Tajik Language
Tajik, also known as Tajiki Persian or Dari, is spoken by Tajiks in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It is closely related to Persian spoken in Afghanistan (Dari) and is considered a dialect of Persian by some scholars. However, Tajiks consider their language to be a distinct entity.
Tajik has diverged from Persian due to political borders, geographical isolation, and the influence of neighboring Turkic languages. It retains archaic elements from Middle Persian, including vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar, which have been lost elsewhere in the Persian-speaking world.
Geographical Distribution
Tajik is one of two official languages of Tajikistan, the other being Russian. It is widely spoken in Uzbekistan, particularly in the cities of Samarkand and Bukhara, where it has been influenced by the neighboring Uzbek language. Tajiks also constitute a significant minority in Afghanistan, where Dari is spoken along with other dialects.
Dialects
Tajik dialects can be grouped into northern, central, southern, and southeastern varieties. The literary standard of Tajik is based on the northern dialects, influenced by the immigrants from Uzbekistan after the creation of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic.
Phonology
Tajik has 6 vowel phonemes and 24 consonant phonemes. Vowel sounds have been influenced by neighboring languages, with /o̞/ shifting forward in some dialects and upward in others. The language also has unique consonant contrasts such as /tɕ/ and /dʑ/.
Grammar
Tajik Persian grammar is similar to classical Persian, with some notable differences. The present progressive tense, for instance, is constructed differently in Tajik. Nouns are not marked for gender but have singular and plural forms. Direct objects are marked with the suffix "-ro."
History
Tajik is a continuation of Middle Persian, the language of the Sasanian Empire. Following the Islamic conquest, Arabic became the court language, but Persian later regained prominence under the Samanids. Over time, Tajik came under the influence of Turkic languages and Russian due to political and geographical factors. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Tajikistan made significant efforts to promote the use of Tajik and restore its historical connections with other Persian dialects.