Features of the language of tatars living in China

Abstract

This study is focused on linguistic (phonetic, lexical and grammatical) features of speech of the Tatar diaspora living in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (People's Republic of China). The language of the Tatars living in this area has undergone certain changes due to its interactions with the contacting Turkic (Uyghur and Kazakh) languages. Due to the historical events, this language has been evolving in isolation from the modern Tatar-speaking population in the Chinese-speaking environment. For this very reason, archaic elements typical of the Old Tatar language have been preserved in it. On the other hand, the close territorial contacts, as well as national and cultural ties with the Uyghurs and Kazakhs have been establishing good conditions for penetration of Chinese words into the language of Tatars living in China. Studying the lexical and grammatical features of the language of the Tatar diaspora in the People's Republic of China plays a significant role for solving individual problems related to the history and dialectology of the Modern Tatar and other Turkic languages (in particular, Uyghur and Kazakh ones). © IDOSI Publications, 2013.