Кыргызча
Kyrgyz
Turkic
Kyrgyz (Кыргызча, Qırğızça) is a Kipchak Turkic language and the sole state language of Kyrgyzstan (~5M speakers), with significant communities in China (Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture in Xinjiang) and smaller populations in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Russia. Closely related to Kazakh in the Kipchak-Nogai subgroup but with notable Mongolic influence reflecting historical contact. The Epic of Manas, one of the longest epic poems in the world (over 500,000 lines), is a cornerstone of Kyrgyz oral literature, traditionally performed by manaschı bards. Cyrillic script (Soviet legacy); Kyrgyzstan has periodically debated Latinization.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Kyrgyz
Water
суу
/suː/
Fire
от
/ot/
Sun
күн
/kyn/
Moon
ай
/ɑj/
Mother
эне
/ene/
Father
ата
/ɑtɑ/
Eat
жеш
/dʒeʃ/
Drink
ичүү
/ɪtʃyː/
Love
сүйүү
/syjyː/
Heart
жүрөк
/dʒyɾøk/
Tree
жыгач
/dʒɯɡɑtʃ/
House
үй
/yj/
Dog
ит
/ɪt/
Cat
мышык
/mɯʃɯk/
Hand
кол
/kol/
Eye
көз
/køz/
Hello
салам
/sɑlɑm/
Thank you
рахмат
/ɾɑxmɑt/
One
бир
/bɪɾ/
Good
жакшы
/dʒɑkʃɯ/
Words compared
Compared with related Turkic languages
| Meaning | Kyrgyz | Kazakh | Turkmen | Karakalpak | Azerbaijani | Altai | Uyghur |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | суу /suː/ | су /suw/ | suw /suːw/ | suw /suw/ | su /su/ | суу /suː/ | سۇ /su/ |
| Fire | от /ot/ | от /ot/ | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | od /od/ | от /ot/ | ئوت /ot/ |
| Sun | күн /kyn/ | күн /kyn/ | gün /ɡyːn/ | kún /kyn/ | günəş /ɟynæʃ/ | кӱн /kyn/ | قۇياش /qujɑʃ/ |
| Moon | ай /ɑj/ | ай /ɑj/ | aý /ɑːj/ | ay /aj/ | ay /ɑj/ | ай /aj/ | ئاي /ɑj/ |
| Mother | эне /ene/ | ана /ɑnɑ/ | ene /ene/ | ana /ana/ | ana /ɑnɑ/ | эне /ene/ | ئانا /ɑnɑ/ |
| Father | ата /ɑtɑ/ | әке /æke/ | ata /ɑtɑ/ | ata /ata/ | ata /ɑtɑ/ | ада /ada/ | ئاتا /ɑtɑ/ |
| Eat | жеш /dʒeʃ/ | жеу /ʒew/ | iýmek /iːjmek/ | jew /ʒew/ | yemək /jemæc/ | јиир /dʒiːr/ | يېمەك /jemɛk/ |
| Drink | ичүү /ɪtʃyː/ | ішу /ɪʃuw/ | içmek /ɪtʃmek/ | ishiw /iʃiw/ | içmək /ɪtʃmæc/ | ичер /itʃer/ | ئىچمەك /itʃmɛk/ |
| Love | сүйүү /syjyː/ | махаббат /mɑxɑbbɑt/ | söýgi /søːjɡi/ | muhabbat /muhabbat/ | sevgi /sevɟi/ | сӱӱш /syːʃ/ | مۇھەببەت /muhɛbbɛt/ |
| Heart | жүрөк /dʒyɾøk/ | жүрек /ʒyɾek/ | ýürek /jyɾek/ | júrek /ʒyɾek/ | ürək /yɾæc/ | јӱрек /dʒyrek/ | يۈرەك /jyɾɛk/ |
| Tree | жыгач /dʒɯɡɑtʃ/ | ағаш /ɑʁɑʃ/ | agaç /ɑɡɑtʃ/ | ag'ash /aʁaʃ/ | ağac /ɑɣɑdʒ/ | агаш /aɡaʃ/ | دەرەخ /dɛɾɛx/ |
| House | үй /yj/ | үй /yj/ | öý /øːj/ | úy /yj/ | ev /ev/ | айыл /ajɯl/ | ئۆي /øj/ |
| Dog | ит /ɪt/ | ит /ɪt/ | it /it/ | iyt /ijt/ | it /ɪt/ | ийт /ijt/ | ئىت /it/ |
| Cat | мышык /mɯʃɯk/ | мысық /mɯsɯq/ | pişik /pɪʃɪk/ | pishik /piʃik/ | pişik /pɪʃɪc/ | киске /kiske/ | مۈشۈك /myʃyk/ |
| Hand | кол /kol/ | қол /qol/ | el /el/ | qol /qol/ | əl /æl/ | кол /kol/ | قول /qol/ |
| Eye | көз /køz/ | көз /køz/ | göz /ɡøz/ | kóz /køz/ | göz /ɟøz/ | кӧс /køs/ | كۆز /køz/ |
| Hello | салам /sɑlɑm/ | сәлем /sælem/ | salam /sɑlɑːm/ | salam /salam/ | salam /sɑlɑm/ | эзен /ezen/ | ئەسسالامۇ ئەلەيكۇم /ɛssɑlɑmu ɛlɛjkum/ |
| Thank you | рахмат /ɾɑxmɑt/ | рахмет /ɾɑxmet/ | sagboluň /sɑɡboluŋ/ | rahmet /ɾaχmet/ | təşəkkür /tæʃecːyɾ/ | быйан /bɯjan/ | رەھمەت /ɾɛhmɛt/ |
| One | бир /bɪɾ/ | бір /bɪɾ/ | bir /biɾ/ | bir /biɾ/ | bir /bɪɾ/ | бир /bir/ | بىر /bir/ |
| Good | жакшы /dʒɑkʃɯ/ | жақсы /ʒɑqsɯ/ | gowy /ɡowɯ/ | jaqsi /ʒaqsɯ/ | yaxşı /jɑxʃɯ/ | јакшы /dʒaqʃɯ/ | ياخشى /jɑxʃi/ |
Word order compared
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