Southern Altai language

Last updated
Southern Altai
Oirot, Oyrot (before 1948), Altai-Kizhi
тÿштÿк алтай тил, tüştük altay til
ойрот тил (before 1948)
Southern Altai language.png
Southern Altai written in Cyrillic and Latin scripts
Native to Russia
Region Altai Republic
EthnicityAltai-Kizhi
Native speakers
68,700 (2020) [1]
Turkic
Dialects
Cyrillic
Language codes
ISO 639-2 alt
ISO 639-3 alt
Glottolog sout2694
ELP Southern Altai
Altay.svg
  Southern Altai
Lang Status 60-DE.svg
Southern Altay is classified as Definitely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger [5]

Southern Altai (also known as Oirot, Oyrot, Altai and Altai proper) is a Turkic language spoken in the Altai Republic, a federal subject of Russia located in Southern Siberia on the border with Mongolia and China. The language has some mutual intelligibility with the Northern Altai language, leading to the two being traditionally considered as a single language. According to modern classifications—at least since the middle of the 20th century—they are considered to be two separate languages. [6]

Contents

A man, named Dmitry, speaking Southern Altai.

Written Altai is based on Southern Altai. According to some reports, however, it is rejected by Northern Altai children. Dialects include Altai Proper and Talangit. [7]

Classification

Southern Altai is a member of the Turkic language family. Within this family, there have been various attempts to classify Altai, and not all of them agree as to its position as it has a number of ambiguous characteristics. [8] Due to certain similarities with Kyrgyz, some scholars group Altai with the Kyrgyz–Kipchak subgroup of the Kypchak languages. [2] [3] [9]

Geographic distribution

Southern Altai is primarily spoken in the Altai Republic, where it has official status alongside Russian.

Dialects

Baskakov identifies three dialects of Southern Altai, some of which have distinctive sub-varieties: [2]

Some sources consider Telengit and Teleut to be distinct languages. [10] [11]

Phonology

Southern Altai has 8 vowels, which may be long or short, and 20 consonants, plus marginal consonants that occur only in loan words. [12]

Vowels

Southern Altai vowels
Front Back
High i y ɯ u
Low e ø a o

Consonants

Southern Altai consonants
Labial Alveolar Post-alveloar Velar Uvular
Plosive p b t d ɟ k ɡ q
Affricate ( ts )
Fricative f v s z ʃ ʒ ( x ) ɣ
Nasal m n ŋ
Trill r
Approximant l j

Phonemes in parentheses occur only in Russian loanwords.

Writing system

Southern Altai employs a version of the Cyrillic alphabet with additional characters to represent sounds not found in Russian. [13]

А аБ бВ вГ гД дЈ јЕ е
Ё ёЖ жЗ зИ иЙ йК кЛ л
М мН нҤ ҥО оӦ ӧП пР р
С сТ тУ уӰ ӱФ фХ хЦ ц
Ч чШ шЩ щЪ ъЫ ыЬ ьЭ э

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turkic languages</span> Language family of Eurasia

The Turkic languages are a language family of more than 35 documented languages, spoken by the Turkic peoples of Eurasia from Eastern Europe and Southern Europe to Central Asia, East Asia, North Asia (Siberia), and West Asia. The Turkic languages originated in a region of East Asia spanning from Mongolia to Northwest China, where Proto-Turkic is thought to have been spoken, from where they expanded to Central Asia and farther west during the first millennium. They are characterized as a dialect continuum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Altai languages</span> Grouping of two Turkic languages

Altai is a set of Turkic languages spoken officially in the Altai Republic, Russia. The standard vocabulary is based on the Southern Altai language, though it is also taught to and used by speakers of the Northern Altai language as well. Gorno–Altai refers to a subgroup of languages in the Altai Mountains. The languages were called Oyrot (ойрот) prior to 1948.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nogai language</span> Kipchak Turkic language of the North Caucasus

