The Languages

The Languages

63 Language Bird Dictionary of the Avionarctic (Holarctic) Region

Version 5.1 – April 2026 – Added languages in this update: Azerbaijani (AZ) and Kurdish (KU) in two forms: Kurmanji or Northern Kurdish (Kmr) and Sorani or Central Kurdish (Ckb).

Compiled by: Ruurd Jorritsma

Site maintained by: ICT vanaf Morgen

The 63 languages of this dictionary are listed below with their international two-letter language code ISO 639-1, and three-letter language code ISO 639-2(T)/ISO 689-3, followed by the name of the language in the language itself, followed by the name of the language in English. Some general information of the language is given, as well as the coverage (percentage of the Avionary species provided in the language). The sources of the bird names are mentioned for each language. The relevant species lists per language are indicated as well.
Avionary consistently uses one initial capital for the bird names in all languages, with the exception of English. Most languages in practice use only lower case names, on the principle that bird names are by their nature generic names, not individual’s or proper names. In a few languages, the use of capitals in bird names varies according to habits or authorities, as well as over time.

Latin (LA) la – lat – Latina – Latin | The scientific language English (EN)en – eng – English – English | About 500 million native speakers, in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and several other countries, as well as second language for some milliard people | Language list A Afrikaans (AF)af – afr – Afrikaans | About 7 million speakers, in South Africa, Namibia, and some of the neighbouring countries | Language list B Albanian (SQ)sq – sqi – Shqip – Albanian | About 7 million speakers in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and some of the neighbouring countries and the diaspora | Language list J Armenian (HY)hy – arm – hye – հայերեն – (East) Armenian | About 3 million speakers in Armenia; worldwide (including West Armenian) about 9 million speakers | Language list N (with transliteration) Azərbaycanca (AZ)az – aze – Azərbaycanca – Azerbaijani | About 24 million speakers, in Azerbaijan and elsewhere | Language list L Basque (EU)eu – eus – Euskera or Euskara – Basque | About 750,000 speakers, in Basque Country (Spain and France), and some elsewhere | Language list J Беларускі/Belarusian (BE)be – bel – Беларускі – Belarusian | 3 to 6 million speakers, in Belarus and some in Russia | Language list G Български/Bulgarian (BG)bg – bul – Български – Bulgarian | About 7 million speakers, in Bulgaria and some of the neighbouring countries, and in the diaspora | Language list F Brezhoneg/Breton (BR)br – bre – Brezhoneg – Breton | About 200,000 speakers, in Bretagne (France) | Language list A Català (CA)ca – cat – Català – Catalan | About 5 million speakers, in Spain (Catalunya, Valencia, Baleares) and Andorra | Language list D Český (CS)cs – ces – Český – Czech | Around 10 million speakers, in the Czech Republic and some of the neighbouring countries | Language list E Cornish (KW)kw – cor – Kernewek – Cornish | After becoming extinct at the end of the 18th century, the language of Cornwall has revived and is now used as a first language by some | Language list K Corsu cismuntincu (Co1)co – cos – Corsu cismuntincu – Northern Corsican | Corsican, a ‘polynomic’ language, has between 100,000 and 150,000 speakers, most of them in Corsica (France), some on Sardinia | Language list M Corsu pumuntincu (Co2)co – cos – Corsu pumuntincu – Southern Corsican | Corsican, a ‘polynomic’ language, has between 100,000 and 150,000 speakers, most of them in Corsica (France), some on Sardinia | Language list M Croatian (HR)hr – hrv – Hrvatski – Croatian | About 5.5 million speakers in Croatia, Bosnia Hercegovina and neighbouring countries | Language list F Cymraeg (CY)cy – cym – Cymraeg – Welsh | Roughly 600,000 speakers, in Wales (GB), and some in England | Language List A. Dansk (DA)da – dan – Dansk – Danish | About 6 million speakers, in Denmark, Greenland, the Faroe Islands and some in Denmarks neighbouring countries | Language list I Deutsch (DE)de – deu – Deutsch – German | Around 95 million speakers, in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and minorities in Italy and several other countries | Language list B Dutch (NL)nl – nld – Nederlands – Dutch | Around 26 million native speakers in The Netherlands, Belgium, Surinam and some Caribbean islands | Language