Uzbek/Introduction

I'm going to simplify the template, as well as switch everything to Latin script. The text below has been copied directly from the Public Domain Peace Corps Uzbek Language Compentencies book, it should be edited as the book evolves.

Uzbek is a member of the Turkic language family. Speakers of these languages number approximately 150 million and range from the Tuvas of Siberia and Uyghurs of China through the Kazaks and Kirgiz of Central Asia to the Tatars of Europe and Turks and Azeris of the Near East. While all the Turkic languages share a common structure and basic vocabulary, many (for example, Chuvash and Yakut) are not mutually intelligible. However Uzbeks and Uyghurs are able to converse freely with one another because their ancestors adopted the same local Turkic dialects spoken in urban areas of Central Asia.

Standard Uzbek conforms to those urban dialects without being exactly the same as any one of them. It incorporates several elements borrowed from local Persian dialects. This influence is most apparent in the vowel system and in the large number of words borrowed from Persian and Arabic. Standard Uzbek also reflects a heritage from the classical language in Arabic script called Chagatay or Central Asian Turi, which was used by Muslim Turks until the early 20th century. The period of Soviet rule also left its stamp on the standard literary language. This manual of the standard Uzbek language is intended to facilitate the acquisition of the basic language skills that Peace Corps volunteers will need to enrich their tour in the Republic of Uzbekistan. Conceivably, its materials may be used in conjunction wit a textbook for teaching Uzbek at the University level.

The authors are aware that this first competency based manual of Uzbek contains imperfections, but they remind their readers:

"Oyda ham dogʻ bor" Even the moon has flaws