Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Kipchak languages

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Ethnicity:
  
Kipchaks

Glottolog:
  
kipc1239

Geographic distribution:
  
—

Kipchak languages

Linguistic classification:
  
Turkic Common Turkic Kipchak

Subdivisions:
  
Kipchak–Bolgar Kipchak–Cuman Kipchak–Nogai Kyrgyz–Kipchak

The Kipchak languages (also known as the Kypchak, Qypchaq, or Northwestern Turkic languages) are a branch of the Turkic language family spoken by more than 25 million people in an area spanning from Lithuania to China.

Contents

Linguistic features

The Kipchak languages share a number of features that have led linguists to classify them together. Some of these features are shared with other Turkic languages; others are unique to the Kipchak family.

Shared features

  • Change of Proto-Turkic *d to /j/ (e.g. *hadaq > ajaq "foot")
  • Loss of initial *h sound (preserved only in Khalaj. See above example.)

    • Unique features

  • Extensive labial vowel harmony (e.g. olor vs. olar "them")
  • Frequent fortition (in the form of assibilation) of initial */j/ (e.g. *jetti > ʒetti "seven")
  • Diphthongs from syllable-final */ɡ/ and */b/ (e.g. *taɡ > taw "mountain", *sub > suw "water")

    • Classification

    The Kipchak languages may be broken down into four groups, based on geography and shared features:

  • Kipchak–Bulgar (Uralian, Uralo-Caspian): Bashkir and Tatar
  • Kipchak–Cuman (Ponto-Caspian): Karachay-Balkar, Kumyk, Karaim, Krymchak. Urum and Crimean Tatar appear to have a Kipchak–Cuman base, but have been heavily influenced by Oghuz languages.
  • Kipchak–Nogai (Aralo-Caspian): Nogai, Karakalpak and Kazakh.
  • Kyrgyz–Kipchak: Kyrgyz and Southern Altai.

    • The language of the Mamluks in Egypt appears to have been a Kipchak language, probably one belonging to the Kipchak–Cuman group.

    References

    Kipchak languages Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA