Kipchak languages

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 twelve million people in an area spanning from Lithuania to China.

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 Kypchak language 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:^[1]

• 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–Nogay (Aralo-Caspian): Nogay (also Nogai or Nogay Tatar), 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.

See also

• Kipchak language
• Kipchaks
• Kipchaks in Georgia
• Cuman people
• Cuman language
• Cumania

Footnotes

References

• Johanson, Lars and Csató, Éva Ágnes (1998). The Turkic Languages. London: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-08200-5. 
• Menges, Karl H. (1995). The Turkic Languages and Peoples (2nd ed.). Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz. ISBN 3-447-03533-1.