list B Ελληνικά (EL)el – ell – Ελληνικά – Greek | About 13 million speakers, in Greece, Cyprus, Albania and other neighbouring countries and in the diaspora | Language list J Esperanto (EO)eo – epo – Esperanto | Constructed language used by some 100,000 active speakers and widely used as an auxiliary language worldwide | Language list L Español (ES)es – spa – Español or Castellano – Spanish | About 500 million speakers, in Spain, Middle and South American countries and in some regions in Asia and Africa | Language list D Eesti (ET)et – est – Eesti – Estonian | About 1.1 million speakers, in Estonia and elsewhere | Language list H Euskera (EU)eu – eus – Euskera or Euskara – Basque | About 750,000 speakers, in Basque Country (Spain and France), and some elsewhere | Language list J Finnish (FI)fi – fin – Suomen – Finnish | Nearly 6 million speakers, in Finland and some of the neighbouring countries | Language list H Føroyskt (FO)fo – fao – Føroyskt – Faroese | About 70,000 speakers, in the Faroe Islands and in Denmark | Language list I Français (FR)fr – fra – Français – French | About 80 million native speakers, in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada (Québec) and many other countries and regions of the world | Language list C Frysk (FY)fy – fry – Frysk – (West) Frisian | Nearly 400,000 speakers in the Netherlands (Fryslân) and some elsewhere | Language list B Gaeilge (GA)ga – gle – Gaeilge – Irish | Some 70,000 active speakers in Ireland and elsewhere | Language list A Gaidhlig (GD)gd – gla – Gaidhlig – Scots Gaelic | In the order of 50,000 speakers in Scotland (GB) and elsewhere | Language list K Galego (GL)gl – glg – Galego – Galician | Over2 million speakers, mainly in Galicia (Spain) | Language list D Gaelg vanninagh (GV)gv – glv – Gaelg (vanninagh) – Manx | The language of the island of Man was close to extinction, but there are some 1,000 speakers today | Language list K Georgian (KA)ka – kat / geo – ქართული (Kartuli) – Georgian | About 4 million speakers in Georgia and neighbouring countries | Language list N (with transliteration) German (DE)de – deu – Deutsch – German | Around 95 million speakers, in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and minorities in Italy and several other countries | Language list B Greek (EL)el – ell – Ελληνικά – Greek | About 13 million speakers, in Greece, Cyprus, Albania and other neighbouring countries and in the diaspora | Language list J Greenlandic (KL)kl – kal – Kalaallisut – Greenlandic | About 55,000 native speakers in Greenland | Language list K Hayeren (HY)hy – arm – hye – հայերեն – (East) Armenian | About 3 million speakers in Armenia; worldwide (including West Armenian) about 9 million speakers | Language list N (with transliteration) Hrvatski (HR)hr – hrv – Hrvatski – Croatian | About 5.5 million speakers in Croatia, Bosnia Hercegovina and neighbouring countries | Language list F Hungarian (HU)hu – hun – Magyar – Hungarian | About 13 million speakers in Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and other neighbouring countries | Language list H Irish (GA)ga – gle – Gaeilge – Irish | Some 70,000 active speakers in Ireland and elsewhere | Language list A Íslenska (IS)is – isl – Íslenska – Icelandic | Over 300,000 speakers, mainly in Iceland, some outside | Language list I Italiano (IT)it – ita – Italiano – Italian | About 67 million native speakers in Italy, Switzerland and neighbourig countries | Language list Kalaallisut (KL)kl – kal – Kalaallisut – Greenlandic | About 55,000 native speakers in Greenland | Language list K Karjala (Krl)krl – Karjala – Karelian proper or Northern Karelian | About 10,000 speakers in the Karelian Republic of the RS Federation | Language list O Kartuli (KA)ka – kat / geo – ქართული (Kartuli) – Georgian | About 4 million speakers in Georgia and neighbouring countries | Language list N (with transliteration) Kernewek (KW)kw – cor – Kernewek – Cornish | After becoming extinct at the end of the 18th century, the language of Cornwall has revived and is now used as a first language by some | Language list K Kurdî (KU)ku – kur – Kurdî – Kurdish | About 28 million speakers, mainly in Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran | Two forms: Kurmancî (Kmr) and Soranî (Ckb) | Language list R Kurmancî (Kmr)kmr – Kurmancî – Kurmanji or Northern Kurdish | About 15 million speakers in Northern Kurdistan | Language list RLatviešu/Latvian (LV)lv – lav – Latviešu – Latvian, Lettish | About 1.5 million native speakers, in