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 (قاره قیرغیز).[4]

Loanwords

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

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

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

Vowels

Front Back
unr. rnd. unr. rnd.
Close i y ɯ u
Mid e ø o
Open æ ɑ

Consonants

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

References

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