Oghuz languages

Oghuz
Oghuz
Southwestern Turkic
Ethnicity	Oghuz Turks
Geographic; distribution	Middle East, Central Asia, Southeast Europe
Linguistic classification	Turkic Common Turkic Oghuz; ;
Subdivisions	† Old Anatolian Turkish; † Ottoman Turkish; † Pecheneg; † Ajem-Turkic; Rumelian; Gagauz; Turkish; Azerbaijani; Turkmen; Khorezmian Turkic; Qashqai; Chaharmahali; Khorasani; Salar;
Glottolog	oghu1243 (Oghuz)
	Turkish Gagauz Azerbaijani Qashqai Chaharmahali Turkmen Khorasani Salar

The Oghuz languages are a sub-branch of the Turkic language family, spoken by approximately 108 million people. The three languages with the largest number of speakers are Turkish, Azerbaijani and Turkmen, which, combined, account for more than 95% of speakers of this sub-branch.

Kara-Khanid scholar Mahmud al-Kashgari, who lived in the 11th century, stated that the Oghuz language was the simplest among all Turkic languages.^[1]

Swedish turcologist and linguist Lars Johanson notes that Oghuz languages form a clearly discernible and closely related bloc within the Turkic language family as the cultural and political history of the speakers of Oghuz languages has linked them more closely up to the modern age. Western Oghuz languages are highly mutually intelligible with each other and the Crimean Tatar language, which, though genetically Kipchak Turkic rather than Oghuz, has been heavily influenced by Turkish over several centuries.^[2]

^ D. T. Potts, (2014), Nomadism in Iran: From Antiquity to the Modern Era, p. 177
^ "Language Materials Project: Turkish". UCLA International Institute, Center for World Languages. February 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-10-11. Retrieved 2007-04-26.

[1] D. T. Potts, (2014), Nomadism in Iran: From Antiquity to the Modern Era, p. 177

[Language_Materials_Project-2] "Language Materials Project: Turkish". UCLA International Institute, Center for World Languages. February 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-10-11. Retrieved 2007-04-26.

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