PHONETIC FEATURES OF THE KALMYK AND OIRAT LANGUAGES OF WEST MONGOLIA

Abstract

The purpose of the article. By comparing the elements of phonetic systems of the modern Kalmyk language and the Oirat language of West Mongolia, the authors aim to identify in these languages the pan-Oirat areal features, the specific phonetic characteristics that were formed during the hundreds of years of independent development in the Kalmyk language and the Oirat language of West Mongolia and preserved through the historical development. The solution to this task may provide the research basis for the future development of issues of historical grammar. Scientific novelty. The comparison of language contacts of Oirats in West Mongolia and Kalmyks living in Russia. The expansion of Oirats over large areas and continuous language contacts must have led to the development of differences in the languages of Oirats in West Mongolia and Kalmyks in Kalmykia. There are new opportunities to compare the identical variants in different contact situations, which allows one to assess the importance of such factors as the structural similarity on the phonetic level of the contacting languages. As a result, the prerequisites will be formed for the creation of historical grammar of the Mongolian protolanguage. This research topic is unique in global Mongolian studies. Results. The study of the Kalmyk language and the Oirat language of West Mongolia has indicated that during the four centuries of independent development, the Kalmyk language has remained practically unchanged within one of its main levels – phonetic and is almost similar to the Oirat language area formed in the ancient times. Conclusions. The phonetic structure of the modern Kalmyk language has remained practically unchanged and retains the features of the Oirat language area.