Nogai also known as Noğay, Noghay, Nogay, or Nogai Tatar, is a Turkic language spoken in Southeastern European Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. It is the ancestral language of the Nogais. As a member of the Kipchak branch, it is closely related to Kazakh, Karakalpak and Crimean Tatar. In 2014 the first Nogai novel was published, written in the Latin alphabet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kumyk language</span> Kipchak Turkic language

Kumyk is a Turkic language spoken by about 520,000 people, mainly by the Kumyks, in the Dagestan, North Ossetia and Chechen republics of the Russian Federation. Until the 20th century Kumyk was the lingua franca of the Northern Caucasus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siberian Tatars</span> Indigenous Turkic-speaking ethnic group of South Siberia

Siberian Tatars or Sebers are the indigenous Turkic-speaking population of the forests and steppes of Western Siberia, originating in areas stretching from somewhat east of the Ural Mountains to the Yenisey River in Russia. The Siberian Tatars call themselves Yerle Qalıq, to distinguish themselves from more recent Volga Tatar immigrants to the region.

Chulym, also known as Chulim, Chulym-Turkic and Ös, is a critically endangered language of the Chulyms. The names which the people use to refer to themselves are 1. пистиҥ кишилер, pistɪŋ kiʃɪler and 2. ось кишилер, øs kiʃɪler. The native designation for the language are ось тил(и), øs til(ɪ) ~ ø:s til(ɪ), and less frequently тадар тил(и), tadar til(ɪ).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telengits</span> Turkic ethnic/subethnic group living in the Siberian Altai Republic

Telengits or Telengut are a Turkic ethnic group belonging to minor indigenous peoples. They mainly live on the territory of the Kosh-Agach district of the Altai Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tindi language</span> Northeast Caucasian language

Tindi is a Northeast Caucasian language spoken in the Russian republic of Dagestan. Tindis have no individual designation for their language, but those living in the village of Idar call their language Idarab mitstsi meaning 'the language of the Idar village'. It is only an oral language; Avar or Russian are used in written communication instead. Tindi vocabulary contains many loanwords from Avar, Turkish, Arabic, and Russian. It has approximately 4,500 speakers.

The Kipchak languages are a sub-branch of the Turkic language family spoken by approximately 30 million people in much of Central Asia and Eastern Europe, spanning from Ukraine to China. Some of the most widely spoken languages in this group are Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Tatar.

Baraba, Paraba or Baraba Tatar is a dialect of Siberian Tatar spoken by Baraba Tatars in Siberia. While middle aged individuals and the young generation speak Russian and Volga-Ural Tatar, the Baraba dialect is used only by the older generation. As such, it is classified as Severely Endangered by the Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taz dialect</span> Dialect of Northeastern Mandarin spoken in Russia

Taz is a dialect of Northeastern Mandarin spoken by the Taz people of the Russian Far East. There are a few loanwords from Tungusic languages, but no obvious Tungusic effect on the grammar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Altai language</span> Siberian Turkic language of the Altai Republic, Russia

Northern Altai or Northern Altay is the several tribal moribund Turkic dialects spoken in the Altai Republic of Russia. Though traditionally considered one language, Southern Altai and the Northern varieties are not fully mutually intelligible. Written Altai is based on Southern Altai, and is rejected by Northern Altai children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Botlikh language</span> Northeast Caucasian language

Botlikh is an Andic language of the Northeast Caucasian language family spoken by the Botlikhs in the villages of Botlikh (Buikhe), Miarso and Ashino, as well as in Chontaul, Ankho and in Batlakhatli, in southwestern Dagestan, Russia by approximately 5,000 people, according to the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chamalal language</span> Northeast Caucasian language

Chamalal is an Andic language of the Northeast Caucasian language family spoken in southwestern Dagestan, Russia by approximately 5,100 ethnic Chamalals. It has three quite distinct dialects, Gadyri, Gakvari, and Gigatl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siberian Tatar language</span> Turkic language spoken in Western Siberia

