LirTurkic

LirTurkic is a term used in linguistic discussions and in speculative fiction to describe a proposed subgroup of Turkic languages associated with a toponym or ethnolinguistic lineage referred to as the Lir. The term does not have wide acceptance in mainstream Turkic linguistics, and it is not listed as a genetic branch in major classifications.

Origins and usage: The concept emerges in limited scholarly writing and online communities that explore deep-time Turkic history, as well as in world-building projects. It is generally treated as speculative rather than established; some researchers view LirTurkic as a hypothetical bridge between eastern and western Turkic varieties, while others see it as a substrate or contact-induced pattern rather than a true lineage.

Geographic and temporal scope: If invoked, LirTurkic would be associated with medieval to early modern contact zones in Central Asia and adjacent regions where Turkic languages diversified. No extant language is universally identified as LirTurkic.

Linguistic features: Proponents describe LirTurkic as sharing core Turkic traits—agglutinative morphology, vowel harmony, SOV word order—with putative Lir-specific innovations such as borrowed lexicon from neighboring language groups or unique phonological shifts. The exact inventory remains unproven and contested.

Relation to writing systems and culture: In serious discussions, LirTurkic is treated as a theoretical construct; in fiction, writers may attach any Turkic script tradition (Latin, Cyrillic, or Old Turkic-inspired scripts) to the concept.