medieval Turkic migrations.
It evolved from the Eastern branch of Oghuz Turkic. During these migrations, the language spread to the Caucasus and northern Iran. Historically, speakers often referred to the language as "Turkic" or "Turki." In the 17th century, the Capuchin missionary Raphael du Mans used the term "Turk Ajami." During the Safavid period, it was known as "ḳızılbaşī." This name distinguished it from other dialects like Ottoman or Chagatai.
Azerbaijani has been deeply influenced by Persian and Arabic.
Persian and other Iranian languages exerted a strong impact on its phonology, syntax, and vocabulary. However, this influence was less significant in its morphology, or the way words are formed. Most Arabic vocabulary was transmitted through literary Persian between the ninth and thirteenth centuries CE. As the language evolved, it moved from a language of epic and lyric poetry to one used for journalism and science. This transition helped create a more unified and simplified literary version. This version shed many archaic elements and complex "Iranisms."
Literature has played a central role in developing the language.
In the 14th century, writers like Kadi Burhan al-Din and Hasanoghlu helped establish it as a literary tongue. Even political rulers contributed to this tradition. Jahanshah, a ruler of the Qara Qoyunlu, wrote poems under the pen name "Haqiqi." Sultan Yaqub of the Aq Qoyunlu also wrote in Turkic. In the 16th century, the poet Fuzûlî became a major figure, writing in Azerbaijani and translating his work into Arabic and Persian. One of the earliest known pieces of literature is "Apardı Könlümü," attributed to Izzeddin Hasanoghlu.
In the modern era, the poet Mohammad-Hossein Shahriar remains a pinnacle of the language.
His work, "Heydar Babaya Salam," gained massive popularity and was translated into more than 30 languages. The language also saw the rise of journalism, such as the newspaper "Akinchi," started by Hasan bey Zardabi in 1875. Today, Azerbaijani is a subject of academic study worldwide. Programs are offered at several United States universities, including UCLA, Indiana University, and the University of Texas at Austin. Most of these academic courses focus on North Azerbaijani using the Latin script.
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