Azerbaijani dialects

Overview of dialects of Azerbaijani

You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Azerbaijani. (May 2025) Click [show] for important translation instructions.

*   * Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia.
* Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article.
* You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is `Content in this edit is translated from the existing Azerbaijani Wikipedia article at [[:az:Azərbaycan dilinin dialektləri]]; see its history for attribution.`
* You may also add the template `{{Translated|az|Azərbaycan dilinin dialektləri}}` to the talk page.
* For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.

|

Azerbaijani dialects reflect relatively minor language differences and are mutually intelligible.[1] The Azerbaijani language has two distinct sublanguages: Northern[2] and Southern.[3]

Southern Azerbaijani contains many Arabic and Persian words that are not familiar to northern speakers. This began to increase in 1828.[4]

## History

[edit]

In his Seyahatnâme (travelogue), 17th-century Ottoman traveler Evliya Çelebi provided a detailed account of the Ajem-Turkic (or Azerbaijani) dialects in continuum with the Turkish dialects of the Armenian highlands: Diyarbekir, Bitlis, and few samples of Erzurum, Van, Hamadan, Mosul, and Tabriz. Evliya Çelebi specified the Tabrizi dialect as the speech of the Turkomans, Afshars, and "Gök-dolaq".[5] Apart from formal samples, these dialects were further exemplified by his dialogue with the Safavid governors of Urmia, Tabriz, Shamakhi, and Yerevan.[6]

## Dialect groups

[edit]

The main dialect groups are Eastern (Derbent, Baku, Shamakhi, Mugan and Lankaran dialects), Western (Qazakh, Karabakh, Ganja and Ayrum dialects), Northern (Nukha, Zaqatala \- Qakh dialects) and Southern (Yerevan, Nakhchivan, Ordubad and Tabriz dialects). The dialects are mutually intelligible but differ with regard to accent, syntax, and vocabulary. Eastern and northern groups of dialects were influenced by the Kypchak language.[7][8]

According to Encyclopedia Iranica:[9]

> We may distinguish the following Azeri dialects: (1) eastern group: Derbent (Darband), Kuba, Shemakha (Šamāḵī), Baku, Salyani (Salyānī), and Lenkoran (Lankarān), (2) western group: Kazakh (not to be confounded with the Kipchak-Turkic language of the same name), the dialect of the Ayrïm (Āyrom) tribe (which, however, resembles Turkish), and the dialect spoken in the region of the Borchala river; (3) northern group: Zakataly, Nukha, and Kutkashen; (4) southern group: Yerevan (Īravān), Nakhichevan (Naḵjavān), and Ordubad (Ordūbād); (5) central group: Ganja (Kirovabad) and Shusha; (6) North Iraqi dialects; (7) Northwest Iranian dialects: Tabrīz, Reżāʾīya (Urmia), etc., extended east to about Qazvīn; (8) Southeast Caspian dialect (Galūgāh). Optionally, we may adjoin as Azeri (or “Azeroid”) dialects: (9) East Anatolian/Southeast Anatolian, (10) Qašqāʾī, (11) Aynallū, (12) Sonqorī, (13) dialects south of Qom, (14) Kabul Afšārī.

According to Ethnologue, North Azerbaijani has the following regional dialects, each of which is slightly different from the other: "Quba, Derbend, Baku, Shamakhi, Salyan, Lenkaran, Qazakh, Airym, Borcala, Terekeme, Qyzylbash, Nukha, Zaqatala (Mugaly), Qabala, Nakhchivan, Ordubad, Ganja, Shusha (Karabakh), Karapapak, Kutkashen, Kuba".[10] While South Azerbaijani has the following dialects: "Aynallu (Inallu, Inanlu), Karapapakh, Tabriz, Afshari (Afsar, Afshar), Shahsavani (Shahseven), Moqaddam, Baharlu (Kamesh), Nafar, Qaragozlu, Pishagchi, Bayat, Qajar".[11]

According to the second edition of the Encyclopaedia of Islam, there are four main dialects of Azeri: 1) Baku-Shirvan, 2) Ganja-Karabakh, 3) Tabriz, and 4) Urmia.[12]

## Dialectal features

[edit]

Dialects of Azerbaijani in Iranian Azerbaijan and surrounding regions, according to Yavar Dehghani[13]

According to "A grammar of Iranian Azari" by Yavar Dehghani, dialects of South Azerbaijani in Iran are as follows: 1) Urmia, 2) Tabriz, 3) Ardabil, and 4) Zanjan. Each one of these has a set of unique features that distinguishes it.[13]

### Urmia dialect

[edit]

The Urmia dialect stands out primarily by means of the fact that it, unlike the other dialects, does not have labial harmony applied to any suffix. As a result, every suffix has only two forms, one harmonized for back vowels and one for front vowels.[13]

