Old Azeri (آذری, Āzarī; also spelled Adhari, Azeri or Azari) is the extinct Iranian language that was once spoken in the northwestern Iranian historic region of Azerbaijan (Iranian Azerbaijan) before the Turkification of the Azerbaijani people. Some linguists believe the southern Tati varieties of Iranian Azerbaijan around Takestan such as the Harzandi and Karingani dialects to be remnants of Old Azeri.Paul, Ludwig (1998a). "The position of Zazaki among West Iranian languages" in , p. 496. Along with Tati dialects, Old Azeri is known to have strong affinities with Talysh and Zaza languages and both Zaza and Talysh are considered to be remnants of Old Azeri.:"On the other side, Harzanī is related to Zaza. One may instance the existence of two genuine plural cases in both languages; the ablative postposition -ri, Zaza -rā; the negative prefix in čini(ya) 'it is not', Zaza činyö, činya; many characteristic words, such as Harzani öšma 'moon', Zaza āšma, the nearest related word being Tāliši ovšįm; vašna 'it shines', Zaza väšena; gen- both ' to take' and ' to fall' in Harzani and Zaza; rau 'quick' in both languages; vondor- 'to stand': Zaza vindär- and Vafsi vender-, a verb known. This is merely a small selection of the many coincidences, some of them exclusive, that can be quoted. They leave no doubt that Harzani takes its place between Tāliši and Zaza." Iranologist linguist Henning demonstrated that Harzandi has many common linguistic features with both Talysh and Zaza and positioned Harzandi between the Talysh and Zaza.:"On the other side, Harzanī is related to Zaza. One may instance the existence of two genuine plural cases in both languages; the ablative postposition -ri, Zaza -rā; the negative prefix in čini(ya) 'it is not', Zaza činyö, činya; many characteristic words, such as Harzani öšma 'moon', Zaza āšma, the nearest related word being Tāliši ovšįm; vašna 'it shines', Zaza väšena; gen- both ' to take' and ' to fall' in Harzani and Zaza; rau 'quick' in both languages; vondor- 'to stand': Zaza vindär- and Vafsi vender-, a verb known. This is merely a small selection of the many coincidences, some of them exclusive, that can be quoted. They leave no doubt that Harzani takes its place between Tāliši and Zaza." Old Azeri was the dominant Iranic language in Azerbaijan before it was replaced by Azerbaijani, which is a Turkic language.
Linguistic affiliation
Glottolog classifies Old Adhari within the Adharic subgroup of the Northwestern Iranian languages along with languages such Tati of Iran and its dialects such as Harzandi, Kajali and Kilit, Talysh, Zaza and Gurani:
Northwest Iranian Adharic Adhari (Old Azeri) Tatic Alamuti Central Tatic Talysh Northern Tatic Harzandi Kilit Southern Tatic Alviri-Vidari Vafs Ashtiani Ramand-Karaj Razajerdi Takestani Khalkhal Kharaqani Ramandi Tarom Zanjan Gorani Gurani Shabaki-Bajelani Zaza Southern Zaza Northern Zaza Tunceli Varto
It shares many characteristics and common words and linguistic affinity with Zaza and considered a transitional dialect between Tati/Talysh and Zaza.Stilo, D. (1971) A Grammar of Vafsi-Tati: An Application of a Transformational Computer Model, Ph.D. diss., University of Michigan. p. 12.:"On the other side, Harzanī is related to Zaza. One may instance the existence of two genuine plural cases in both languages; the ablative postposition -ri, Zaza -rā; the negative prefix in čini(ya) 'it is not', Zaza činyö, činya; many characteristic words, such as Harzani öšma 'moon', Zaza āšma, the nearest related word being Tāliši ovšįm; vašna 'it shines', Zaza väšena; gen- both ' to take' and ' to fall' in Harzani and Zaza; rau 'quick' in both languages; vondor- 'to stand': Zaza vindär- and Vafsi vender-, a verb known. This is merely a small selection of the many coincidences, some of them exclusive, that can be quoted. They leave no doubt that Harzani takes its place between Tāliši and Zaza." Furthermore, Henning notes many common linguistic features with Zaza as well, based on the existence of two genuine plural cases in both languages, the ablative postposition -ri, Zaza -rā, the negative prefix in Harzandi čini(ya) 'it is not', Zaza činyo, činya and characteristic vocabulary.:"On the other side, Harzanī is related to Zaza. One may instance the existence of two genuine plural cases in both languages; the ablative postposition -ri, Zaza -rā; the negative prefix in čini(ya) 'it is not', Zaza činyö, činya; many characteristic words, such as Harzani öšma 'moon', Zaza āšma, the nearest related word being Tāliši ovšįm; vašna 'it shines', Zaza väšena; gen- both ' to take' and ' to fall' in Harzani and Zaza; rau 'quick' in both languages; vondor- 'to stand': Zaza vindär- and Vafsi vender-, a verb known. This is merely a small selection of the many coincidences, some of them exclusive, that can be quoted. They leave no doubt that Harzani takes its place between Tāliši and Zaza." Therefore, Zaza and Talysh, along with Tati dialects, have also been considered to be remnants of the Old Azeri language. Modern Azeri dialects exhibit certain distinct phonological developments that differentiate them from other Northwestern Iranian languages. Among the Northwestern Iranian languages, only Āzarī (modern Tati dialects), Talysh, Zaza, and Gurani display a clearly regular northern development for the consonant clusters rd and rz.
