Some phonetic features of the Karakol Kalmyk language: Fifty years of linguistic study

Abstract

Introduction. Karakol Kalmyks are an ethnic group of Oirat descent inhabiting Ak-Suu District of Issyk-Kul Region (Kyrgyzstan). Those are descendants of Olots that migrated there after the Dungan Revolt of 1881 was suppressed. Nowadays, their native language is vanishing. Goals. The paper examines key phonetic diagnostic features characterizing the Karakol Kalmyk dialect in Kyrgyzstan ― in comparison to other Kalmyk and Oirat dialects and subdialects. Results. The article reveals values of the features on the basis of present-day materials (the authors’ own field data) and provides comparative insights into sometimes contradictory descriptions available in published works. It also specifies a number of phonetic distributions inherent to manifestations of sound change rules ― from the common Mongolic state to the one documented for the dialect. In a number of cases, instrumental acoustic analyses made it possible to confirm or refute some auditory impressions of various dialect researchers. The specific classification proximity of the dialect to that of Tsaatan Kalmyks is confirmed for a number of parameters. However, any final conclusion can only be made after phonetic investigations of other Kalmyk and Oirat dialects through the use of a similar feature matrix.