Nogai language
Encyclopedia
Nogai is a Turkic
language spoken in southwestern Russia
. Three distinct dialects are recognized: Qara-Nogay (Black or Northern Nogay), spoken in Dagestan; Nogai Proper, in Stavropol
; and Aqnogay (White or Western Nogay), by the Kuban River
, its tributaries in Karachay-Cherkessia
, and in the Mineralnye Vody District. Qara-Nogay and Nogai Proper are very close linguistically, while Aqnogay shows more differences.
Nogai is generally classified into the Kipchak–Nogay branch of Kipchak
Turkic
. This family also includes Crimean Tatar
, Karakalpak
in Uzbekistan
, Kazakh
in Kazakhstan
, and Kirgiz in Kyrgyzstan
.
, descended from the peoples of the Golden Horde
, take their name and that of their language from the grandson of Genghis Khan
, Nogai Khan
, who ruled the nomadic people west of the Danube
toward the end of the 13th century. They then settled along the Black Sea
coast of present-day Ukraine
.
Originally, the Nogai written language was based on the Arabic alphabet
. In 1928, the Latin alphabet
was introduced. This orthographic
system was compiled by the Nogay academic A. Dzhanibekov (Canibek), following principles adopted for all Turkic languages
.
In 1938, a transition to the Russian alphabet
began. The orthography
based on the Latin alphabet had allegedly been an impediment to learning Russian.
The expulsion of the Nogai from Ukraine in the nineteenth century separated Nogai speakers into several geographically isolated groups. Some went to Turkey
and Romania
, while others stayed within the Russian Empire, settling in northern Dagestan and neighbouring areas of Chechnya
and Stavropol Kray.
Assimilation and government education policy have resulted in a rapid decline in the language in Turkey. Today it is mostly spoken by the older generation. In the Soviet Union
the language of instruction in schools was Russian and the number of speakers declined there also. Recent estimates place the total number of Nogai speakers at about 80,000.
In 1973, two small Nogai-language newspapers were being published, one in Karachay-Cherkessia and another in the Dagestan Autonomous SSR (Ленин йолы), but because of poor communications these papers did not reach Nogai villages.
Nogai is now part of the school curriculum from the 1st to the 10th year in the Nogai District of Dagestan. It is also taught at the Karachayevo-Cherkess Pedagogical School and the national branch of the Pedagogical Institute.
. It included all the letters of the Arabic plus the additional symbols for the specific sounds of the Nogai. This alphabet was not widespread.
campaign. A. Sh. Dzhanibekov, a high school teacher was the author of this alphabet.
The letters were added in 1931, and the letter in 1933. In 1936 the letters were excluded from the alphabet.
letters except Ё ё), and also the digraphs
Гъ гъ, Къ къ, Нъ нъ. The digraphs Оь оь, Уь уь were added in the same year. In 1944 the digraphs Гъ гъ, Къ къ were excluded from the alphabet. The last reform of the Nogai alphabet took place in 1950, when it attained the current form.
Turkic languages
The Turkic languages constitute a language family of at least thirty five languages, spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean to Siberia and Western China, and are considered to be part of the proposed Altaic language family.Turkic languages are spoken...
language spoken in southwestern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Three distinct dialects are recognized: Qara-Nogay (Black or Northern Nogay), spoken in Dagestan; Nogai Proper, in Stavropol
Stavropol
-International relations:-Twin towns/sister cities:Stavropol is twinned with: Des Moines, United States Béziers, France Pazardzhik, Bulgaria-External links:* **...
; and Aqnogay (White or Western Nogay), by the Kuban River
Kuban River
The Kuban River is a river in Russia, in the North Caucasus region. It flows mostly through Krasnodar Krai but also in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, Stavropol Krai and the Republic of Adygea....
, its tributaries in Karachay-Cherkessia
Karachay-Cherkessia
The Karachay-Cherkess Republic , or Karachay-Cherkessia is a federal subject of Russia . Population: -Geography:*Area: *Borders:**internal: Krasnodar Krai , Kabardino-Balkar Republic , Stavropol Krai ....
