The Kumandin language is a
Turkic language
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 langua ...
spoken in the
Altai Republic
The Altai Republic, also known as the Gorno-Altai Republic, is a republic of Russia located in southern Siberia. The republic borders Kemerovo Oblast to the north, Khakassia to the northeast, Tuva to the east, Altai Krai to the west, as well ...
in
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
, 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
Northern Altai or Northern Altay is a collective name for 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 mut ...
.
Classification
Kumandin is classed in the
Siberian Turkic branch of the Turkic languages. It is considered as a dialect of
Northern Altai. The Kumandin subgroup of the Altai can understand
Tubalar and
Chelkan, aside from Kumandin.
Phonology
Consonants
Vowels
Orthography
During the
Latinisation period in the Soviet Union, a Latin-based script was developed for the Kumandin language. It was used from 1932 to 1939, when teaching in Kumandin was stopped.
In recent years, the Kumandin language is being written again. The orthography below was created in 2005, when it was published for use by children.
Grammar
Pronouns
The pronouns of Kumandin are as follows:
Notes and references
Sources
* (ru) Баскаков, Н.A., ''Диалект чернёвых татар (туба-кижи)'', Северные диалекты алтаиского (ойротского) языка, 2 volumes, Moscow, Nauka, 1965-1966.
External links
* , which is incorrect about Northern Altai dialects, for which it gives names of southern dialects as alternative names.
* (ru
Kumandin on the Russian UNESCO website for Siberian languages
{{Turkic-lang-stub
Siberian Turkic languages
Indigenous languages of Siberia