Oʻzbekcha
Uzbek
Turkic
Uzbek is the largest Karluk Turkic language and the most-spoken Turkic language in Central Asia, with ~37M speakers and the official language of Uzbekistan. Heavy Persian (Tajik) lexical influence reflects the historical Bukharan and Samarkandi cosmopolitan cultures. Lost the typical Turkic vowel harmony in standard varieties due to prolonged Persian contact. Script changes: Arabic (pre-1928) → Latin (1928-40) → Cyrillic (1940-91) → Latin (1991-present, finalised 1995/2019). Literary tradition since 14th-c. Chagatai with Alisher Navoi (1441-1501).
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Uzbek
Water
suv
/suv/
Fire
olov
/ɒlɒv/
Sun
quyosh
/qujɒʃ/
Moon
oy
/ɒj/
Mother
ona
/ɒnɑ/
Father
ota
/ɒtɑ/
Eat
yemoq
/jemɒq/
Drink
ichmoq
/itʃmɒq/
Love
sevgi
/sevɡi/
Heart
yurak
/juɾɑk/
Tree
daraxt
/dɑɾɑxt/
House
uy
/uj/
Dog
it
/it/
Cat
mushuk
/muʃuk/
Hand
qoʻl
/qol/
Eye
koʻz
/koz/
Hello
salom
/sɑlɒm/
Thank you
rahmat
/ɾɑxmɑt/
One
bir
/biɾ/
Good
yaxshi
/jɑxʃi/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Turkic languages
| Meaning | Uzbek | Uyghur | Azerbaijani | Kyrgyz | South Azerbaijani | Kazakh | Turkmen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | suv /suv/ | سۇ /su/ | su /su/ | суу /suː/ | سو /su/ | су /suw/ | suw /suːw/ |
| Fire | olov /ɒlɒv/ | ئوت /ot/ | od /od/ | от /ot/ | اوْد /od/ | от /ot/ | ot /ot/ |
| Sun | quyosh /qujɒʃ/ | قۇياش /qujɑʃ/ | günəş /ɟynæʃ/ | күн /kyn/ | گۆنش /ɡyneʃ/ | күн /kyn/ | gün /ɡyːn/ |
| Moon | oy /ɒj/ | ئاي /ɑj/ | ay /ɑj/ | ай /ɑj/ | آی /aj/ | ай /ɑj/ | aý /ɑːj/ |
| Mother | ona /ɒnɑ/ | ئانا /ɑnɑ/ | ana /ɑnɑ/ | эне /ene/ | آنا /ana/ | ана /ɑnɑ/ | ene /ene/ |
| Father | ota /ɒtɑ/ | ئاتا /ɑtɑ/ | ata /ɑtɑ/ | ата /ɑtɑ/ | آتا /ata/ | әке /æke/ | ata /ɑtɑ/ |
| Eat | yemoq /jemɒq/ | يېمەك /jemɛk/ | yemək /jemæc/ | жеш /dʒeʃ/ | یئمک /jemæk/ | жеу /ʒew/ | iýmek /iːjmek/ |
| Drink | ichmoq /itʃmɒq/ | ئىچمەك /itʃmɛk/ | içmək /ɪtʃmæc/ | ичүү /ɪtʃyː/ | ایچمک /itʃmæk/ | ішу /ɪʃuw/ | içmek /ɪtʃmek/ |
| Love | sevgi /sevɡi/ | مۇھەببەت /muhɛbbɛt/ | sevgi /sevɟi/ | сүйүү /syjyː/ | سئوگی /sevɡi/ | махаббат /mɑxɑbbɑt/ | söýgi /søːjɡi/ |
| Heart | yurak /juɾɑk/ | يۈرەك /jyɾɛk/ | ürək /yɾæc/ | жүрөк /dʒyɾøk/ | اۆرک /yræk/ | жүрек /ʒyɾek/ | ýürek /jyɾek/ |
| Tree | daraxt /dɑɾɑxt/ | دەرەخ /dɛɾɛx/ | ağac /ɑɣɑdʒ/ | жыгач /dʒɯɡɑtʃ/ | آغاج /ɑɣɑdʒ/ | ағаш /ɑʁɑʃ/ | agaç /ɑɡɑtʃ/ |
| House | uy /uj/ | ئۆي /øj/ | ev /ev/ | үй /yj/ | ائو /ev/ | үй /yj/ | öý /øːj/ |
| Dog | it /it/ | ئىت /it/ | it /ɪt/ | ит /ɪt/ | ایت /it/ | ит /ɪt/ | it /it/ |
| Cat | mushuk /muʃuk/ | مۈشۈك /myʃyk/ | pişik /pɪʃɪc/ | мышык /mɯʃɯk/ | پیشیک /piʃik/ | мысық /mɯsɯq/ | pişik /pɪʃɪk/ |
| Hand | qoʻl /qol/ | قول /qol/ | əl /æl/ | кол /kol/ | اَل /æl/ | қол /qol/ | el /el/ |
| Eye | koʻz /koz/ | كۆز /køz/ | göz /ɟøz/ | көз /køz/ | گؤز /ɡøz/ | көз /køz/ | göz /ɡøz/ |
| Hello | salom /sɑlɒm/ | ئەسسالامۇ ئەلەيكۇم /ɛssɑlɑmu ɛlɛjkum/ | salam /sɑlɑm/ | салам /sɑlɑm/ | سلام /sælam/ | сәлем /sælem/ | salam /sɑlɑːm/ |
| Thank you | rahmat /ɾɑxmɑt/ | رەھمەت /ɾɛhmɛt/ | təşəkkür /tæʃecːyɾ/ | рахмат /ɾɑxmɑt/ | ساغ اول /saɣ ol/ | рахмет /ɾɑxmet/ | sagboluň /sɑɡboluŋ/ |
| One | bir /biɾ/ | بىر /bir/ | bir /bɪɾ/ | бир /bɪɾ/ | بیر /bir/ | бір /bɪɾ/ | bir /biɾ/ |
| Good | yaxshi /jɑxʃi/ | ياخشى /jɑxʃi/ | yaxşı /jɑxʃɯ/ | жакшы /dʒɑkʃɯ/ | یاخشی /jaxʃɯ/ | жақсы /ʒɑqsɯ/ | gowy /ɡowɯ/ |
Word order compared
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