Pamir Kyrgyz (Kyrgyz: پامیری قیرغیزچه) is a dialect of the Kyrgyz language natively spoken in the Chitral district and Gojal Valley of Pakistan and Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan.[2] It has been evolving into a distinct dialect of Kyrgyz due to its isolation.[3] The dialect is known by its speakers as Black Kyrgyz (کاره قیرغیز).[4]

Pamir Kyrgyz
پامیری قیرغیز
Pamiri Kyrgyz in Nastaliq
Native toPakistan, Afghanistan
RegionChitral, Gojal, Wakhan
Native speakers
2,000 (2012)[1]
Turkic
Arabic
Language codes
ISO 639-3

Loanwords

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Pamir Kyrgyz uses many loanwords from Dari, which unlike Kyrgyz from Kyrgyzstan, makes it hard to understand the language due to Kyrgyz from Kyrgyzstan using Russian loanwords.[5]

Literacy

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Literacy rate from the Kyrgyz of Pamir has increased, with many proposing an alphabet for it. The Agha Khan has started funding schools for the Pamir Kyrgyz in Afghanistan for Dari, Pashto, and their native Pamir Kyrgyz language.[6]

Phonology

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The Pamiri Kyrgyz dialect uses long and hard vowels unlike the Kyrgyz in Kyrgyzstan.[7]

Vowels

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Front Central Back
Close i ɨ u ɯ y u
Mid e ə o ø
Open a ɑ

Consonants

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Kyrgyz consonants
Labial Dental/
alveolar
Post-
alveolar
Dorsal Uvular
Nasal m n ŋ
Plosive voiceless p t k q
voiced b d ɡ
Affricate voiceless t͡ʃ
voiced d͡ʒ
Fricative voiceless f s ʃ x
voiced v z
Approximant l j
Trill r

References

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  1. ^ "On the Roof of the World: The Last Kyrgyz in Afghanistan". 3 November 2012.
  2. ^ Callahan, Ted (2007). "THE KYRGYZ OF THE AFGHAN PAMIR RIDE ON". Nomadic Peoples. 11.
  3. ^ "The Situation of the Pamir Kyrgyz after the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan".
  4. ^ Bliss, Frank (2006). Social and Economic Change in the Pamirs (Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan). Routledge, 2006. p. 193. ISBN 9781134396177.
  5. ^ "Will Pamir Kyrgyz Leave the 'Roof of the World'?".
  6. ^ USA, IBP (2013). Kyrgyzstan Investment and Business Guide Volume 1 Strategic and Practical Information (1 ed.). Kyrgyzstan: Lulu.com, 2013. p. 20. ISBN 9781438767970.
  7. ^ Bilig : Journal of social sciences of the Turkish world (12-15 ed.). Ahmet Yesevi Üniversitesine Yardım Vakfı, 2000. 2000.