Moghol language

{{Short description|Possibly extinct Mongolic language}} {{Infobox language | name = Moghol | altname = Mogholi, Mogul, Mongul, Mongolen | states = Afghanistan | region = Herat Province | ethnicity = Moghols | speakers = 200 | date = 2003 | ref = <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.unesco.org/languages-atlas/index.php|title=UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in danger|website=www.unesco.org|publisher=UNESCO|language=en|access-date=2018-01-01}}</ref> | familycolor = Altaic | fam1 = Mongolic | iso3 = mhj | glotto = mogh1245 | glottorefname = Mogholi | script = Perso-Arabic script | nativename = {{lang|mhj|{{Script|Arab|مُغُلی}}}} | dia1 = Karez-I-Mulla | dia2 = Kundur | map = Linguistic map of the Mongolic languages.png | mapcaption = {{legend|#EB7385|Moghol}} | mapscale = 1.25 | map2 = Lang Status 20-CR.svg | mapcaption2 = {{center|{{small|Moghol is classified as Critically Endangered by the UNESCO ''Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger''}}}} }} '''Moghol''' (or '''Mogholi'''; {{langx|prs|مُغُلی}}) is a critically endangered and possibly extinct Mongolic language spoken in the province of Herat, Afghanistan, in the villages of Kundur and Karez-i-Mulla. The speakers were the Moghol people, who numbered 2,000 members in the 1970s. They descend from the Mongol army of Genghis Khan who conquered Afghanistan (then part of the Khwarazmian Empire) in the 13th century.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sayed Zaki Faqerzai |date=n.d. |title=Language of Speaking in Afghanistan |url=http://www.asiafront.com/news/698/language_of_speaking_in_afghanistan.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413124432/http://www.asiafront.com/news/698/language_of_speaking_in_afghanistan.html |archive-date=2014-04-13 |access-date=2014-04-12 |website=AsiaFront.com}}</ref>

In the 1970s, when the German scholar Michael Weiers did fieldwork on the language, few people spoke it, most knew it passively and most were older than 40. It is unknown if there are still speakers of the language,<ref name=Weiers>Weiers, Michael. 2003. "Moghol," ''The Mongolic Languages''. Ed. Juha Janhunen. Routledge Language Family Series 5. London: Routledge. Pages 248–264.</ref> and it is listed as dormant by Ethnologue.<ref name="e18">{{cite web|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/mhj/ |title=Moghol |edition=18 |year=2015 |publisher=Ethnologue |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

The language has been strongly influenced by Persian in its phonology, morphology and syntax, causing Weiers to state that it has the appearance of a "true Inner Asian creole language".<ref name=Weiers/>

== Phonology == Moghol's phonology is influenced by Persian. It has a system of six vowel qualities with no length contrast: {{IPA|/i e a u o ɔ/}}.<ref name="Weiers" />

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+Consonants ! colspan="2" | !Labial !Alveolar !Postalveolar/<br>Palatal !Velar !Uvular !Glottal |- ! rowspan="2" |Plosive/<br>Affricate !<small>voiceless</small> |{{IPA link|p}} |{{IPA link|t}} |{{IPA link|t͡ʃ}} |{{IPA link|k}} |{{IPA link|q}} |{{IPA link|ʔ}} |- !<small>voiced</small> |{{IPA link|b}} |{{IPA link|d}} |{{IPA link|d͡ʒ}} |{{IPA link|ɡ}} | | |- ! rowspan="2" |Fricative !<small>voiceless</small> |{{IPA link|f}} |{{IPA link|s}} |{{IPA link|ʃ}} | |{{IPA link|x}} | rowspan="2" |{{IPA link|ɦ}} |- !<small>voiced</small> | |{{IPA link|z}} |{{IPA link|ʒ}} | | |- ! colspan="2" |Nasal |{{IPA link|m}} |{{IPA link|n}} | | | | |- ! colspan="2" |Approximant | |{{IPA link|l}} |{{IPA link|j}} |{{IPA link|w}} | | |- ! colspan="2" |Trill | |{{IPA link|r}} | | |{{IPA link|ʀ}} | |} /ɦ/ may range between voiced [ɦ] and voiceless [h].

== Grammar == Moghol grammar shows substantial influence from Persian languages, having borrowed even word classes not found in other Mongolic languages: the parts of speech are nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns, prepositions, adverbs and conjunctions.

