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Index / Languages
  Iran /
Languages
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Languages
Figures in 1000. |
| Turkic |
Azerbaijani
|
12,000 |
18.0% |
|
Afshar
|
300 |
0.5% |
Turkmen
|
1,800 |
2.7% |
Qashqai
|
1,500 |
2.3% |
Khorasani
|
700 |
1.0% |
TOTAL
|
15,800 |
24.0% |
| Iranian |
Persian
|
29,000 |
44.0% |
|
Aimaq
|
170 |
0.3% |
|
Hazaragi
|
280 |
0.4% |
Kurdish
|
6,000 |
9.0% |
Gilaki
|
3,200 |
4.8% |
Lori
|
3,500 |
4.5% |
|
Northern
|
1,500 |
1.8% |
|
Bakhtiari
|
1,000 |
1.4% |
|
Southern
|
900 |
1.4% |
Mazandarani
|
2,500 |
3.8% |
Balochi
|
1,400 |
2.1% |
Laki
|
1,000 |
1.5% |
Zaza-Gorani
|
325 |
0.5% |
|
Gorani
|
300 |
0.5% |
|
Hawrami
|
25 |
<0.1% |
Talysh
|
430 |
0.7% |
|
Takestani
|
200 |
0.3% |
|
Talysh (main)
|
180 |
0.3% |
|
Harzani
|
30 |
<0.1% |
|
Karingani
|
20 |
<0.1% |
Pashto
|
150 |
0.2% |
Lari
|
80 |
0.1% |
Khalaj
|
45 |
0.1% |
Semnani
|
25 |
<0.1% |
Khunsari
|
25 |
<0.1% |
Ashtiani
|
22 |
<0.1% |
Vafsi
|
20 |
<0.1% |
Tati
|
12 |
<0.1% |
Gazi
|
10 |
<0.1% |
TOTAL
|
47,250 |
72.0% |
| Semitic languages |
Arabic
|
1,400 |
2.1% |
|
Mesopotamian
|
1,200 |
1.8% |
|
Gulf
|
200 |
0.3% |
Aramaic
|
10 |
<0.1% |
|
Assyrian Neo
|
10 |
<0.1% |
| Other language groups |
Domari
|
1,400 |
2.1% |
Armenian
|
170 |
0.3% |
Brahui
|
20 |
<0.1% |
Kazakh
|
8 |
<0.1% |
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The map of languages spoken in Iran is as complex and confusing as is the case with ethnic groups. Ethnologue lists as many as 66 languages, of which 31 has more than 20,000 speakers. Sizeable languages, with more than 1 million, count as many as 12. The largest language is Persian, which is also the language of the state.
Although the high number of languages within one state's borders, there is a limited number of language groups: Iranian, Turkic and Semitic. Many of the languages within each group are intelligible to one another.
There is also important influences from other language groups, like Mongolian.
Estimates for languages in Iran are highly uncertain, differing greatly between different sources. The figures given here are rough estimates, calculated upon relative sizes from other sources compared to the total number of inhabitants in Iran. As an illustration, some sources indicate that the total speakers of a first language in Iran is up to 20% higher than the actual number of inhabitants.
© Copyright 1996-2009 LookLex Ltd. All rights reserved
By: Tore Kjeilen
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