Initial studies Ahmad Kasravi, a preeminent Iranian Azeri scholar and linguist, was the first scholar who examined the Iranian language of Iran's historic Azerbaijan region. He conducted comprehensive research using Arabic, Persian, Turkish and Greek historical sources and concluded that Old Azeri was the language of this region of Iran before it adopted the Turkic language of the same name. Historical research showed that Azeris were an Iranic people before the arrival of Seljuq Turks to the region.Jazayery, M.A. "Kasravi, Ahmad(1890-1946)" in
Historical affiliations
Old Azari was spoken in most of Azerbaijan at least up to the 17th century, with the number of speakers decreasing since the 11th century due to the Turkification of the area. According to some accounts, it may have survived for several centuries after that up to the 16th or 17th century. Today, Iranian dialects are still spoken in several linguistic enclaves within Azarbaijan. While some scholars believe that these dialects form a direct continuation of the ancient Azari languages, others have argued that they are likely to be a later import through migration from other parts of Iran, and that the original Azari dialects became extinct.
According to Vladimir Minorsky, around the 9th or 10th century:
Clifford Edmund Bosworth says:
Igrar Aliyev states that:Professor Ighrar Aliyev. The History of Aturpatakan. Persian Translation by Dr. Shaadman Yusuf. Balkh Publishers. Tehran. 1999.
Aliyev states that medieval Muslim historians such as al-Baladhuri, al-Masudi, ibn Hawqal and Yaqut al-Hamawi mentioned this language by name. Other such writers are Estakhri, Ibn al-Nadim, Hamza al-Isfahani, al-Muqaddasi, Ya'qubi, Hamdallah Mustawfi and Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi.
According to Gilbert Lazard, "Azarbaijan was the domain of Adhari, an important Iranian dialect which Masudi mentions together with Dari and Pahlavi."
According to Richard N. Frye, Azari was a major Iranian language and the original language of Iranian Azerbaijan. It gradually lost its status as the majority language by the end of the 14th century.
Historical attestations
Ebn al-Moqaffa’ (died 142/759) is quoted by ibn Al-Nadim in his famous Al-Fihrist as stating that Azerbaijan, Nahavand, Rayy, Hamadan and Esfahan speak Fahlavi (Pahlavi) and collectively constitute the region of Fahlah.: Ibn Nadeem, "Fihrist", Translated by Reza Tajaddod, Ibn Sina publishers, 1967. ابن ندیم در الفهرست مینویسد: (= اما فهلوی منسوب است به فهله كه نام نهاده شده است بر پنج شهر: اصفهان و ری و همدان و ماه نهاوند و آذربایجان. و دری لغت شهرهای مداین است و درباریان پادشاه بدان زبان سخن میگفتند و منسوب است به مردم دربار و لغت اهل خراسان و مشرق و لغت مردم بلخ بر آن زبان غالب است. اما فارسی كلامی است كه موبدان و علما و مانند ایشان بدان سخن گویند و آن زبان مردم اهل فارس باشد. اما خوزی زبانی است كه ملوك و اشراف در خلوت و مواضع لعب و لذت با ندیمان و حاشیت خود گفتوگو كنند. اما سریانی آن است كه مردم سواد بدان سخن رانند). ابن ندیم، محمد بن اسحاق: «فهرست»، ترجمهی رضا تجدد، انتشارات ابن سینا، 1346 Original Arabic. Ibn Nadeem, Al-Fihrist. www.alwaraq.com accessed in September 2007. فأما الفهلویة فمنسوب إلى فهله اسم یقع على خمسة بلدان وهی أصفهان والری وهمدان وماه نهاوند وأذربیجان وأما الدریة فلغة مدن المدائن وبها كان یتكلم من بباب الملك وهی منسوبة إلى حاضرة الباب والغالب علیها من لغة أهل خراسان والمشرق و اللغة أهل بلخ وأما الفارسیة فتكلم بها الموابدة والعلماء وأشباههم وهی لغة أهل فارس وأما الخوزیة فبها كان یتكلم الملوك والأشراف فی الخلوة ومواضع اللعب واللذة ومع الحاشیة وأما السریانیة فكان یتكلم بها أهل السواد والمكاتبة فی نوع من اللغة بالسریانی فارسی
