The Uyghur language, a member of the Southeastern subgroup within the Turkic language family, is situated amidst a contentious debate regarding its classification as a branch of the Altaic language family. This linguistic affiliation places Uyghur near languages such as Uzbek, Ili Turki, and Aini. However, while some scholars advocate for including Turkic languages within the broader Altaic family, others argue that the available evidence does not sufficiently support this contention.
Early scholarship on the Uyghur language includes Julius Klaproth's seminal work, "Dissertation on language and script of the Uyghur" (Abhandlung über die Sprache und Schrift der Uyghuren), published in 1812. Klaproth's assertions regarding the Turkic nature of Uyghur were met with dispute by Isaak Jakob Schmidt, who contended that Uyghur should be classified alongside Tangut languages.
The Uyghur language manifests in various regional dialects, including Central Uyghur, Hotan, Lop, and Akto Türkmen. Furthermore, each locality within the Uyghur region exhibits subtle differences in its dialect, as observed in Kashgar, Qumul, Turpan, and Ghulja. Unique linguistic features, such as vocalic assimilation and r-deletion, distinguish the Kasghar dialect from others. Similarly, vowel reduction is not prevalent in the southern dialects.
The script used for the Uyghur language has evolved over time. Initially, Uyghur was written in the Arabic alphabet, a system that emerged in the 13th century. This adaptation accommodated phonetic nuances of Uyghur not present in Arabic. In ancient times, Uyghur writing was based on the Sogdian alphabet, an abandoned orthographic system. The Sogdian script, in turn, provided the foundation for the Mongol script, which was utilized from the era of Genghis Khan until its replacement by the Russian script in the 1940s.
The Uyghur script shares historical connections with alphabets from Western Asia and has been embraced by numerous Turkic-speaking communities. Notably, Uyghur, along with Zhuang, Tibetan, and Mongolian, holds official minority language status, evident in their inclusion on Chinese banknotes.
While the Arabic alphabet remains accessible to many Uyghurs, especially among older generations, some Uyghur children receive instruction in Arabic script during primary school. Additionally, variations of Arabic script written in Roman letters are taught. However, most secondary school classes are conducted exclusively in Chinese.
In personal nomenclature, many Uyghurs employ a single name, a practice reflective of cultural and linguistic diversity within the Uyghur community.
Orkhon Alphabet and Its Historical Significance
The Orkhon alphabet, originating in the Orkhon River valley in Mongolia during the early 7th century AD, represents the earliest known written examples of any Turkic language. This script, also known as the Turkic or Orkhon runes, was predominantly inscribed on hard surfaces like stone or wood, contributing to its resemblance to the Runic alphabet. The Orkhon alphabet, perhaps inspired by elements of the surrounding environment, gradually gave way to the Uyghur alphabet by the 9th century AD.
The Old Uyghur Alphabet and Its Unique Characteristics
The Uyghur alphabet, stemming from the cursive Sogdian script with roots in Aramaic, adopts a distinctive top-to-bottom, left-to-right columnar writing system. Notably, the letters are rotated 90 degrees, distinguishing them from their linguistic antecedents. This script features three variants of letters based on their position within a word: initial, medial, and final forms. Furthermore, the Uyghur alphabet was adapted for the transcription of Mongolian in the 12th century CE.
Arabic and Latin Scripts: Evolution and Current Usage
The Arabic-derived script, Kona Yéziq or 'Old Script,' encompasses a complete alphabet, encompassing all vowels. It was widely employed from the late Middle Ages until the 1920s. Subsequent modifications led to the removal of Arabic-specific letters in 1937 and the introduction an expanded vowel system in 1954. Although officially replaced by the Pinyin script during the Cultural Revolution, Kona Yéziq persisted in private usage. A reformed version featuring separate vowels representing /ø/ and /was reintroduced in the 1980s and continues to be widely utilized.
The Latin-derived script, Yéngi Yéziq or 'New Script,' was introduced by China in the 1960s and 1970s during the Cultural Revolution. Despite its official endorsement, it faced resistance due to cultural considerations, fears of linguistic assimilation, and reluctance to accept it as a representative of Uyghur identity. Nevertheless, it remains an authorized option, particularly with the advent of the World Wide Web.
Reference:
Uyghur Language. Available at: http://www.uyghur.co.uk/language.html. (Accessed: 01 Oct 2023).
Comments
Post a Comment