Qaraqalpaqsha

Qaraqalpaqsha, known in English as the Karakalpak language, is a Turkic language spoken by the Karakalpak people, primarily in Karakalpakstan, an autonomous republic within Uzbekistan. The name Qaraqalpaqsha is the Karakalpak endonym for the language. It serves as a key element of the community’s identity and is used in daily communication, literature, media, and education.

The language is part of the Turkic language family and is closely related to other Central Asian Turkic languages such as Kazakh and Uzbek. It is commonly described as belonging to the Kipchak-Northwestern group of Turkic languages, reflecting historical and linguistic links with neighboring speech varieties. Karakalpak literature and folklore have developed since the 19th and 20th centuries, contributing to a growing body of modern prose, poetry, and cultural expression.

Geographically, most speakers reside in Karakalpakstan, where the language has official status in varying degrees and is used in government, education, and local media alongside Uzbek. It is also spoken in parts of Uzbekistan outside Karakalpakstan and by diaspora communities abroad. The balance between Karakalpak and Uzbek in public life varies by region and institution, influencing language transmission and everyday use.

Writing systems: Since the Soviet era, Qaraqalpaqsha has been written primarily with a Cyrillic-based alphabet. There have been national discussions about orthographic reform and the potential use of Latin scripts as part of broader language policy changes in Uzbekistan. Today, Cyrillic remains the dominant script for formal use, education, and publishing.

Vitality: The language remains actively spoken by hundreds of thousands of people and supported by media, education, and cultural institutions in Karakalpakstan, contributing to its ongoing transmission and development within the region.