| Also Known As: Yuku,Yugu,Yellow Uighur,Sarig,Sary-uighur,Ya Lu,Sarygh Uygur,Sari Yogur
Description:
Western Yugur and Eastern Yugur are terms coined by Chinese linguists to distinguish between the Turkic and Mongolic Yugur language, both spoken within the Yugur nationality. The terms may also indicate the speakers of these languages. Traditionally, both languages are indicated by the term Yellow Uygur, from the autonym of the Yugur.
The Turkic speaking Yugur number about 4,600 and denote their own language by the terms yoğïr lar (Yugur speech) or yoğïr śoz (Yugur word).
Western Yugur shares a number of features, mainly archaisms, with several of the Northeastern Turkic languages, but it is not closer to any one of them in particular.
Speakers of Western Yugur reside primarily in the western part of Gansu province's Sunan Yugur Autonomous County.
A special feature in Western Yugur is the occurrence of preaspiration, corresponding to the so-called pharyngealised or low vowels in Tuva and Tofa, and short vowels in Yakut and Turkmen. Examples of this phenomenon include oʰtɯs "thirty", jaʰʂ "good", and iʰt "meat".
The vowel harmonical system, typical of Turkic languages, has largely collapsed. Voice as a distinguishing feature in plosives and affricates was replaced by aspiration, as..... full article at Wikipedia |
