Gagauz dili
Gagauz
Turkic (Oghuz)
Also known as: Gagauz Turkish
Gagauz (Gagauz dili) is a Christian Orthodox Oghuz Turkic language with ~150K speakers, spoken mainly in the autonomous region of Gagauzia in southern Moldova, with smaller populations in Ukraine (Odessa Oblast), Bulgaria, and Romania. Linguistically atypical among Turkic languages due to heavy Slavic, Romanian, and Greek lexical influence accumulated over centuries in the Balkans. The Gagauz are believed to descend from medieval Turkic-speaking groups (possibly the Cumans/Kipchaks or Pechenegs) who migrated to the Balkans and converted to Orthodox Christianity. Co-official in Gagauzia (alongside Moldovan and Russian); written in Latin script since 1996.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Gagauz
Water
su
/su/
Fire
ateş
/aˈteʃ/
Sun
güneş
/ɟyˈneʃ/
Moon
ay
/aj/
Star
yıldız
/jɯɫˈdɯz/
Mother
ana
/aˈna/
Father
boba
/boˈba/
I
bän
/bæn/
You
sän
/sæn/
Name
ad
/ad/
Eye
göz
/ɟøz/
Hand
el
/el/
Heart
üräk
/yˈræk/
Love
sevgi
/sevˈɟi/
Tree
aaç
/aːtʃ/
House
ev
/ev/
Dog
köpek
/køˈpek/
Cat
kedi
/keˈdi/
Eat
imää
/iˈmæː/
Drink
içmää
/itʃˈmæː/
One
bir
/bir/
Two
iki
/iˈki/
Hello
selam
/seˈlam/
Thank you
saa ol
/saː ol/
Good
ii
/iː/
Computer
kompyuter
/kompjuˈter/
Sushi
suşi
/suˈʃi/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Turkic (Oghuz) languages
| Meaning | Gagauz | Qashqai | Turkish | Ottoman Turkish | Crimean Tatar | South Azerbaijani | Azerbaijani |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | su /su/ | su /su/ | su /su/ | سو /su/ | suv /suv/ | سو /su/ | su /su/ |
| Fire | ateş /aˈteʃ/ | od /od/ | ateş /ateʃ/ | آتش /aˈteʃ/ | ateş /ateʃ/ | اوْد /od/ | od /od/ |
| Sun | güneş /ɟyˈneʃ/ | gün /ɟyn/ | güneş /ɟyneʃ/ | كونش /ɡyˈneʃ/ | küneş /kyneʃ/ | گۆنش /ɡyneʃ/ | günəş /ɟynæʃ/ |
| Moon | ay /aj/ | ay /aj/ | ay /aj/ | آی /aj/ | ay /aj/ | آی /aj/ | ay /ɑj/ |
| Star | yıldız /jɯɫˈdɯz/ | ulduz /ulduz/ | yıldız /jɯɫˈdɯz/ | یلدز /jɯɫˈdɯz/ | yıldız /jɯɫˈdɯz/ | اولدوز /ulˈduz/ | ulduz /ulˈduz/ |
| Mother | ana /aˈna/ | ana /ana/ | anne /anːe/ | آنه /aˈne/ | ana /ana/ | آنا /ɑnɑ/ | ana /ɑnɑ/ |
| Father | boba /boˈba/ | ata /ata/ | baba /baba/ | پدر /peˈdeɾ/ | baba /baba/ | آتا /ɑtɑ/ | ata /ɑtɑ/ |
