Türkmençe
Turkmen
Turkic
Turkmen is an Oghuz Turkic language closely related to Azerbaijani and Turkish, the official language of Turkmenistan and a recognized minority language in Iran (Khorasan), Afghanistan, and Iraq. It is notable for preserving phonemic vowel length, distinguishing short and long vowels in a way most modern Turkic languages have lost, and for retaining many archaic Oghuz features. Turkmen passed through Arabic, Latin, and Cyrillic scripts before adopting an updated Latin orthography in 1993.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Turkmen
Water
suw
/suːw/
Fire
ot
/ot/
Sun
gün
/ɡyːn/
Moon
aý
/ɑːj/
Mother
ene
/ene/
Father
ata
/ɑtɑ/
Eat
iýmek
/iːjmek/
Drink
içmek
/ɪtʃmek/
Love
söýgi
/søːjɡi/
Heart
ýürek
/jyɾek/
Tree
agaç
/ɑɡɑtʃ/
House
öý
/øːj/
Dog
it
/it/
Cat
pişik
/pɪʃɪk/
Hand
el
/el/
Eye
göz
/ɡøz/
Hello
salam
/sɑlɑːm/
Thank you
sagboluň
/sɑɡboluŋ/
One
bir
/biɾ/
Good
gowy
/ɡowɯ/
Words compared
Compared with related Turkic languages
| Meaning | Turkmen | Kyrgyz | Azerbaijani | Uyghur | Kumyk | Karakhanid | South Azerbaijani |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | suw /suːw/ | суу /suː/ | su /su/ | سۇ /su/ | сув /suv/ | suw /suw/ | سو /su/ |
| Fire | ot /ot/ | от /ot/ | od /od/ | ئوت /ot/ | от /ot/ | ot /ot/ | اوْد /od/ |
| Sun | gün /ɡyːn/ | күн /kyn/ | günəş /ɟynæʃ/ | قۇياش /qujɑʃ/ | гюн /ɡyn/ | kün /kyn/ | گۆنش /ɡyneʃ/ |
| Moon | aý /ɑːj/ | ай /ɑj/ | ay /ɑj/ | ئاي /ɑj/ | ай /aj/ | ay /aj/ | آی /aj/ |
| Mother | ene /ene/ | эне /ene/ | ana /ɑnɑ/ | ئانا /ɑnɑ/ | ана /ana/ | ana /ana/ | آنا /ana/ |
| Father | ata /ɑtɑ/ | ата /ɑtɑ/ | ata /ɑtɑ/ | ئاتا /ɑtɑ/ | ата /ata/ | ata /ata/ | آتا /ata/ |
| Eat | iýmek /iːjmek/ | жеш /dʒeʃ/ | yemək /jemæc/ | يېمەك /jemɛk/ | ашамакъ /aʃamaq/ | yi- /ji/ | یئمک /jemæk/ |
| Drink | içmek /ɪtʃmek/ | ичүү /ɪtʃyː/ | içmək /ɪtʃmæc/ | ئىچمەك /itʃmɛk/ | ичмек /itʃmek/ | ič- /itʃ/ | ایچمک /itʃmæk/ |
| Love | söýgi /søːjɡi/ | сүйүү /syjyː/ | sevgi /sevɟi/ | مۇھەببەت /muhɛbbɛt/ | сюйюв /syjyv/ | sevgü /sevɡy/ | سئوگی /sevɡi/ |
| Heart | ýürek /jyɾek/ | жүрөк /dʒyɾøk/ | ürək /yɾæc/ | يۈرەك /jyɾɛk/ | юрек /jyrek/ | yürek /jyrek/ | اۆرک /yræk/ |
| Tree | agaç /ɑɡɑtʃ/ | жыгач /dʒɯɡɑtʃ/ | ağac /ɑɣɑdʒ/ | دەرەخ /dɛɾɛx/ | терек /terek/ | ığač /ɯɣatʃ/ | آغاج /ɑɣɑdʒ/ |
| House | öý /øːj/ | үй /yj/ | ev /ev/ | ئۆي /øj/ | уьй /yj/ | ev /ev/ | ائو /ev/ |
| Dog | it /it/ | ит /ɪt/ | it /ɪt/ | ئىت /it/ | ит /it/ | it /it/ | ایت /it/ |
| Cat | pişik /pɪʃɪk/ | мышык /mɯʃɯk/ | pişik /pɪʃɪc/ | مۈشۈك /myʃyk/ | мишик /miʃik/ | piši /piʃi/ | پیشیک /piʃik/ |
| Hand | el /el/ | кол /kol/ | əl /æl/ | قول /qol/ | къол /qol/ | qol /qol/ | اَل /æl/ |
| Eye | göz /ɡøz/ | көз /køz/ | göz /ɟøz/ | كۆز /køz/ | гёз /ɡøz/ | köz /køz/ | گؤز /ɡøz/ |
| Hello | salam /sɑlɑːm/ | салам /sɑlɑm/ | salam /sɑlɑm/ | ئەسسالامۇ ئەلەيكۇم /ɛssɑlɑmu ɛlɛjkum/ | ассаламу алейкум /asːalamu alejkum/ | salām /salaːm/ | سلام /sælam/ |
| Thank you | sagboluň /sɑɡboluŋ/ | рахмат /ɾɑxmɑt/ | təşəkkür /tæʃecːyɾ/ | رەھمەت /ɾɛhmɛt/ | савбол /savbol/ | tabug /tabuɡ/ | ساغ اول /saɣ ol/ |
| One | bir /biɾ/ | бир /bɪɾ/ | bir /bɪɾ/ | بىر /bir/ | бир /bir/ | bir /bir/ | بیر /bir/ |
| Good | gowy /ɡowɯ/ | жакшы /dʒɑkʃɯ/ | yaxşı /jɑxʃɯ/ | ياخشى /jɑxʃi/ | яхшы /jaχʃə/ | yaqšı /jaqʃɯ/ | یاخشی /jaxʃɯ/ |
Word order compared
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