تۆرکجه
South Azerbaijani
Turkic (Oghuz, Azerbaijani)
Also known as: Iranian Azerbaijani, Azeri (Iran)
South Azerbaijani is the largest minority language of Iran, spoken by 13-15M (likely undercounted) primarily in East/West Azerbaijan, Ardabil, and Zanjan provinces. Oghuz Turkic, sister to (North) Azerbaijani spoken in the Republic of Azerbaijan, with significant Persian lexical influence reflecting centuries of Persian administrative dominance. Written in modified Perso-Arabic script (in contrast to Latin used in Azerbaijan). Despite the 2002 Iranian Constitution allowing minority-language education, official restrictions on Azerbaijani schooling remain heavily debated.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in South Azerbaijani
Water
سو
/su/
Fire
اوْد
/od/
Sun
گۆنش
/ɡyneʃ/
Moon
آی
/aj/
Star
اولدوز
/ulˈduz/
Mother
آنا
/ɑnɑ/
Father
آتا
/ɑtɑ/
I
من
/mæn/
You
سن
/sæn/
Name
آد
/ɑd/
Eye
گؤز
/ɡøz/
Hand
اَل
/æl/
Heart
اۆرک
/yræk/
Love
سئوگی
/sevɡi/
Tree
آغاج
/ɑɣɑdʒ/
House
ائو
/ev/
Dog
ایت
/it/
Cat
پیشیک
/piʃik/
Eat
یئمک
/jemæk/
Drink
ایچمک
/itʃmæk/
One
بیر
/bir/
Two
ایکی
/iˈci/
Hello
سلام
/sælam/
Thank you
ساغ اول
/saɣ ol/
Good
یاخشی
/jaxʃɯ/
Cuckoo
گوگوک
/ɡuˈɡuk/
Computer
کامپیوتر
/kɑmpjuˈter/
Sushi
سوشی
/suˈʃi/
Dopamine
دوپامین
/dopɑˈmin/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Turkic (Oghuz, Azerbaijani) languages
| Meaning | South Azerbaijani | Azerbaijani | Qashqai | Uyghur | Gagauz | Karakhanid | Crimean Tatar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | سو /su/ | su /su/ | su /su/ | سۇ /su/ | su /su/ | suw /suw/ | suv /suv/ |
| Fire | اوْد /od/ | od /od/ | od /od/ | ئوت /ot/ | ateş /aˈteʃ/ | ot /ot/ | ateş /ateʃ/ |
| Sun | گۆنش /ɡyneʃ/ | günəş /ɟynæʃ/ | gün /ɟyn/ | قۇياش /qujɑʃ/ | güneş /ɟyˈneʃ/ | kün /kyn/ | küneş /kyneʃ/ |
| Moon | آی /aj/ | ay /ɑj/ | ay /aj/ | ئاي /ɑj/ | ay /aj/ | ay /aj/ | ay /aj/ |
| Star | اولدوز /ulˈduz/ | ulduz /ulˈduz/ | ulduz /ulduz/ | يۇلتۇز /julˈtuz/ | yıldız /jɯɫˈdɯz/ | yultuz /jultuz/ | yıldız /jɯɫˈdɯz/ |
| Mother | آنا /ɑnɑ/ | ana /ɑnɑ/ | ana /ana/ | ئانا /ɑnɑ/ | ana /aˈna/ | ana /ana/ | ana /ana/ |
| Father | آتا /ɑtɑ/ | ata /ɑtɑ/ | ata /ata/ | ئاتا /ɑtɑ/ | boba /boˈba/ | ata /ata/ | baba /baba/ |
| I | من /mæn/ | mən /mæn/ | men /mæn/ | مەن /mæn/ | bän /bæn/ | men /men/ | men /men/ |
