Azerbaijani language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Azerbaijani |
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|---|---|
| Azərbaycan dili Азәрбајҹан дили آذربایجان دیلی |
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| Pronunciation | /azærbajʤan dili/ |
| Native to |  Iran, Azerbaijan,also in parts of neighboring countries such as:  Georgia, Russia, Iraq, Turkey, Ukraine |
| Native speakers | 25 million (date missing) |
| Language family | |
| Writing system | Latin alphabet for North Azerbaijani in Azerbaijan, Perso-Arabic script for South Azerbaijani in Iran, and, formerly, Cyrillic alphabet for North Azerbaijani (Azerbaijani variants) |
| Official status | |
| Official language in | Azerbaijan (North Azerbaijani), Iraq (South Azerbaijani; official in areas where Iraqi Turkmen form a majority) |
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The Azerbaijani language, also known as Azeri, is a language from the Turkic family. This means it's related to languages like Turkish and Uzbek. About 25 million people speak Azerbaijani around the world.
It is mainly spoken in Azerbaijan and the northwestern part of Iran. In Azerbaijan, the version called North Azerbaijani is the official language. This means it's used by the government and in schools.
Contents
About the Azerbaijani Language
The Azerbaijani language is a very important part of the culture in Azerbaijan. It helps people communicate and share their stories. It's also spoken by many people in nearby countries.
Where is Azerbaijani Spoken?
Besides Azerbaijan and Iran, you can find Azerbaijani speakers in several other places.
- In Russia, especially in a region called Dagestan.
- In parts of Georgia, particularly in the southeast and east.
- In northeastern Turkey.
- And in some areas of Ukraine.
Different Kinds of Azerbaijani
There are two main types of Azerbaijani:
- North Azerbaijani: This is the official language of the Republic of Azerbaijan. It used to be written using the Cyrillic alphabet, but now it mostly uses the Latin alphabet.
- South Azerbaijani: This type is spoken by many people in northwestern Iran. It is usually written using the Perso-Arabic script, which is similar to the writing system for Arabic and Persian.
How Azerbaijani is Written
Over time, the way Azerbaijani is written has changed.
- In Azerbaijan, people now use the Latin alphabet. This is the same alphabet used for English.
- In Iran, people use a script based on Arabic and Persian letters.
- Long ago, and for a while during the Soviet era, the Cyrillic alphabet was also used, especially in Azerbaijan.
Images for kids
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Garden of Pleasures by Fuzûlî in Azerbaijani from 16th century.
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Mohammad-Hossein Shahriar, Iranian Azerbaijani poet, who wrote in Azerbaijani and Persian.
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Azerbaijani-language road sign.
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Knowledge of either of the two major Western Oghuz languages, Turkish or Azerbaijani in Europe
See also
In Spanish: Idioma azerí para niños
