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Languages in Tajikistan

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The Tajik language is the official native tongue in Tajikistan. Although, it is shared among Central Asian countries, it has retained its genuine form in its land of origin amidst colonial rule. This makes the language interesting reflective both of the country’s history and culture. No wonder, it has been further spread by speakers who migrated into other territories.

Historically, the language has its Persian roots attributed to the ancient history of the Tajiks. It was even referred to as the Persian language by its first speakers. It was only tagged as the Tajik language by the Russians in the 20th century. This move differentiated this vernacular from the Persian language spoken in Iran and Afghanistan.

Modern-day Tajik language is likely to preserve its original elements due to its geographical seclusion. Not only that, integration in the educational curriculum also facilitated promotion of the national language. It has continued to assert itself even on the attempted imposition of Russian language which was later hailed as secondary language.

Attributed to the country’s mountainous topography, Tajik variants were developed in specific regions. In fact, four basic dialects emerged which correspond to the central, northern, south-eastern, and southern portions of the country. In turn, each of these reflects the distinguishing way of life of the respective region.

In particular, Tajik is utilized by many with approximately 4.38 million of speakers. It is primarily spoken in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan where the inhabitants are of ancient Persian lineage. Likewise, it is also spoken in Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, and Russia where ethnic Tajiks can be found.