Lazuri, also known as Laz, is the ancestral language of the Laz people who live along the Black Sea coast of northeastern Türkiye and southwestern Georgia. Part of the Kartvelian languages family, specifically the Zan branch, Laz is spoken across several communities in the region and by Laz descendants living elsewhere in Türkiye. The Laz people refer to themselves as Lazi, and their language remains an important marker of community identity and connection to their homeland. Today, there are an estimated 20,000–30,000 speakers, though the number of fluent speakers among younger generations continues to decline.
UNESCO classifies Lazuri as a definitely endangered language due to the decreasing transmission of the language to children. Lazuri includes several major dialects, including Xopuri, Vitzuri, Ark’abuli, Çxaluri, Atinuri, and Art’aşenuri. In response to the challenges facing the language, community members, researchers, and language advocates have worked to support its preservation and growth. This Laz course was created by our wonderful intern, Zeynep Burak, a linguist and heritage speaker of Laz, whose work focuses on supporting Indigenous and minority languages and promoting the rich multilingual heritage of Türkiye.