Khazar language
Encyclopedia
Khazar was the language spoken by the Khazars
, a semi-nomadic Turkic
people from Central Asia. It is also referred to as Khazarian, Khazaric, or Khazari. The language is extinct and written records are almost non-existent.
scholars of the Middle Ages
classified Khazar as similar to, yet distinct from, the type of Turkic spoken by other Turks with whom they were familiar, such as the Oghuz Turks
. They noted, however, that both the Khazar tongue and the more common forms of Turkic were widely spoken in Khazaria.
The consensus among scholars had long been and still is that the Khazars spoke an Oghuric Turkic language similar to Chuvash
, Hunnish
, Turkic Avar and Volga-Bulgarian, possibly influenced by Old Turkic and Uyghur
influences, as was stated by Al-Istakhri
"the language of Bulgars resembles the language of Khazars". The Ogur languages
are characterized by sound correspondences such as Oguric r versus Common Turkic z and Oguric l versus Common Turkic š.
The capital of the Khazars was named Sarkel, which points markedly towards an Oghuric language, as the etymon connected to *sar- means 'white' only in Chuvash, while 'yellow' in the Common Turkic languages. Also, the corresponding etymon for *-kel is only found in Chuvash (meaning 'house, shelter') and is not extant in the Oghuzic branch of the language family.
s, it is possible that Göktürk-style Old Turkic was used as a courtly language early in Khazar history, though there is no direct evidence of this.
Very few examples of the Khazar language exist today, mostly in names that have survived in historical sources. All of these examples seem to be of the "Lir"-type though. Extant written works are primarily in Hebrew
.
Vékony (2004) supposed that the Khazar language was Common Turkic
, based on a number of his suggested reading of inscriptions found in the territory of the former Khazar Khaganate.
A Khazar word has been read in the Kievian Letter
, interpreted as OKHKURÜM, "I read (this or it)" (this would correspond to Modern Turkish okurum).
Another reading (Vékony 2004) interprets the inscription as oγdiq ilik translating "We have read. Ilik."
Khazars
The Khazars were semi-nomadic Turkic people who established one of the largest polities of medieval Eurasia, with the capital of Atil and territory comprising much of modern-day European Russia, western Kazakhstan, eastern Ukraine, Azerbaijan, large portions of the northern Caucasus , parts of...
, a semi-nomadic Turkic
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
people from Central Asia. It is also referred to as Khazarian, Khazaric, or Khazari. The language is extinct and written records are almost non-existent.
Classification
The linguistic affiliation of the Khazars has been disputed. Khazar was a Turkic language, however, different scholars take different views whether it belonged to the Oghur ("lir") or the Oghuz ("shaz", "Common Turkic") brach of the language family.Evidence for Oghuric
ArabArab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
scholars of the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
classified Khazar as similar to, yet distinct from, the type of Turkic spoken by other Turks with whom they were familiar, such as the Oghuz Turks
Oghuz Turks
The Turkomen also known as Oghuz Turks were a historical Turkic tribal confederation in Central Asia during the early medieval Turkic expansion....
. They noted, however, that both the Khazar tongue and the more common forms of Turkic were widely spoken in Khazaria.
The consensus among scholars had long been and still is that the Khazars spoke an Oghuric Turkic language similar to Chuvash
Chuvash language
Chuvash is a Turkic language spoken in central Russia, primarily in the Chuvash Republic and adjacent areas. It is the only surviving member of the Oghur branch of Turkic languages....
, Hunnish
Hunnic language
The Huns were a heterogenous, multi-ethnic tribal confederation during the 4th and 5th centuries. A contemporary reports that the Hunnic Empire had a "Hunnic language", or "Hunnish", which was spoken alongside Gothic and the languages of other tribes subjugated by the Huns The literary records for...
, Turkic Avar and Volga-Bulgarian, possibly influenced by Old Turkic and Uyghur
Uyghur language
Uyghur , formerly known as Eastern Turk, is a Turkic language with 8 to 11 million speakers, spoken primarily by the Uyghur people in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of Western China. Significant communities of Uyghur-speakers are located in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and various other...
influences, as was stated by Al-Istakhri
Estakhri
Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Farisi al Istakhri was a medieval Persian geographer in the 10th century.-Career:...
"the language of Bulgars resembles the language of Khazars". The Ogur languages
Oghur languages
The Oghur or Bulgar , are a separate branch of the Turkic language family. It was historically spoken in Volga Bulgaria...
are characterized by sound correspondences such as Oguric r versus Common Turkic z and Oguric l versus Common Turkic š.
The capital of the Khazars was named Sarkel, which points markedly towards an Oghuric language, as the etymon connected to *sar- means 'white' only in Chuvash, while 'yellow' in the Common Turkic languages. Also, the corresponding etymon for *-kel is only found in Chuvash (meaning 'house, shelter') and is not extant in the Oghuzic branch of the language family.
Evidence for Oghuzic
The Oghuric origin hypothesis for the Khazar language has been disputed by recent scholarship suggesting that the Khazar language was a standard, "Shaz"-style Common Turkic language. Given the Göktürk origin of the Khazar khaganKhagan
Khagan or qagan , alternatively spelled kagan, khaghan, qaghan, or chagan, is a title of imperial rank in the Mongolian and Turkic languages equal to the status of emperor and someone who rules a khaganate...
s, it is possible that Göktürk-style Old Turkic was used as a courtly language early in Khazar history, though there is no direct evidence of this.
Very few examples of the Khazar language exist today, mostly in names that have survived in historical sources. All of these examples seem to be of the "Lir"-type though. Extant written works are primarily in Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
.
Vékony (2004) supposed that the Khazar language was Common Turkic
Common Turkic
Common Turkic or Shaz Turkic is a taxon in some of the classifications of the Turkic languages which in Lars Johanson proposal contain the following subgroups:...
, based on a number of his suggested reading of inscriptions found in the territory of the former Khazar Khaganate.
Kievian Letter
Kievian Letter
The Kievian Letter is an early 10th century letter written by a Khazarian Jewish community in Kiev. The letter, a Hebrew-language recommendation written on behalf of one member of their community, was part of an enormous collection brought to Cambridge by Solomon Schechter from the Cairo Geniza...
, interpreted as OKHKURÜM, "I read (this or it)" (this would correspond to Modern Turkish okurum).
Another reading (Vékony 2004) interprets the inscription as oγdiq ilik translating "We have read. Ilik."