Languages of Iraq

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Languages of Iraq
Turkmen, Aramaic, Armenian and Domari
ForeignEnglish
SignedIraqi Sign Language
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There are a number of languages spoken in

Kurdish
are both official languages in Iraq.

Contemporary languages

The most widely spoken language in

Iraqi Turkmen/Turkoman dialect of Turkish, and many Northeastern Neo-Aramaic dialects.[2][3]

Standard Arabic is written using the

Syriac script
.

Other smaller minority languages include Shabaki and Armenian.

Official languages

Official languages of Iraq are defined by the

Transitional National Assembly of Iraq.[7] It was confirmed by constitutional referendum, held on October 15, 2005.[8] Official text of the Constitution was published on December 28, 2005 in the Official Gazette of Iraq (No. 4012), in Arabic original,[9] and thus came into force. The official translation (in English, for international use) was produced in cooperation between Iraqi state authorities and the United Nations' Office for Constitutional Support.[10][11]

According to the Article 4 of the Constitution, Arabic and Kurdish are the official languages of Iraq, while three other languages:

minority languages. In addition, any region or province may declare other languages official if a majority of the population approves in a general referendum.[12]

History

The oldest recorded languages of Iraq were

cuneiform script from 3300 BCE onwards. The latest positively identified Akkadian text comes from the first century CE.[13]

The language with the longest recorded period of use in Iraq is

Aramaic, which has a written tradition dating back for more than 2000 years, and survives today in its descendants, the Neo-Aramaic languages.[14][15]

References

  1. ^ "IRAQ". Encyclopædia Iranica. Archived from the original on 17 November 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  2. ISBN 978-90-04-14474-3
  3. ^ "Iraq, CIA World Factbook". CIA. 31 July 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  4. ^ Türkmeneli İşbirliği ve Kültür Vakfı. "Declaration of Principles of the (Iraqi?) Turkman Congress". Archived from the original on 2012-03-08. Retrieved 2011-11-25.
  5. ^ Nissman, David (5 March 1999), "The Iraqi Turkomans: Who They Are and What They Want", Iraq Report, 2 (9), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
  6. ISBN 978-1-317-52043-6
  7. ^ Sara B. Moller (2005), Low Intensity Conflict and Nation-Building in Iraq: A Chronology
  8. ^ Jonathan Morrow (2005): Iraq’s Constitutional Process II: An Opportunity Lost
  9. ^ Constitution of the Republic of Iraq, Official Gazette of Iraq, No. 4012, of December 28, 2005 (Arabic text)
  10. ^ UN WIPO: Iraqi Constitution (2005) in English translation
  11. ^ The ACE Electoral Knowledge Network: Iraqi Constitution (2005)
  12. ^ Iraq, Ministry of Interior - General Directorate for Nationality: Iraqi Constitution (2005)
  13. ISBN 0521562562
    , p. 218.
  14. ^ Brock 1989, p. 11–23.
  15. ^ Khan 2007, p. 95–114.

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Languages_of_Iraq&action=edit&section=4

Sources

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article:
Constitution of Iraq, from official Iraqi an UN sources, also accepted as Wikisource text
Other links
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