Ottoman Turkish was the official language of the Empire. It was an Oghuz Turkic language highly influenced by Persian and Arabic. The Ottomans had several influential languages: Turkish, spoken by the majority of the people in Anatolia and by the majority of Muslims of the Balkans except in Albania and Bosnia; Persian, only spoken by the educated; Arabic, spoken mainly in Arabia, North Africa, Iraq, Kuwait, the Levant and parts of the Horn of Africa; and Somali throughout the Horn of Africa. In the last two centuries, usage of these became limited, though, and specific: Persian served mainly as a literary language for the educated, while Arabic was used for religious rites. COUNT 5
QSN1 What was the official language of the Ottoman Empire? ANS1 Ottoman Turkish QSN2 What were the main influences of the official language of the Empire? ANS2 Persian and Arabic QSN3 What language was spoken by most people in Anatolia? ANS3 Turkish QSN4 Which languages influenced by the empire was spoken in Iraq? ANS4 Arabic QSN5 What language was used for religious uses in the Empire? ANS5 Arabic