Suffix type  | Urmia dialect  | Baku Azerbaijani

|
|

back  | front  | back rounded  | back unrounded  | front rounded  | front unrounded
Suffix forming abstract nouns from adjectives or nouns  | [-lɯx] | [-liç] | [-lux] | [-lɯx] | [-lyc] | [-lic]
Suffix forming adjectives from nouns  | [-lu] | [-ly] | [-lu] | [-lɯ] | [-ly] | [-li]
Privative suffix  | [-sɯz] | [-siz] | [-suz] | [-sɯz] | [-syz] | [-siz]
Suffix forming third-person singular imperative  | [-sun] | [-syn] | [-sun] | [-sɯn] | [-syn] | [-sin]

### Tabriz dialect

[edit]

The Tabriz dialect is the most-spoken dialect of Azerbaijani in Iran.[13] A feature distinguishing it from Baku Azerbaijani is the further fronting of palatal stops and postalveolar affricates. The voiceless postalveolar affricate and voiced postalveolar affricate are fronted to the voiceless alveolar affricate and voiced alveolar affricate, while the voiceless palatal plosive and voiced palatal plosive are fronted to the voiceless postalveolar affricate and voiced postalveolar affricate.[14]

Baku Azerbaijani  | Tabriz dialect

|

[tʃ] | [ts]
[dʒ] | [dz]
[c] | [tʃ]
[ɟ] | [dʒ]

Another one of the ways it differs from Baku Azerbaijani is the only partial observance of vowel harmony. One aspect of this is that the final vowel of a word does not need to harmonize with the preceding syllables in regards to either roundness or backness.[14]

Meaning  | Tabriz dialect  | Baku Azerbaijani

|
|

'flock'  | [syɾi] | [syɾy]
'fox'  | [tyltʃi] | [tylcy]
'true'  | [doɣɾi] | [doɣɾu]
'lamb'  | [ɡuzi] | [ɡuzu]

Additionally, various suffixes simply ignore harmony altogether, always having a back vowel. Among others, the Baku Azerbaijani infinitive suffix [-mæc, -mɑx] is always [-mɑx], the future suffix [-ædʒæc, -ɑdʒɑx] is always [-ɑdzɑx], the first person plural imperative suffix [-æc, -ɑx] is always [-ɑx], the comparative suffix [-ɾæc, -ɾɑx] is always [-ɾɑx], the participle-deriving suffix [-ic, -yc, -ɯx, -ux] is always [-ux], and the abstract noun deriving suffix [-lic, -lyc, -lɯx, -lux] is always [-lɯx].[14]

### Ardabil dialect

[edit]

Main article: Ardabil dialect

The Ardabil dialect generally applies both labial and backness harmony to suffixes, but has a few exceptions to them as well, particularly the suffixes for the past tense, possessive aspect, and continuous aspect. While the possessive aspect and past tense suffixes have no labial harmonization, the continuous aspect suffix [-ej] (equivalent to Baku Azerbaijani [-iɾ, -ɯɾ, -yɾ, -uɾ]) has no harmonization of any kind. Suffixes following it ignore it and harmonize with the stem.[13]

Meaning  | Ardabil dialect  | Baku Azerbaijani

|
|

'I throw'  | [ɑtejɑm] | [ɑtɯɾɑm]
'I arrange'  | [ɡoʃejɑm] | [ɡoʃuɾɑm]
'I come'  | [dʒælejæm] | [ɟæliɾæm]
'I wait'  | [dœzejæm] | [dœzyɾæm]

### Zanjan dialect

[edit]

In the Zanjan dialect, the second person singular suffix is [-æn, -ɑn] (as opposed to Baku Azerbaijani [-sæn, -sɑn]) and the second person plural suffix is [-iz, -ɯz, -yz, -uz] (as opposed to Baku Azerbaijani [-siz, -sɯz, -syz, -suz]).[13]

Meaning  | Zanjan dialect  | Baku Azerbaijani

|
|

'You (singular) see'  | [bɑxɯɾɑn] | [bɑxɯɾsɑn]
'You (plural) see'  | [bɑxɯɾɯz] | [bɑxɯɾsɯz]

## Publications

[edit]

The first comparative analysis of the Turkic (Azerbaijani) dialects was carried out by Mirza Kazimbey in his 1839 book The General Grammar of the Turkish – Tatar Language.[15]

During 1924 - 1930, Soviet researchers collected some 60 thousand dialect words. The program was prepared to compile a comprehensive dictionary. N.I. Ashari led this program. The Academy of Sciences of the Azerbaijan SSR published a one-volume dictionary named Dialectological Dictionary of the Azerbaijani Language in 1964, which covered more than six thousand words.

At the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, the Dictionary of the Dialects of the Azerbaijani language was published. The dictionary contained samples from Zangibasar, Sharur, Yardimli, Tebriz, Gubadli, Lachin, Kalbacar, Balakan, Qakh and Zagatala.

