Azerbaijani-Turkic, which is the official language of the Republic of Azerbaijan, is very dear to the culture and history of the Azerbaijani people.

Where Did the Language Come From?

The Azerbaijani language evolved from the Oghuz branch of Turkic languages in the Middle Ages to become one that produced beautiful poetry and literature, beginning in the 14th century. Notable Azerbaijani figures include Khatai, Nizami and Fizuli. Oral Azerbaijani traditions have also been significant to the language and culture of Azerbaijan. The Epic of Koroglu and the Book of Dede Korkut are compilations of ancient Azerbaijani stories of adventure, rooted in history. Both books were transcribed into written form and eventually translated into English.

Important dates:

• 6-11th centuries–Turkic migrations and the introduction of the dialects of Oghuz Turkic to Central Asia.
  
  
• 14th century – Classical literature formed in Azerbaijan using Shirvan and Tabriz dialects.


• 16th-20 centuries – Azerbaijani served as the lingua franca throughout the Caucasus


• 16th-18th centuries – Development of Early Azerbaijani literary style


• 18th-20th centuries – Development of Modern Azerbaijani
  
  
• 1828 – Treaty of Turkmenchay split Azerbaijan between Russia and Iran, widening the split between the North and South Azerbaijani dialects.


• 1918-1920 – Azerbaijani becomes the official language of Azerbaijani before the Soviet invasion. The government adopts the Latin alphabet in this brief period of time. In 1940, the alphabet is changed to Cyrillic.


• 1991 – With the formation of an independent Azerbaijani republic, Azerbaijani once more becomes the official language of Azerbaijan and once again adopts the Latin alphabet.
  

Azeri Literary Figures:

• Imadaddin Nasimi
  
• Muhammed Fuzuli
  
• Khatai
  
• Molla Panah Vagif
  
• Khurshidbanu Natavan
  
• Mirza Fatali Akhundov
  
• Jalil Mammadguluzadeh
  
• Mirza Alakbar Sabir
  
• Huseyn Javid
  
• Jafar Jabbarly
  
• Samad Vurghun
  
• Mikayil Mushfig
  
• Mammed Said Ordubadi
  
• Mohammad Hossein Shahriar
  
  

Who Speaks Azerbaijani?

Also known by its informal name Azeri, Azerbaijani is a Turkic language spoken by at least 30 million people throughout the Republic of Azerbaijan, Northern Iran and parts of Northern Iraq and Eastern Turkey. There are also smaller Azerbaijani-speaking communities in Russia, Armenia, Georgia, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Azerbaijani-Turkic is a language closely related to the Turkish, Uzbek, Turkmen and Kazakh and a native Azerbaijani speaker can well communicate with various peoples throughout the vast of Central Asia.

North Azerbaijani and South Azerbaijani

The Russo-Persian Wars (1804-1813 & 1826-1828) effectively split Azerbaijan between the two empires after 1828. As a result Azerbaijani-Turkic evolved to two main dialects: North Azerbaijani, which was spoken in Russian (and later Soviet)-controlled Azerbaijan and South Azerbaijani, which evolved in Persian (now Iranian) Azerbaijan. While the Russian and Persian languages influenced North and South Azerbaijani, respectively, North and South Azeri were and continue to remain mutually-intelligible. Azerbaijani-Turkic eventually became the official language of Azerbaijan for a brief period from 1918-1920 again in 1991 with the independence of Azerbaijan from Soviet Russia.

The Azerbaijani Alphabet:

Up until 1918, the Azerbaijani language was written using the Arabic alphabet. All major Azerbaijani poetry and literature was written in beautiful Arabic calligraphy.

Arabic Alphabet:

Under a short-lived Republic of Azerbaijan from 1918-1920, Azerbaijani was declared the official language and Latin was adopted as the official alphabet of Azerbaijan. In 1940 when Azerbaijan was under Soviet control, the alphabet was changed to Cyrillic. Upon the fall of the Soviet Union and Azerbaijani independence, Azeris once again adopted the Latin alphabet, which continues to be used today.

Current Alphabet:


Azerbaijani Phrases:

If you are interested in travelling to Azerbaijan, Azerb.com has a great page on introductory words that would be useful on your travels. Here are some Azerbaijani phrases that you may overhear on your trip to Azerbaijan:

Xoş gəlmişsiniz! (Khosh Gelmishsiniz) Welcome!
Haralısan? Where are you from?
Sabahınız xeyir (sabahiniz khayir) Good Morning
Yaxşı günlər! (yakhshi joonlar) Have a nice day!
Ad günün mübarək! (ad joonoon moobarak) Happy Birthday!
More phrases can be found here.

Other Karabakh Foundation Cultural Topics include: Literature, Cuisine, Textiles/Rug,s Film, Architecture, Music, Art, and Dance