North Altai languages

The Northern Altai languages (dialects) are the Turkic dialect group, traditionally non-distinguished as an independent branch. Its constituent idioms are in fact mutually intelligible as dialects of one language ( North Altai ).

In the classification of A.N. Samoylovich unite with Karluk-Khorezmian called Karluk.

Content

Composition

The following dialects stand out:

Tubalarsky - the rivers Katun, Biya, Uymen, Pyzha, Bolshaya and Malaya Isha, Sary- and Kara-Kokshy, Maima; Turochaksky and Choysky districts (aimaks) of the Altai Republic ;
Kumandinsky - rivers Biya, Lebed, Balyksu; Turochaksky district (aimak) of the Altai Republic, Altai Krai , Kemerovo region ;
Chelkansky - rivers Swan and Baygol; Turochaksky and Choysky districts (aimaks) of the Altai Republic;

Presumably close to them

Kondomsky Shorsky - the rivers Kondom and Tom; Kemerovo region, on the border with Khakassia and the Altai Republic;
Nizhnechulymsky - the river Chulym; Tomsk region (mainly Asinovsky and Zyryan districts ). Currently, only 1 carrier is known.

Probably, a number of Siberian-Tatar dialects are historically closer to the North Altai than to the South Altai group.

Classification

Traditionally, the first three dialects are combined depending on the point of view in the North Altai language or the North Altai dialects of the Altai language; Komond Shor unites with Shor Mrassky, despite this, recognizes his closeness with the first three; Nizhnechulymsky is combined with Middle Chulymsky (they are also compared with the Barabin dialect of the Tatar language). Ultimately, all these dialects are traditionally ranked as Khakass group (and with them Kyrgyz-Kypchak Kyrgyz and South Altai languages), which, however, is doubtful due to the reflection of the Pra-Turk intervocalocal -d- as -j- (in the Khakass group there are reflexes -z -, less often -d-). At the same time, the phonetics of Nizhnechulymsky and Barabinsky are similar.

Grounds for separation into an independent group

The North Altai languages (dialects) do not belong to the Kypchak languages, in contrast to the Kyrgyz-Kypchak languages, they are also not Oguz or Karluk, in other words, they form an independent West Turkic branch. Characterized by the following features:

consistent reflexion of the Pra-Türkic intervocal -d- and final in the form -j-;
the spread of voicing of inter-vocal consonants to the -s- and -š- aliens (by this sign they are combined with South Altai, Khakass and Sayan);
the absence of noisy voiced initial consonants, with the exception of the Tubalar dialect, in which the initial b- and ď- or ģ- are possible in place of the standard Turkic j-;
the absence or inconsistent development of labial vowel synharmonism;
the preservation in most cases of flowing and explosive -g (in Kipchak ones, there is a consistent development of -g> -w / -j with possible further transformations);
use in the custodial case of a narrow vowel y / i instead of a wide a / e.

As an independent language group, the North Altai languages were singled out in the classifications of Alexander Samoilovich as Chagatai , merging with the Chagatai proper , and Talat Tekin as the 6th group Lower Chulym) languages.

Writing

Nizhnechulym language does not have literary norms and writing, as well as Khakassian Middle Chulym (in development). But stands out as the most significant dialect of the village Perevoz. The first Shor primer was published in 1885, and during the 20th century, writing changed several times. The modern alphabet is based on the Cyrillic alphabet, but the Khakassian Middle Chulym dialect is used as the literary norm. In addition, the Shor mainly functions as a common language. As a literary norm, native speakers of the Tubalar, Kumandin and Chelkan dialects use the South Altai language, developed on the basis of the Altai southern dialect. Writing for the South Altai language was developed in the 1840s and changed several times during the 20th century. In 1990-2000, alphabets were compiled for the Tubalar and South Altai Teleut dialects (for the Teleut, it was actually restored).

Links

Literature

IN AND. Verbitsky V.I. Dictionary of the Altai and Aladagan adverbs of the Turkic language, Kazan, 1884
ON. Baskakov Turkic languages, M., 1960, 2006
T. Tekin. The problem of classification of Turkic languages // Problems of modern Turkic studies: materials of the II All-Union Turkic Conference. - Alma-Ata: Science, 1980 - p. 387-390
Languages of the world. Turkic languages, Bishkek, 1997
Digest "Peoples of Tomsk Region", 2004
A.N. Samoilovich. Turkic linguistics. Philology. Runic. M., 2005