Siberian Tatar is a Turkic language spoken by about 140,000 people in Western Siberia, Russia, primarily in the oblasts of Tyumen, Novosibirsk, Omsk but also in Tomsk and Kemerovo. According to Marcel Erdal, due to its particular characteristics, Siberian Tatar can be considered as a bridge to Siberian Turkic languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kumandin language</span> Turkic language

The Kumandin language is a Turkic language spoken in the Altai Republic in Russia, spoken by the Kumandins, who name themselves "Kumandi-Kiji". It was formerly counted as a dialect of Altai, but it is more modernly seen as a separate language, with differing curricula from it and Chelkan, which also comprises the Northern Altai language.

The Kalmak Tatars are one of the three subgroups of Tom group of Siberian Tatars. Their traditional areas of settlement are northeastern parts of Kemerovo Oblast, close to the town of Yurga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teleut language</span> Turkic language spoken in Russia

Teleut is a moribund Turkic language spoken in the Altai Republic in Russia. It is sometimes considered a dialect of Southern Altai. It was the basis for the Altai literary language before 1917.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telengit language</span> Turkic language

Telengit is a Turkic language spoken in the Altai Republic in Russia by the Telengits. It is widespread in the Kosh-Agach and Ulagan districts of the Altai Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chelkan language</span> Turkic language

Chelkan is a Turkic language spoken in the Altai Republic in Russia by 648 Chelkans.

References

  1. "Информационные материалы об окончательных итогах Всероссийской переписи населения 2010 года". Russian Federal State Statistics Service. 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Baskakov, N. A. (1958). "La Classification des Dialectes de la Langue Turque d'Altaï". Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae (in French). 8: 9–15. ISSN   0001-6446.
  3. 1 2 Kormushin, I. V. (2018). "Алтайский язык" [Altai language]. Большая российская энциклопедия/Great Russian Encyclopedia Online (in Russian).
  4. Tekin, Tâlat (January 1989). "A New Classification of the Chuvash-Turkic Languages". Erdem. 5 (13): 129–139. doi:10.32704/erdem.1989.13.129. ISSN   1010-867X. S2CID   64344619.
  5. Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger (Report) (3rd ed.). UNESCO. 2010. p. 49.
  6. Nikolay Baskakov (1958). The Altai language. Moscow: Nauka.
  7. Raymond G. Gordon, Jr, ed. 2005. Ethnologue: Languages of the World. 15th edition. Dallas: Summer Institute of Linguistics.
  8. Schönig, Claus (1997). "A new attempt to classify the Turkic languages (1)". Turkic Languages. 1: 117–133.
  9. Schönig, Claus (2007). "Some notes on Modern Kipchak Turkic (Part 1)". Ural-altaische Jahrbücher. 21: 170–202.
  10. "Telengitsky yazyk | Malye yazyki Rossii" Теленгитский язык | Малые языки России [Telengit language | Minor languages of Russia]. minlang.iling-ran.ru. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  11. "Teleutsky yazyk | Malye yazyki Rossii" Телеутский язык | Малые языки России [Teleut language | Minor languages of Russia]. minlang.iling-ran.ru. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  12. Baskakov, N.A. (1997). "Altaysky yazyk" Алтайский язык[Altai language]. In Institut Jazykoznanija (ed.). Tyurkskie yazykiЯзыки мира: тюркские языки[Languages of the world: Turkic languages]. Jazyki mira / Rossijskaja Akademija Nauk, Institut Jazykoznanija. [Glav. red. koll.: V. N. Jarceva (otv. red.) ...] Biškek: Kyrgyzstan. ISBN   978-5-655-01214-1. OCLC   42579926.
  13. Russko-altaysky slovar. Tom 1: A-OРусско-алтайский словарь. Том I: А – О[Russian-Altai dictionary. Book I: A-O]. Gorno-Altaysk: Nauchno-issledovatelsky institut altaistiki im. S.S. Surazakova. 2015. ISBN   978-5-903693-23-8.