## See also

[edit]

* Turkish dialects

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Azerbaijan". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2018-06-30.
2. ^ "Azerbaijani, North". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2018-06-30.
3. ^ "Azerbaijani, South". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2018-06-30.
4. ^ Bruno De Nicola; Yonatan Mendel and Husain Qutbuddin (November 2010). Reflections on Knowledge and Language in Middle Eastern Societies. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 9781443824309.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
5. ^ Dankoff 2008, p. 263.
6. ^ Dankoff 2008, p. 264.
7. ^ Library, International and Area Studies. "LibGuides: Resources for the study of the Azerbaijani language: Dictionaries and Grammar". guides.library.illinois.edu. Retrieved 2018-06-30.
8. ^ "Azerbaijan:: Main page". azerbaijans.com (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 2018-06-30.
9. ^ Doerfer, Gerhard (1988). "AZERBAIJAN viii. Azeri Turkish". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). Encyclopædia Iranica (Online ed.). Encyclopædia Iranica Foundation. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
10. ^ "Azerbaijani, North". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
11. ^ "Azerbaijani, South". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
12. ^ * Caferoǧlu, A. (2012). "Ād̲h̲arī (Azerī)". The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition (12 vols.). Leiden: E. J. Brill. doi:10.1163/1573-3912_islam_COM_0017.
13. ^ a b c d e f Dehghani, Yavar (2000). A grammar of Iranian Azari: including comparisons with Persian. Munich: Lincom Europa. pp. 6, 11, 65, 68–71, 113–114.
14. ^ a b c Səlimi, Hüseynqulu (1976). A generative phonology of Azerbaijani (PhD). University of Florida. pp. 8–9, 20. OCLC 1045615622. ARK 13960/t1tf4s495. OL 18319A.
15. ^ "Presented Mirza Kazimbay's translated "General grammar of Turkic-Tatar language" book - News - Nizami Gəncəvi adına Milli Azərbaycan Ədəbiyyatı Muzeyi". nizamimuseum.az. Retrieved 2018-06-30.

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Dankoff, Robert (2008). From Mahmud Kaşgari to Evliya Çelebi. Isis Press. ISBN 978-975-428-366-2. OCLC 263017665.

* v
* t
* e

Azerbaijani language

Origin|

* Proto-Turkic
* Common Turkic
* Oghuz Turkic

Development|

* Old Anatolian Turkish
* Ajem-Turkic

Alphabet|

* Latin script
* Other
* Perso-Arabic script
* Cyrillic script
* Georgian script

| History|

| Tsar era|

* Akhundov's reform proposal
* Shahtakhtinski's reform proposal
* Aghazade's reform proposal

|

Republican era|

* Afandizade's reform proposal [az]

Soviet era|

* Common Turkic alphabet

Grammar|

* Phonology
* Vowel harmony
* Grammar of the Turco-Tatar language

Vocabulary|

* Verbs
* Adverbs
* Adjectives
* Nouns
* Pronouns
* Numerals
* Conjunctions
* Particles
* Postpositions
* Determiners

Regulation and Promotion|

* Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences
* Institute of Linguistics named after Nasimi
* Azerbaijan State Translation Center [az]

Legislation|

* Enactment on the proclamation of Turkic language as a state language (1918) [az]
* Decision on the Constitutional clause regarding the State language of Azerbaijan SSR (1956)

Dictionaries|

* Azərbaycan dilinin izahlı lüğəti [az]
* Azərbaycan dilinin orfoqrafiya lüğəti [az]

| Online|

* Azerdict [az]
* Azleks
* Obastan

|

Researchers|

* Lars Johanson
* Gerhard Doerfer
* Ahmet Caferoğlu [tr]
* Mirza Kazembek
* Tourkhan Ganjayi [az]
* Bekir Çoban-zade
* Ildikó Bellér-Hann
* Heidi Stein
* Hendrik Boeschoten
* Ervand Sevortyan [hy; ru; az]
* Abdulazal Damirchizade [az]
* Mammadagha Shiraliyev [az]

Literature|

* List of writers
* List of poets
* List of playwrights

Official status|

* Azerbaijan
* Dagestan
* Organization of Turkic States

Native regions|

* Azerbaijan
* Iran
* Iranian Azerbaijan
* Russia
* Derbent
* Georgia
* Borchaly
* Turkey
* Northeast Anatolia
* Historical
* Armenia

Commemoration|

* Ana dili (monument) [az]
* National Day of Azerbaijani Alphabet and Azerbaijani Language [az]

Related topics|

* Azerbaijani Sign Language
* Azerbaijani Braille
* Azerbaijani name
* Azerbaijanization of surnames

*   * Azerbaijan portal

* v
* t
* e

Varieties of languages

* Albanian
* Antiguan and Barbudan Creole
* Arabic
* Aragonese
* Armenian
* Aromanian
* Azerbaijani
* Basque
* Bengali
* Bulgarian
* Catalan
* Chinese
* Danish
* Dutch
* English
* French
* Georgian
* German
* Greek
* Hindi
* Japanese
* Korean
* Macedonian
* Malay
* Maltese
* Norwegian
* Pashto
* Persian
* Polish
* Portuguese
* Punjabi
* Romani
* Romanian
* Russian
* Serbo-Croatian
* Slovene
* Spanish
* Swedish
* Turkish
* Ukrainian
* Urdu
* Yiddish

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template