The Laz Alphabet

Laz is written in two scripts depending on location ^[4]. In Georgia, Laz is written using the Georgian Mkhedruli script — the same 33-letter alphabet used for Georgian — as Laz belongs to the same Kartvelian family and uses the same letter system.

In Turkey, where a large proportion of Laz speakers live, a Latin-based alphabet has been developed, adapted from Turkish orthography with additional characters (ç, ş, ğ, ž, and others) for sounds not found in Turkish.

Academic linguists have used various transcription systems for Laz, including IPA-based systems for phonological analysis.

Laz belongs to the Kartvelian (South Caucasian) language family ^[1]. More specifically, Laz is in the Zan branch of Kartvelian, which it shares with Megrelian — the two languages together form the Zan sub-group.

Georgian and the closely related literary dialects form the Georgian branch, while Svan forms its own branch.

The four Kartvelian branches (Georgian, Svan, and Zan) diverged from a common ancestor, Proto-Kartvelian, estimated to have been spoken several thousand years ago in the Caucasus region. ^[2]

Estimates for Laz speakers vary widely, ranging from 220,000 to 500,000 people ^[1]. The majority live in northeastern Turkey (especially the Rize and Artvin provinces) and in the Adjara region of Georgia.

The wide range in estimates reflects the difficulty of counting speakers in multilingual communities — many Laz speakers are also fluent in Turkish or Georgian and may not identify Laz as their primary language.

The language is considered endangered in both countries, as Turkish and Georgian dominate education and public life respectively ^[3].

Laz and Megrelian are sister languages forming the Zan branch of the Kartvelian family ^[2]. They share many vocabulary items, grammatical structures, and phonological features that distinguish them from Georgian. For example, both languages use a vigesimal counting system and have preserved certain archaic consonant features.

While Laz and Megrelian are related, they are not mutually intelligible — they diverged long ago and differ substantially in vocabulary, consonant system, and morphology.

Laz is spoken primarily along the eastern Black Sea coast ^[1], split between two countries. In Turkey, Laz speakers are concentrated in the Rize, Artvin, and Trabzon provinces. In Georgia, Laz speakers live mainly in the Adjara region and along the coastal border areas.

Historically, the Laz territory (Lazistan) extended further along the Black Sea coast; the population has become largely bilingual with Turkish or Georgian as the dominant language in each country.

Small diaspora communities also exist in Istanbul and other Turkish cities.

Laz has no official status in either Georgia or Turkey ^[3]. In Turkey, minority language rights for Laz have been limited — as with other non-Turkish languages, Laz was historically suppressed in public education. In Georgia, Georgian is the sole official language and is used in all state functions in Laz-speaking areas.

Laz language advocacy organizations exist in both countries, promoting literacy and cultural preservation through community schools, publications, and online resources.

The ISO 639-3 code for Laz is lzz ^[3].

Laz has several regional dialects that vary in phonology and vocabulary ^[2]. Broadly, linguists distinguish between Georgian Laz dialects (spoken in Adjara, Georgia) and Turkish Laz dialects (spoken in northeastern Turkey).

The Turkish dialects show significant influence from Turkish phonology and vocabulary over centuries of contact. Within Turkey, further dialect divisions exist along the Rize–Artvin coast.

The dialect differences are notable but do not prevent mutual comprehension among Laz speakers across the region.

The ISO 639-3 code for Laz is lzz ^[3]. Laz does not have an ISO 639-1 two-letter code, which is typical for minority and endangered languages.

The Glottolog identifier is lazz1240, placing Laz in the Zan sub-group of the Kartvelian family alongside Megrelian.

The shared Glottolog family classification confirms the close genealogical relationship between Laz and Megrelian within the broader South Caucasian language group.