QARAY (KARAIM) TURK TILI: LINGVISTIK XUSUSIYATLARI VA YOZUV AN’ANASI

10.52773/tsuull.conf.2026.23.05/ZKLF8920

Аннотация

This article examines the language and writing tradition of the Karay Turks
from Turkological and historical-linguistic perspectives. It analyzes the position of Karay within
the Turkic language family, particularly its affiliation with the Kipchak group, while also noting
the preservation of certain Oghuz features. The study further explores the role of the Karaite
religious tradition in the formation of Karay ethnic identity, as well as the historical processes of
geographic dispersion of the community.
From a dialectological perspective, Karay is divided into Crimean, Halych, and Trakai
varieties. The paper evaluates their current sociolinguistic status and functional vitality, while
discussing phonological, morphological, and lexical changes resulting from prolonged contact
with Slavic languages alongside the retention of archaic Turkic elements.
The article also investigates the historical development of the Karay writing tradition. The
transition from the Hebrew script to Latin and Cyrillic alphabets is interpreted within the context
of religious and cultural transformations of the Karay community. The author highlights the
central role of religious texts in the formation of Karay written literature, as well as key literary
figures.
The Karay language provides significant material for the study of the historical
development, dialectology, and language contact phenomena within Turkic languages. As an
endangered language today, its preservation and systematic documentation remain among the
priority areas of contemporary Turkological research