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
20 core words in Gagauz
Water
su
/su/
Fire
ateş
/aˈteʃ/
Sun
güneş
/ɟyˈneʃ/
Moon
ay
/aj/
Mother
ana
/aˈna/
Father
boba
/boˈba/
Eat
imää
/iˈmæː/
Drink
içmää
/itʃˈmæː/
Love
sevgi
/sevˈɟi/
Heart
üräk
/yˈræk/
Tree
aaç
/aːtʃ/
House
ev
/ev/
Dog
köpek
/køˈpek/
Cat
kedi
/keˈdi/
Hand
el
/el/
Eye
göz
/ɟøz/
Hello
selam
/seˈlam/
Thank you
saa ol
/saː ol/
One
bir
/bir/
Good
ii
/iː/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Turkic (Oghuz) languages
| Meaning | Gagauz | Qashqai | Ottoman Turkish | Turkish | Crimean Tatar | South Azerbaijani | Karakhanid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | su /su/ | su /su/ | سو /su/ | su /su/ | suv /suv/ | سو /su/ | suw /suw/ |
| Fire | ateş /aˈteʃ/ | od /od/ | آتش /aˈteʃ/ | ateş /ateʃ/ | ateş /ateʃ/ | اوْد /od/ | ot /ot/ |
| Sun | güneş /ɟyˈneʃ/ | gün /ɟyn/ | كونش /ɡyˈneʃ/ | güneş /ɟyneʃ/ | küneş /kyneʃ/ | گۆنش /ɡyneʃ/ | kün /kyn/ |
| Moon | ay /aj/ | ay /aj/ | آی /aj/ | ay /aj/ | ay /aj/ | آی /aj/ | ay /aj/ |
| Mother | ana /aˈna/ | ana /ana/ | آنه /aˈne/ | anne /anːe/ | ana /ana/ | آنا /ana/ | ana /ana/ |
| Father | boba /boˈba/ | ata /ata/ | پدر /peˈdeɾ/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | آتا /ata/ | ata /ata/ |
| Eat | imää /iˈmæː/ | yemek /jeˈmæc/ | یمك /jeˈmek/ | yemek /jemek/ | aşamaq /aʃamaq/ | یئمک /jemæk/ | yi- /ji/ |
| Drink | içmää /itʃˈmæː/ | içmek /itʃˈmæc/ | ایچمك /itʃˈmek/ | içmek /itʃmek/ | içmek /itʃmek/ | ایچمک /itʃmæk/ | ič- /itʃ/ |
| Love | sevgi /sevˈɟi/ | sevgi /sevˈɟi/ | عشق /aʃk/ | aşk /aʃk/ | sevgi /sevɡi/ | سئوگی /sevɡi/ | sevgü /sevɡy/ |
| Heart | üräk /yˈræk/ | ürek /yˈɾæc/ | قلب /kalb/ | kalp /kalp/ | yürek /jyrek/ | اۆرک /yræk/ | yürek /jyrek/ |
| Tree | aaç /aːtʃ/ | ağaç /aˈʁatʃ/ | آغاج /aˈʁatʃ/ | ağaç /aːatʃ/ | terek /terek/ | آغاج /ɑɣɑdʒ/ | ığač /ɯɣatʃ/ |
| House | ev /ev/ | ev /ev/ | خانه /xaːˈne/ | ev /ev/ | ev /ev/ | ائو /ev/ | ev /ev/ |
| Dog | köpek /køˈpek/ | it /it/ | كوپك /køˈpek/ | köpek /cøpek/ | köpek /køpek/ | ایت /it/ | it /it/ |
| Cat | kedi /keˈdi/ | pišik /piˈʃic/ | كدی /keˈdi/ | kedi /cedi/ | mışıq /mɯʃɯq/ | پیشیک /piʃik/ | piši /piʃi/ |
| Hand | el /el/ | el /el/ | ال /el/ | el /el/ | el /el/ | اَل /æl/ | qol /qol/ |
| Eye | göz /ɟøz/ | göz /ɟøz/ | كوز /ɡøz/ | göz /ɟøz/ | köz /køz/ | گؤز /ɡøz/ | köz /køz/ |
| Hello | selam /seˈlam/ | salam /saˈlam/ | سلام /seˈlaːm/ | merhaba /meɾhaba/ | selâm /selæm/ | سلام /sælam/ | salām /salaːm/ |
| Thank you | saa ol /saː ol/ | sağ olun /sɑːʁ oˈlun/ | تشكر ادرم /teʃekˈkyɾ edeˈɾim/ | teşekkürler /teʃecːyɾleɾ/ | sağ ol /saɣ ol/ | ساغ اول /saɣ ol/ | tabug /tabuɡ/ |
| One | bir /bir/ | bir /biɾ/ | بر /biɾ/ | bir /biɾ/ | bir /bir/ | بیر /bir/ | bir /bir/ |
| Good | ii /iː/ | yaxşı /jaxˈʃɯ/ | ایی /iˈji/ | iyi /iji/ | yahşı /jaχʃɯ/ | یاخشی /jaxʃɯ/ | yaqšı /jaqʃɯ/ |
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