Oghur

Oghur, also spelled Oghuric or Ogur, is a branch of the Turkic language family. It is defined by historical phonological developments that set it apart from the larger body of Common Turkic languages. The most prominent living representative of the Oghur branch is Chuvash, spoken in the Volga region of Russia, while many other Oghur languages are extinct. The name Oghur comes from medieval ethnographic and linguistic classifications used by scholars studying Turkic peoples of the Volga region and Central Asia, and the term is often contrasted with the related Oghuz branch.

Classification and history

The Oghur languages include the extinct Volga Bulgar and other historic Oghuric varieties, as well as the language of the Orkhon inscriptions sometimes classified in the Oghur group. Chuvash is the sole surviving living language in this branch. Historically, Oghur-speaking communities were centered in the Volga region and areas of the Caucasus and Inner Asia. Over the centuries, many Oghur varieties disappeared or shifted to other Turkic languages, leaving Chuvash as the primary contemporary representative.

Linguistic features and status

Oghur languages are characterized by distinctive sound correspondences that differ from those of Common Turkic, including unique reflexes of certain consonants and vowels. While much of the early history of Oghur is reconstructed from inscriptions and comparative work, Chuvash has developed independently for centuries and now forms a distinct branch within Turkic. The other Oghur languages are extinct, making Chuvash the key source for understanding this branch’s historical development.

References

Oghur is a historical branch within Turkic linguistics, notable primarily for its surviving member, Chuvash, and for the extinct Oghuric varieties once spoken across the Volga region and surrounding areas.