| I | bän /bæn/ | men /mæn/ | ben /ben/ | بن /ben/ | men /men/ | من /mæn/ | mən /mæn/ |
| You | sän /sæn/ | sen /sæn/ | sen /sen/ | سن /sen/ | sen /sen/ | سن /sæn/ | sən /sæn/ |
| Name | ad /ad/ | ad /ad/ | ad /ad/ | اسم /iˈsim/ | isim /iˈsim/ | آد /ɑd/ | ad /ɑd/ |
| Eye | göz /ɟøz/ | göz /ɟøz/ | göz /ɟøz/ | كوز /ɡøz/ | köz /køz/ | گؤز /ɡøz/ | göz /ɟøz/ |
| Hand | el /el/ | el /el/ | el /el/ | ال /el/ | el /el/ | اَل /æl/ | əl /æl/ |
| Heart | üräk /yˈræk/ | ürek /yˈɾæc/ | kalp /kalp/ | قلب /kalb/ | yürek /jyrek/ | اۆرک /yræk/ | ürək /yɾæc/ |
| Love | sevgi /sevˈɟi/ | sevgi /sevˈɟi/ | aşk /aʃk/ | عشق /aʃk/ | sevgi /sevɡi/ | سئوگی /sevɡi/ | sevgi /sevɟi/ |
| Tree | aaç /aːtʃ/ | ağaç /aˈʁatʃ/ | ağaç /aːatʃ/ | آغاج /aˈʁatʃ/ | terek /terek/ | آغاج /ɑɣɑdʒ/ | ağac /ɑɣɑdʒ/ |
| House | ev /ev/ | ev /ev/ | ev /ev/ | خانه /xaːˈne/ | ev /ev/ | ائو /ev/ | ev /ev/ |
| Dog | köpek /køˈpek/ | it /it/ | köpek /cøpek/ | كوپك /køˈpek/ | köpek /køpek/ | ایت /it/ | it /ɪt/ |
| Cat | kedi /keˈdi/ | pišik /piˈʃic/ | kedi /cedi/ | كدی /keˈdi/ | mışıq /mɯʃɯq/ | پیشیک /piʃik/ | pişik /pɪʃɪc/ |
| Eat | imää /iˈmæː/ | yemek /jeˈmæc/ | yemek /jemek/ | یمك /jeˈmek/ | aşamaq /aʃamaq/ | یئمک /jemæk/ | yemək /jemæc/ |
| Drink | içmää /itʃˈmæː/ | içmek /itʃˈmæc/ | içmek /itʃmek/ | ایچمك /itʃˈmek/ | içmek /itʃmek/ | ایچمک /itʃmæk/ | içmək /ɪtʃmæc/ |
| One | bir /bir/ | bir /biɾ/ | bir /biɾ/ | بر /biɾ/ | bir /bir/ | بیر /bir/ | bir /bɪɾ/ |
| Two | iki /iˈki/ | iki /iki/ | iki /iˈki/ | ایكی /iˈci/ | eki /eˈci/ | ایکی /iˈci/ | iki /iˈci/ |
| Hello | selam /seˈlam/ | salam /saˈlam/ | merhaba /meɾhaba/ | سلام /seˈlaːm/ | selâm /selæm/ | سلام /sælam/ | salam /sɑlɑm/ |
| Thank you | saa ol /saː ol/ | sağ olun /sɑːʁ oˈlun/ | teşekkürler /teʃecːyɾleɾ/ | تشكر ادرم /teʃekˈkyɾ edeˈɾim/ | sağ ol /saɣ ol/ | ساغ اول /saɣ ol/ | təşəkkür /tæʃecːyɾ/ |
| Good | ii /iː/ | yaxşı /jaxˈʃɯ/ | iyi /iji/ | ایی /iˈji/ | yahşı /jaχʃɯ/ | یاخشی /jaxʃɯ/ | yaxşı /jɑxʃɯ/ |
| Computer | kompyuter /kompjuˈter/ | — | bilgisayar /bil.ɟi.saˈjaɾ/ | — | kompyuter /kompjuˈter/ | کامپیوتر /kɑmpjuˈter/ | kompüter /kɑmˈpyteɾ/ |
| Sushi | suşi /suˈʃi/ | — | suşi /ˈsu.ʃi/ | لاكردا /laˈkerda/ | suşi /suˈʃi/ | سوشی /suˈʃi/ | suşi /suˈʃi/ |
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