Tuha language
Moribund Turkic language of Mongolia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tuha, also called Uighur Uryangkhai and Khövsgöl Uryangkhay, is a moribund variety of Tofa[4] or an independent language[5][6] spoken east of Lake Khövsgöl[7] in northern Mongolia by less than 10 people.[4][2] Even though it was taught in schools during the 1970s, during which it was investigated by the Mongolian linguist Luvsandorjiyn Bold, it is now nearly extinct.[8]
[tuˤha]
| Tuha | |
|---|---|
| Uighur Uryangkhai, Khövsgöl Uryangkhay | |
| Tuha | |
| Pronunciation | [tuʰha] [tuˤha] |
| Native to | Mongolia |
| Region | Tsagaan-Üür, Khövsgöl[1] |
| Ethnicity | 600 Tuha (Urianghai) |
Native speakers | <10 (2019)[2] |
Turkic
| |
| Dialects |
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | None (mis) |
| Glottolog | tuha1234 |
| ELP | Tuha |
 Khövsgöl Uryangkhay is classified as Critically Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger[3] | |
Classification
Tuha is a member of the Sayan Turkic branch of Siberian Turkic. It has preserved archaic features lost elsewhere in Sayan Turkic.[2] According to Juha Janhunen, it is best classified as a language for taxonomic purposes and language revitalization.[9] According to Elisabetta Ragagnin, Tuha shares isoglosses with Tofa, Altai and Old Turkic.[1]
It is believed that the Tuha originally were Soyots that separated from them around 400 years ago.[citation needed]
Phonology
Vowels
Consonants
The nasal palatal approximant [j̃] occurrs in Tuha, as with all other Taiga Sayan languages. For example, the words añaq 'cup' (<Mongolian: аяга), ñaš 'tree' (<*ɨɣaš), mɨñaq~mɨyaq 'dung', ñaaq 'chin, jaw', ñeŋ 'anus', and yaa~ñaa 'new' have it.[5]
Vocabulary
In the 1970s, Tuha took over 30% of its vocabulary from Mongolian.[5] This can be seen from the word for böhkčinǝ ~ böhkčino 'wolf', which seems to come from the Mongolian word börte činō 'blue-grey wolf'.[10] Tuha also has preserved the archaic features of Sayan Turkic that are not documented in the other Sayan Turkic languages.[1]
Where Tuha has the word keeš- /keeǰir/ 'to say', in Tofa this word is far more limited in usage, and is used only relating to marriage arrangements (cf. Tofa heešken qɨs 'bride).[5]