| You | سن /sæn/ | sən /sæn/ | sen /sæn/ | سەن /sæn/ | sän /sæn/ | sen /sen/ | sen /sen/ |
| Name | آد /ɑd/ | ad /ɑd/ | ad /ad/ | ئىسىم /iˈsim/ | ad /ad/ | at /at/ | isim /iˈsim/ |
| Eye | گؤز /ɡøz/ | göz /ɟøz/ | göz /ɟøz/ | كۆز /køz/ | göz /ɟøz/ | köz /køz/ | köz /køz/ |
| Hand | اَل /æl/ | əl /æl/ | el /el/ | قول /qol/ | el /el/ | qol /qol/ | el /el/ |
| Heart | اۆرک /yræk/ | ürək /yɾæc/ | ürek /yˈɾæc/ | يۈرەك /jyɾɛk/ | üräk /yˈræk/ | yürek /jyrek/ | yürek /jyrek/ |
| Love | سئوگی /sevɡi/ | sevgi /sevɟi/ | sevgi /sevˈɟi/ | مۇھەببەت /muhɛbbɛt/ | sevgi /sevˈɟi/ | sevgü /sevɡy/ | sevgi /sevɡi/ |
| Tree | آغاج /ɑɣɑdʒ/ | ağac /ɑɣɑdʒ/ | ağaç /aˈʁatʃ/ | دەرەخ /dɛɾɛx/ | aaç /aːtʃ/ | ığač /ɯɣatʃ/ | terek /terek/ |
| House | ائو /ev/ | ev /ev/ | ev /ev/ | ئۆي /øj/ | ev /ev/ | ev /ev/ | ev /ev/ |
| Dog | ایت /it/ | it /ɪt/ | it /it/ | ئىت /it/ | köpek /køˈpek/ | it /it/ | köpek /køpek/ |
| Cat | پیشیک /piʃik/ | pişik /pɪʃɪc/ | pišik /piˈʃic/ | مۈشۈك /myʃyk/ | kedi /keˈdi/ | piši /piʃi/ | mışıq /mɯʃɯq/ |
| Eat | یئمک /jemæk/ | yemək /jemæc/ | yemek /jeˈmæc/ | يېمەك /jemɛk/ | imää /iˈmæː/ | yi- /ji/ | aşamaq /aʃamaq/ |
| Drink | ایچمک /itʃmæk/ | içmək /ɪtʃmæc/ | içmek /itʃˈmæc/ | ئىچمەك /itʃmɛk/ | içmää /itʃˈmæː/ | ič- /itʃ/ | içmek /itʃmek/ |
| One | بیر /bir/ | bir /bɪɾ/ | bir /biɾ/ | بىر /bir/ | bir /bir/ | bir /bir/ | bir /bir/ |
| Two | ایکی /iˈci/ | iki /iˈci/ | iki /iki/ | ئىككى /ikˈki/ | iki /iˈki/ | iki /iki/ | eki /eˈci/ |
| Hello | سلام /sælam/ | salam /sɑlɑm/ | salam /saˈlam/ | ئەسسالامۇ ئەلەيكۇم /ɛssɑlɑmu ɛlɛjkum/ | selam /seˈlam/ | salām /salaːm/ | selâm /selæm/ |
| Thank you | ساغ اول /saɣ ol/ | təşəkkür /tæʃecːyɾ/ | sağ olun /sɑːʁ oˈlun/ | رەھمەت /ɾɛhmɛt/ | saa ol /saː ol/ | tabug /tabuɡ/ | sağ ol /saɣ ol/ |
| Good | یاخشی /jaxʃɯ/ | yaxşı /jɑxʃɯ/ | yaxşı /jaxˈʃɯ/ | ياخشى /jɑxʃi/ | ii /iː/ | yaqšı /jaqʃɯ/ | yahşı /jaχʃɯ/ |
| Cuckoo | گوگوک /ɡuˈɡuk/ | ququ /ɡuˈɡu/ | — | كاككۇك /kɑkˈkuk/ | — | — | kukuquş /kukuˈquʃ/ |
| Computer | کامپیوتر /kɑmpjuˈter/ | kompüter /kɑmˈpyteɾ/ | — | كومپيۇتېر /kompjuˈter/ | kompyuter /kompjuˈter/ | — | kompyuter /kompjuˈter/ |
| Sushi | سوشی /suˈʃi/ | suşi /suˈʃi/ | — | سۇشى /suˈʃi/ | suşi /suˈʃi/ | — | suşi /suˈʃi/ |
| Dopamine | دوپامین /dopɑˈmin/ | dopamin /dopaˈmin/ | — | — | — | — | — |
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