The Central dialect of Khalaj

Authors : Mehmet Akkuş, Soheila Ahmadi

Pages : 39-82

View : 93 | Download : 103

Publication Date : 2023-12-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study presents a brief overview of the Central Khalaj dialect of Khalaj, a Turkic language spoken in Central Iran with preserved archaic features and limited social usage. The historical origins of the language are also briefly presented, along with its current sociolinguistic situation and challenges it faces in maintaining vitality. The study predominantly presents transcribed and annotated Khalaj texts, derived from fieldwork conducted in Bahā restān to document the linguistic features of the Central Khalaj variety, shedding light on efforts to preserve this language through documentation. Sample texts from fieldwork are presented, offering insights into Khalaj folktale and wedding ceremony narratives. Additionally, the lack of a standardized orthography for Khalaj is addressed, and the transcription conventions used for this study are described. This study serves as an informative introduction to the study of the Khalaj language and efforts made to document its linguistic features for preservation and research purposes.
Keywords : Halaçça, merkez ağzı, yok olma tehlikesi altında olan diller, eskicil özellikler, saha çalışması