Bulgar language

Bulgar (also Bolğar and Proto-Bulgarian) was the language of the Bulgars, now extinct. Its classification is somewhat controversial but the most widely accepted theory places it among the "Lir"-type of Turkic languages referred to as Oghur-Turkic or Lir-Turkic, as opposed to "Shaz"-type of Common Turkic.

On the other hand, some Bulgarian historians accepted a new theory which links it to Iranian language group instead (more specifically, the Pamir languages are frequently mentioned). Other Bulgarian historians only point out certain signs of Iranian influence in the Turkic base, without drawing such conclusions from them (of the linguistic evidence only the Iranian origin of the name Asparukh seems to withstand scrutiny - see Schmitt 1985 for a critical assessment by an international Iranologist). Still others assume an intermediate stance or indeed actively oppose the "Iranian" theory. Bulgar is assumed to have been used in Great Bulgaria, later in Volga Bulgaria, as well as in Danubian Bulgaria. The language became extinct in Danubian Bulgaria in the 9th century as the Bulgar nobility became gradually Slavicized through intermarriages with the Slavic majority there. In Volga Bulgaria, it persisted longer (according to the prevalent theory of its Turkic affiliation) and ultimately may have given rise to the modern Turkic Chuvash language, though the precise position of Chuvash within the Oghur family of languages, as seen by linguists, is a matter of dispute. Since the comparative material attributable to the extinct members of Oghuric (Hunnic, Turkic Avar, Khazar and Bulgar) is scant, little is known about any precise interrelation of these different languages and it is a matter of dispute whether Chuvash, the only "Lir"-type language with extant linguistic material, might be the daughter language of any of these or just a sister branch.

Danube Bulgar

The language of the Danube Bulgars (or Danube Bulgar) is recorded in a small number of inscriptions, which are found in Pliska, the first capital of Danube Bulgaria and in the rock churches near the village of Murfatlar, Romania. Some of these inscriptions are written with Greek characters, others with runes similar to the Orkhon script. Most of them appear to have a private character (oaths, dedications, inscriptions on grave stones) and some were court inventories. Although attempts at decipherment have been made, none of them has gained wide acceptance. These inscriptions in Danube-Bulgar are found along with other official ones written in Greek. The rulers of the First Bulgarian Empire preserved Greek as the official state language until the 9th century when it was replaced by Old Bulgarian (Slavonic).

The language of the Danube Bulgars is also known from a small number of loanwords in the Old Bulgarian language, as well as terms occurring in Bulgar Greek-language inscriptions, contemporary Byzantine texts, and later Slavonic Old Bulgarian texts. Most of these words designate titles and other concepts concerning the affairs of state, including the official 12-year cyclic calendar (as used e.g. in the Nominalia of the Bulgarian Khans).

Volga Bulgar

The language spoken by the population of Volga Bulgaria is known as Volga-Bulgar. There are a number of surviving inscriptions in Volga-Bulgar, some of which are written with Arabic characters, alongside the continuing use of Turkic runes. These are all largely decipherable. That language persisted until the 13th or the 14th century. It adopted a number of words and constructions from the Kipchak language and ultimately may have given rise to the Chuvash language. Chuvash is classified as the only surviving member of a separate "Oghur-Turkic" (or Lir-Turkic) branch of the Turkic languages, characterized by sound correspondences such as Oghuric r versus Common Turkic (or Shaz-Turkic) z and Oghuric l versus Common Turkic (Shaz-Turkic) š. Likewise, the Old Tatar language, despite not belonging to the same branch as Chuvash and Bulgar, is believed to have absorbed elements of the Bulgar language; thus, the language spoken by the present-day Volga Tatars would represent a mixture of Kipchak and Bulgar.

As for the Oghur family of languages as seen by linguists, little is known about any precise interrelation of these different languages and it is a matter of dispute whether Chuvash might be the daughter language of any of these or just a sister branch.

Notes

External links

• Britannica Online - The article describes the position of Bulgar and Chuvash in the classification of the Turkic languages.
• Rashev, Rasho. 1992. On the origin of the Proto-Bulgarians. p. 23-33 in: Studia protobulgarica et mediaevalia europensia. In honour of Prof. V. Beshevliev, Veliko Tarnovo - A Bulgarian archeologist's proposal. The author concedes that the ruling elite of the Bulgars was Turkic-speaking as evidenced by the inscriptions etc., but stipulates that the bulk of the population was Iranian.