A very similar statement is given by the medieval historian Hamzeh Isfahani when talking about Sassanid Iran. Hamzeh Isfahani writes in the book Al-Tanbih ‘ala Hoduth alTashif that five "tongues" or dialects, were common in Sassanian Iran: Fahlavi, Dari, Persian, Khuzi and Soryani. Hamzeh (893-961 CE) explains these dialects in the following way:(Mehdi Marashi, Mohammad Ali Jazayery, Persian Studies in North America: Studies in Honor of Mohammad Ali Jazayery, Ibex Publishers, Inc, 1994. pg 255)
Ibn Hawqal states:
Ibn Hawqal mentions that some areas of Armenia are controlled by Muslims and others by Christians.Ibn Howqal, Surat al-ardh. Translation and comments by: J. Shoar, Amir Kabir Publishers, Iran. 1981.
"ارمنیه دو قسمت است: داخلی و خارجی. در ارمنیه ی خارجی شهرهایی از آن مسلمانان و به دست آنان است و خود مسلمانان فرمانروای آنجا هستند و دست ارامنه از دست آن قطع گردیده است و به کلی تحت حکومت پادشاهان اسلامی است: از جمله این شهرها ارجیش، منازجرد و خلاط است. و حدود ارمنیه خارجی معین است یعنی از مشرق به بردعه و از مغرب به جزیره و از جنوب به آذربایجان و از شما به نواحی روم در سمت قالیقالا محدود است
Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn al-Husayn Al-Masudi (896-956), the Arab historian states:
Al-Moqaddasi (died late 10th century) considers Azerbaijan as part of the 8th division of lands. He states:"The languages of the 8th division is Iranian (al-‘ajamyya). It is partly Dari and partly convoluted (monqaleq) and all of them are named Persian".Al-Moqaddasi, Shams ad-Din Abu Abdallah Muhammad ibn Ahmad, Ahsan al-Taqasi fi Ma’rifa al-Aqalim, Translated by Ali Naqi Vaziri, Volume one, First Edition, Mu’alifan and Mutarjiman Publishers, Iran, 1981, pg 377 المقدسی، شمسالدین ابوعبدالله محمدبن احمد، احسن التقاسیم فی معرفه الاقالیم، ترجمه دكتر علینقی وزیری، جلد 1، چاپ اول، انتشارات مؤلفان و مترجمان ایران، 1361، ص 377.
Al-Moqaddasi also writes on the general region of Armenia, Arran and Azerbaijan and states:Al-Muqaddasi, ‘The Best Divisions for Knowledge of the Regions’, a translation of his Ahsan at-taqasim fi Ma'rifat al-Aqalim by B.A. Collins, Centre for Muslim Contribution to Civilization, Garnet Publishing Limited,1994. pg 334
Ahmad ibn Yaqubi mentions that the People of Azerbaijan are a mixture of Azari 'Ajams ('Ajam is a term that developed to mean Iranian) and old Javedanis (followers of Javidan the son of Shahrak who was the leader of Khurramites and succeeded by Babak Khorramdin).Tārīkh-i Yaqūbī / talīf-i Aḥmad ibn Abī Yaqūbi; tarjamah-i Muḥammad Ibrahim Ayati, Intirisharat Bungah-I Tarjamah va Nashr-I Kitab, 1969.
Zakariya b. Mohammad Qazvini's report in Athar al-Bilad, composed in 1275, that "no town has escaped being taken over by the Turks except Tabriz" (Beirut ed., 1960, p. 339) one may infer that at least Tabriz had remained aloof from the influence of Turkish until the time.