Because of a low literacy rate among the public (about 2–3% until the early 19th century and just about 15% at the end of 19th century),[citation needed] ordinary people had to hire scribes as "special request-writers" (arzuhâlcis) to be able to communicate with the government. The ethnic groups continued to speak within their families and neighborhoods (mahalles) with their own languages (e.g., Jews, Greeks, Armenians, etc.). In villages where two or more populations lived together, the inhabitants would often speak each other's language. In cosmopolitan cities, people often spoke their family languages; many of those who were not ethnic Turks spoke Turkish as a second language. COUNT 5
QSN1 What was the public's literacy rate in leading up to the early 19th century in the empire? ANS1 about 2–3% QSN2 At the end of the 19th century what was the literacy rate for the public in the Empire believed to be? ANS2 15% QSN3 What did people resort to when they needed to communicate with the government? ANS3 people had to hire scribes QSN4 What were hired scribes known as? ANS4 "special request-writers" (arzuhâlcis) QSN5 What was the second language of those that weren't ethnically Turkish? ANS5 Turkish