Southern Kirghiz in China

Authors : Caifuding Yishake, Aynur Abish

Pages : 272-300

View : 58 | Download : 61

Publication Date : 2023-12-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This paper deals with the southern dialect of Kirghiz, also known as the Pamir dialect, spoken in China. The Kirghiz people living on the Pamir plateau have been in constant communication with other ethnic groups in the surrounding areas. Over the centuries, they have developed unique language and cultural characteristics. Due to the difficult geographical environment, the traditional language and culture have been well-preserved and deeply rooted in this region. One of the authors, Cai Fu Ding Yishake, grew up in a culturally rich Kirghiz-speaking village. The speaker, Uluχan-Ermat (1941–2022), is a 77 year old Kirghiz woman, who lived in the Pamirs her entire life and had little exposure to foreign cultures. She was familiar with various customs and habits of the local Kirghiz people, skilled in language, and engaged in Kirghiz traditional women’s crafts. She tells about traditional Kirghiz wedding customs. The text, together with an audio file, is presented in the Turcological transcription of Johanson (2021) with morphological glosses and English translation. Some grammatical comments on the text are provided.
Keywords : Kırgızcanın güney ağzı, Kırgızcanın Pamir ağzı, Çin, dilbilimsel çözümleme