Latvia and other countries | Language list L Lëtzebuergesch (LB)lb – ltz – Lëtzebuergesch – Luxemburgish | About 600,000 speakers in Luxembourg and neighbouring regions | Language list B Lietuvių/Lithuanian (LT)lt – lit – Lietuvių – Lithuanian | Close to 3 million speakers in Lithuania and elsewhere | Language list L Liygi (Olo)olo – Liygi, Olonets – Olonets Karelian or Livvi Karelian | About 20,000 speakers in the Karelian Republic of the RS Federation | Language list O Magyar (HU)hu – hun – Magyar – Hungarian | About 13 million speakers in Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and other neighbouring countries | Language list H Македонски/Macedonian (MK)mk – mkd – Македонски – Macedonian | Around 1.4 million speakers in (North) Macedonia and neighbouring countries | Language list F Malti (MT)mt – mlt – Malti – Maltese | About 500,000 native speakers in Malta | Language list J Manx (GV)gv – glv – Gaelg vanninangh – Manx | About 1000 speakers today Language list K Nederlands (NL)nl – nld – Nederlands – Dutch | Around 26 million native speakers in The Netherlands, Belgium, Surinam and some Caribbean islands | Language list B Norsk (NO)no – nor – Norsk – Norwegian | About 5.3 million speakers in Norway | Language list I Northern Sámi (SE)se – sme – Davvisámegiella – Northern Sami | About 20,000 speakers in Northernmost Norway, Sweden and Finland | Language list H Occitan (OC)oc – oci – Occitan | Between 1 and 4 million speakers in Southern France | Language list M Polski (PL)pl – pol – Polski – Polish | About 50 million speakers in Poland and other countries | Language list E Português (PT)pt – por – Português – Portuguese | Around 215 million speakers in Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique and other African countries | Language list D Română/Romanian (RO)ro – ron – Română – Romanian | About 24 million speakers in Romania and Moldova | Language list C Rumantsch (RM)rm – roh – Rumantsch – Romansh (Rhaeto-romance) | About 40,000 speakers in Graubünden and some other cantons (Switzerland) | Language list C Русский/Russian (RU)ru – rus – Русский – Russian | Around 150 million native speakers in Russia and post-Soviet states | Language list G Davvisámegiella (SE)se – sme – Davvisámegiella – Northern Sami | About 20,000 speakers in Northernmost Norway, Sweden and Finland | Language list H Åarjelsaemien gïele (Sma)sma – Åarjelsaemien gïele – South-Sámi | About 400 speakers in Mid-Norway and Mid-Sweden | Language list P Julevsámegiella (Smj)smj – Julevsámegiella – Lule-Sámi | About 600 speakers in Northern Sweden and Norway | Language list P Anarâškielâ (Smn)smn – Anarâškielâ or Aanaarsämikielâ – Inari Sámi | About 300 speakers around Inari ( Northern Finland) | Language list Q Sääʹmǩiõll (Sms)sms – Sääʹmǩiõll or Nuõrttsääʹmǩiõll – Skolt Sámi | About 300 speakers in Northern Finland and neighbouring Russia | Language list Q Slovenský/Slovak (SK)sk – slk – Slovenský – Slovak | About 5.0 million native speakers in Slovakia and neighbouring countries | Language list E Slovenščina/Slovenian (SL)sl – slv – Slovenščina – Slovene, Slovenian | Around 2.5 million speakers in Slovenia and elsewhere | Language list E Shqip (SQ)sq – sqi – Shqip – Albanian | About 7 million speakers in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and some of the neighbouring and the diaspora | Language list J Soranî (Ckb)ckb – Soranî – Central Kurdish | About 7 million speakers in Iraq and Iran | Language list R Spanish (ES)es – spa – Español or Castellano – Spanish | About 500 million speakers, in Spain, Middle and South American countries and in some regions in Asia and Africa | Language list D Srpski (SR)sr – srp – Srpski/Српски – Serbian | About 12 million speakers in Serbia, Bosnia Hercegovina, Montenegro and neighbouring countries | Language list F Suomen (FI)fi – fin – Suomen – Finnish | Nearly 6 million speakers, in Finland and some of the neighbouring countries | Language list H Svenska (SV)sv – swe – Svenska – Swedish | Around 10 million speakers in Sweden, Finland and some other neighbouring countries | Language list I Türkçe (TR)tr – tur – Türkçe – Turkish | About 80 million speakers, in Turkey and some neighbouring countries | Language list G Українська/Ukrainian (UK)uk – ukr – Українська – Ukrainian | About 40 million speakers in Ukraine, Russia and some other East European countries | Language list G Welsh (CY)cy – cym – Cymraeg – Welsh | Roughly 600,000 speakers, in Wales (GB), and some in England | Language List A.