, and in the Mineralnye Vody District. Qara-Nogay and Nogai Proper are very close linguistically, while Aqnogay shows more differences.
Nogai is generally classified into the Kipchak–Nogay branch of Kipchak
Kypchak languages
The Kypchak languages , are a major branch of the Turkic language family spoken by more than 12 million people in an area spanning from Lithuania to China....
Turkic
Turkic languages
The Turkic languages constitute a language family of at least thirty five languages, spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean to Siberia and Western China, and are considered to be part of the proposed Altaic language family.Turkic languages are spoken...
. This family also includes Crimean Tatar
Crimean Tatar language
The Crimean Tatar language is the language of the Crimean Tatars. It is a Turkic language spoken in Crimea, Central Asia , and the Crimean Tatar diasporas in Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria...
, Karakalpak
Karakalpak language
Karakalpak is a Turkic language mainly spoken by Karakalpaks in Karakalpakstan , as well as by Bashkirs and Nogay. Ethnic Karakalpaks who live in the viloyatlar of Uzbekistan tend to speak local Uzbek dialects.-Classification:...
in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
, Kazakh
Kazakh language
Kazakh is a Turkic language which belongs to the Kipchak branch of the Turkic languages, closely related to Nogai and Karakalpak....
in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
, and Kirgiz in Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
.
History
The NogaiNogais
The Nogai people are a Turkic ethnic group in Southern Russia: northern Dagestan and Stavropol Krai, as well as in Karachay-Cherkessia and the Astrakhan Oblast; undefined number live in Chechnya...
, descended from the peoples of the Golden Horde
Golden Horde
The Golden Horde was a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate that formed the north-western sector of the Mongol Empire...
, take their name and that of their language from the grandson of Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
, Nogai Khan
Nogai Khan
Nogai , also called Isa Nogai, was a general and de facto ruler of the Golden Horde and a great-great-grandson of Genghis Khan. His grandfather was Baul/Teval Khan, the 7th son of Jochi...
, who ruled the nomadic people west of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
toward the end of the 13th century. They then settled along the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
coast of present-day Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
.
Originally, the Nogai written language was based on the Arabic alphabet
Arabic alphabet
The Arabic alphabet or Arabic abjad is the Arabic script as it is codified for writing the Arabic language. It is written from right to left, in a cursive style, and includes 28 letters. Because letters usually stand for consonants, it is classified as an abjad.-Consonants:The Arabic alphabet has...
. In 1928, the Latin alphabet
Latin alphabet
The Latin alphabet, also called the Roman alphabet, is the most recognized alphabet used in the world today. It evolved from a western variety of the Greek alphabet called the Cumaean alphabet, which was adopted and modified by the Etruscans who ruled early Rome...
was introduced. This orthographic
Orthography
The orthography of a language specifies a standardized way of using a specific writing system to write the language. Where more than one writing system is used for a language, for example Kurdish, Uyghur, Serbian or Inuktitut, there can be more than one orthography...
system was compiled by the Nogay academic A. Dzhanibekov (Canibek), following principles adopted for all Turkic languages
Turkic languages
The Turkic languages constitute a language family of at least thirty five languages, spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean to Siberia and Western China, and are considered to be part of the proposed Altaic language family.Turkic languages are spoken...
.
In 1938, a transition to the Russian alphabet
Russian alphabet
The Russian alphabet is a form of the Cyrillic script, developed in the First Bulgarian Empire during the 10th century AD at the Preslav Literary School...
began. The orthography
Orthography
The orthography of a language specifies a standardized way of using a specific writing system to write the language. Where more than one writing system is used for a language, for example Kurdish, Uyghur, Serbian or Inuktitut, there can be more than one orthography...
based on the Latin alphabet had allegedly been an impediment to learning Russian.
The expulsion of the Nogai from Ukraine in the nineteenth century separated Nogai speakers into several geographically isolated groups. Some went to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, while others stayed within the Russian Empire, settling in northern Dagestan and neighbouring areas of Chechnya
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
and Stavropol Kray.
