Oghurspeaking

Oghurspeaking refers to a hypothetical branch of the Turkic language family. It is theorized to have diverged from Proto-Turkic much earlier than the other branches, such as the Oghuz, Kipchak, and Karluk branches. The term "Oghur" itself is derived from the name of a historical group of Turkic peoples, the Oghurs, who are believed to have spoken these languages.

The most prominent surviving language exhibiting Oghur features is Chuvash, spoken in the Chuvash Republic of Russia. Chuvash displays several unique phonological and grammatical characteristics that distinguish it from other Turkic languages. For example, it often preserves certain sounds that have been lost or changed in other branches, and it has undergone distinct sound shifts.

Other historical Oghurspeaking languages are known primarily from historical records and linguistic reconstruction. These include languages like Bulgar, Khazar, and the languages of the Onogurs and Kutrigurs. While direct linguistic evidence for many of these is scarce, the available data suggests they shared common features with Chuvash and likely constituted a distinct linguistic group within the broader Turkic family. The exact timing and nature of the divergence of Oghurspeaking languages from Proto-Turkic remain subjects of ongoing linguistic research and debate.