Russia has always been and remains a multinational country in which more than two hundred different peoples currently live. And although the official language throughout the state is Russian, each ethnic group has the right to preserve and develop its native language. The Tuvan language, distributed mainly on the territory of the Republic of Tuva , is considered one of the most complex and at the same time colorful languages of our homeland.
general characteristics
The Tuvan language belongs to the Turkic group, that is, genealogically it is related to Kazakh, Tatar, Azerbaijani and some others.
Historically, the Turkic ethnic group settled over vast territories from China to Europe, conquering the local population and assimilating it. Turkic languages are rich and diverse, but all of them are united by a large number of vowels of the front and middle rows (a, e, y, o), including doubled ones, as well as the predominance of the suffix word formation method.
In the lexical structure of Tuvinian there is a significant body of borrowings from Mongolian, Russian and Tibetan.
The Tuvan alphabet appeared only in the first half of the twentieth century. The first script was created based on the Latin alphabet. In 1941, the alphabet was shifted to the Cyrillic alphabet, which corresponded to the program of the USSR government to create a single letter for all republics.
Tuvan language has official status in the Republic of Tuva, but it is also spoken in the northern regions of Mongolia. Currently, there are more than 200 thousand carriers.
Is it possible to independently study the Tuvan language
For a Russian person, learning such a language is a rather difficult task. Perhaps this is precisely why the number of Russians living in Tuva and knowing Tuvan barely exceeds one percent. It is believed that this language is best studied by those who have already become familiar with other Turkic languages, for example, Kazakh.
For the development of Tuvinian it is not necessary to go to distant Tuva, basic knowledge can be obtained independently using special manuals and textbooks.
It should be said that despite the fact that the alphabet for Tuvans appeared less than a century ago, Russian linguists began to describe the grammar of this language half a century before the appearance of the Tuva literacy.
Currently, one of the most respected publications is the monograph by F. G. Iskhakov and A. A. Palmbakh, published in 1961. This textbook allows you to get acquainted with the phonetics and morphology of Tuvinian.
Recently, a manual by K. A. Bicheldey, “Let's Talk Tuvan”, was published. This tutorial is aimed at those who are just starting to get acquainted with the language. It contains exercises, brief references on grammar and phonetics, and vocabulary is selected in accordance with the needs of a student-debutant.
Some words and phrases in the language of Tuvans
Linguists distinguish four dialects of the language in question: southeastern, western, central and the so-called Tojinsky. The basis of the literary language is a central dialect. It is on it that books, periodicals and television programs are issued.
Below are some Tuvan words that can be used in everyday communication.
Hello | Ecia |
Hello! | Ke eki! |
Bye | Bayırlıg / Baerlıg |
You are welcome | Azhyrbas |
sorry | Buruulug Baldum |
Give (polite form) | Berinerem |
I dont know | Bilbes men |
Where is the hospital? | Kaida emnelge? |
How much is it? | Ortee seemed? |
Very tasty | Dandy amdannig |
We are going to the center | Baar Bis Topsche |
What's your name? | Maeen Adym Eres |
Can? | Bolur be? |
Sorry | Buruulug Baldum |
Very well | Eki |
poorly | Bugai |
Where are you? | Kaida Sen? |
Tyva dictionaries
Currently, there are many dictionaries of the Tuvan language. There are even several online translators on the Internet. However, print literature is still a classic.
As a guide for mastering the language, you can recommend the Tuvan-Russian dictionary edited by E. R. Tenishev. This work was published in 1968, however, it is still authoritative both in the amount of material collected (more than 20 thousand words) and in the way of interpreting the meanings.
For those who are interested in the history of the language, a multi-volume etymological dictionary compiled by the linguist B. I. Tatarintsev may be useful.
Tuvan literature
Poetry and prose in this interesting language appears infrequently, but nevertheless some Tuvan writers should be mentioned: Sagan-ool V.S., Mongush DB, Olchei-ool MK, Hovenmei B.D. Tuvan literature began to develop after the creation of the alphabet, that is, from the 30s of the last century.
If you are interested in how Tuvan verses sound in Tuvan, you can find such poetry on the Internet. In particular, on the site "Poetry.ru" or "Vkontakte". In the free access there are works of Lama-Rome Ooredia and many other modern writers who are in love with their homeland and want to support national culture.
The Government of Tuva is trying in every possible way to support the development of its native language, because the number of Tuvan speakers is decreasing every year, and Russians rarely undertake the study of this language due to its complexity.
Tyva Music
Tuvan songs are melodic, nationally colorful and often resemble ancient shamanistic chants. Lovers of folklore motifs can be advised to listen to Hun Khurt and Chilchilgin .. Those who prefer pop style and chanson will like Nachyn, Ayan Sedip and Andriyan Kunaa-Siirin.
Other contemporary musicians include Shyngyraa, Buyan Setkil, Ertine Mongush, Chinchi Sambu and Igor Ondar and Herel Mekper-oola. You can find the music of these artists on social networks and on special sites. However, be prepared for the fact that Tuvan songs, even performed in the style of pop or chanson, differ in melody and rhythm from Western music.