Assimilation and government education policy have resulted in a rapid decline in the language in Turkey. Today it is mostly spoken by the older generation. In the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
the language of instruction in schools was Russian and the number of speakers declined there also. Recent estimates place the total number of Nogai speakers at about 80,000.
In 1973, two small Nogai-language newspapers were being published, one in Karachay-Cherkessia and another in the Dagestan Autonomous SSR (Ленин йолы), but because of poor communications these papers did not reach Nogai villages.
Nogai is now part of the school curriculum from the 1st to the 10th year in the Nogai District of Dagestan. It is also taught at the Karachayevo-Cherkess Pedagogical School and the national branch of the Pedagogical Institute.
Arabic alphabet
Before 1928 the alphabet used for the Nogai language was based on the Arabic alphabetArabic alphabet
The Arabic alphabet or Arabic abjad is the Arabic script as it is codified for writing the Arabic language. It is written from right to left, in a cursive style, and includes 28 letters. Because letters usually stand for consonants, it is classified as an abjad.-Consonants:The Arabic alphabet has...
. It included all the letters of the Arabic plus the additional symbols for the specific sounds of the Nogai. This alphabet was not widespread.
Latin alphabet
In 1928 the Nogail alphabet based on Latin as part of the Soviet-wide LatinizationRomanization
In linguistics, romanization or latinization is the representation of a written word or spoken speech with the Roman script, or a system for doing so, where the original word or language uses a different writing system . Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written...
campaign. A. Sh. Dzhanibekov, a high school teacher was the author of this alphabet.
| A a | B в | Ç ç | D d | E e | Ә ә | G g | Ƣ ƣ |
| I i | K k | L l | M m | N n | O o | Ө ө | |
| P p | Q q | R r | S s | Ş ş | T t | U u | Y y |
| J j | Ь ь | Z z | V v |
The letters were added in 1931, and the letter in 1933. In 1936 the letters were excluded from the alphabet.
Cyrillic alphabet
The Nogai alphabet based on Cyrillic was created in 1938. It included all of the Russian alphabetRussian alphabet
The Russian alphabet is a form of the Cyrillic script, developed in the First Bulgarian Empire during the 10th century AD at the Preslav Literary School...
letters except Ё ё), and also the digraphs
Digraph (orthography)
A digraph or digram is a pair of characters used to write one phoneme or a sequence of phonemes that does not correspond to the normal values of the two characters combined...
Гъ гъ, Къ къ, Нъ нъ. The digraphs Оь оь, Уь уь were added in the same year. In 1944 the digraphs Гъ гъ, Къ къ were excluded from the alphabet. The last reform of the Nogai alphabet took place in 1950, when it attained the current form.
| Cyrillic Cyrillic alphabet The Cyrillic script or azbuka is an alphabetic writing system developed in the First Bulgarian Empire during the 10th century AD at the Preslav Literary School... | Transliteration Transliteration Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another... | Cyrillic Cyrillic alphabet The Cyrillic script or azbuka is an alphabetic writing system developed in the First Bulgarian Empire during the 10th century AD at the Preslav Literary School... | Transliteration Transliteration Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another... |
|---|---|---|---|
| А а | A a | П п | P p |
| Аь аь | A‘ a‘ (Ä ä) | Р р | R r |
| Б б | B b | С с | S s |
| В в | V v (W w) | Т т | T t |
| Г г | G g | У у | U u |
| Д д | D d | Уь уь | U‘ u‘ (Ü ü) |
| Е е | E e | Ф ф | F f |
| Ж ж | J j | Х х | X x |
| З з | Z z | Ц ц | Ts ts |
| И и | İ i | Ч ч | Ch ch (Ç ç) |
| Й й | Y y | Ш ш | Sh sh (Ş ş) |
| К к | K k (Q q) | Ъ ъ | |
| Л л | L l | Ы ы | I i |
| М м | M m | Ь ь | |
| Н н | N n | Э э | E e |
| Нъ нъ | Ng ng | Ю ю | Yu yu |
| О о | O o | Я я | Ya ya |
| Оь оь | O‘ o‘ (Ö ö) | ||