Kipchak languages

Kipchak
Northwestern Turkic
Ethnicity:	Kipchaks
Geographic distribution:	—
Linguistic classification:	Turkic Kipchak
Subdivisions:	Kipchak–Bolgar Kipchak–Cuman Kipchak–Nogai Kyrgyz–Kipchak
Glottolog:	`kipc1239`^[1]
Kipchak–Bolgar Kipchak–Cuman Kipchak–Nogay and Kyrgyz–Kipchak

The Kipchak languages (also known as the Kypchak, Qypchaq, or Northwestern Turkic languages) are a branch of the Turkic language family spoken by more than twenty five million people in an area spanning from Lithuania to China.

1 Linguistic features
- 1.1 Shared features
- 1.2 Unique features
2 Classification

Linguistic features

The Kipchak languages share a number of features that have led linguists to classify them together. Some of these features are shared with other Turkic languages; others are unique to the Kypchak language family.

Shared features

Change of Proto-Turkic *d to /j/ (e.g. *hadaq > ajaq "foot")
Loss of initial *h sound (preserved only in Khalaj. See above example.)

Unique features

Extensive labial vowel harmony (e.g. olor vs. olar "them")
Frequent fortition (in the form of assibilation) of initial */j/ (e.g. *jetti > ʒetti "seven")
Diphthongs from syllable-final */ɡ/ and */b/ (e.g. *taɡ > taw "mountain", *sub > suw "water")

Classification

The Kipchak languages may be broken down into four groups, based on geography and shared features:^[1]

Kipchak–Bulgar (Uralian, Uralo-Caspian): Bashkir and Tatar
Kipchak–Cuman (Ponto-Caspian): Karachay-Balkar, Kumyk, Karaim, Krymchak. Urum and Crimean Tatar appear to have a Kipchak–Cuman base, but have been heavily influenced by Oghuz languages.
Kipchak–Nogai (Aralo-Caspian): Nogai (also Nogay or Nogai Tatar), Karakalpak and Kazakh.
Kyrgyz–Kipchak

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Kipchak languages