Nouns are marked for number and case. Verbs are marked for person, number, tense-aspect and mood. Adjectives inflect for the comparative and superlative degree with the Persian suffixes -''tar'' and -''tariin'', but not for number and case.

== Vocabulary ==

=== Pronouns === The Moghol personal pronouns are:<ref name=Weiers/> {| class="wikitable" ! person !! singular !! plural |- ! 1st | {{lang|mhj|bi}} || {{lang|mhj|bidah}} ~ {{lang|mhj|bidat}} (''inclusive''); <br>{{lang|mhj|mån}} (''exclusive'') |- ! 2nd | {{lang|mhj|ci}} || tå ~ tåd |- ! 3rd | i ~ ih || tid ~ tit |}

The demonstrative pronouns are:<ref name=Weiers/> *{{lang|mhj|inah}} ~ {{lang|mhj|enah}} ‘this’ *inat ~ enad ‘these’ *mun ~ munah ‘that’ *munat ~ mutah ~ mutat ‘those’

The interrogative pronouns are:<ref name=Weiers/> *emah ~ imah ~ imas ‘what’ *ken ~ kiyan ‘who’ *kenaiki ‘whose’ *emadu ~ imadu ~ emaji ~ imaji ~ emagalah ‘why’ *emaula- ‘to do what’ *ked ~ keddu ‘how much’ *keja ‘when’ *oshtin ‘how’

The reflexive pronouns are:<ref name=Weiers/> *{{lang|mhj|orin}} ‘self’ *{{lang|mhj|orindu-nah}} ‘for oneself’ *{{lang|mhj|usa-nah}} ‘self’

=== Numerals === The Moghol numerals are Janhunen (2003): {| class="wikitable sortable" ! !! English gloss !! Moghol<ref name=Weiers/> !! Proto-Mongolic<ref>Janhunen, Juha. 2003. ''The Mongolic Languages'', p.16. Routledge Language Family Series 5. London: Routledge.</ref> !! Modern Mongolian |- | 1 || one || nikah ~ nika/n || *nike/n || neg |- | 2 || two || qeyår ~ qiar || *koxar ~ *koyar || khoyor |- | 3 || three || ghorbån ~ qurban || *gurba/n || gurav |- | 4 || four || dorbån ~ durba/n || *dörbe/n || döröv |- | 5 || five || tåbun ~ tabun || *tabu/n || tav |- | 6 || six || åsun ~ essun ~ jurghan ~ shish || *jirguxa/n || zurgaa |- | 7 || seven || dålån ~ húft || *doluxa/n || doloo |- | 8 || eight || sålån ~ húshtu || *na(y)ima/n || naym |- | 9 || nine || tåsån ~ no || *yersü/n || yös |- | 10 || ten || arbån ~ arban ~ dá|| *xarba/n || arav |}

== Sample == Weiers noted down the following poem by the Moghol poet Abd Al-Qadir. <div style="font-style:italic"> {| |- valign="bottom" | '''Weiers' Moghol text:'''

{{Poemquote|{{Transliteration|mhj|Dotanamni dog baina Hawoi ukini aimag baina Nesoni ugunambi agar toni baiji Mota giri qara qurgani baina.

Ekimni dard kina halmini geibe Bemoor boljambi kam khormini geibe Bemoor boljambi kam khormini khodai jaan Ena bemoreztu parwoimini geibe.}}}} | '''English translation from Weiers' German:'''

{{Poemquote|Inside my heart there is a wound The girl I search and long for is of the Aimaq tribe One sign I give you, if near her you happen to be Know that in her ger (yurt) there is a black lamb

My head hurts, my condition is bad I'm sick and do not care I'm sick, but my concern is the love of God This disease I give (therefore) no attention.}}

|} </div>

Another Moghol poem or song of Abd Al-Qadir written in Arabic alphabet (from Weiers): <div style="font-style:italic"> {| |- valign="bottom" | '''Weiers' Moghol text:'''

{{Poemquote|{{Transliteration|mhj|Argun-i kulkah utalat Cingiz kulkah ulu’at Nirah-ci-du kulkah gahat ya gaut al-a’zam gar bari Karyas-du-ci kibah nudun lar-i dazam iz abatun Mun abd qadir gai urun ya gaut al-a’zam gar bari}}}} | '''English translation from Weiers' German:'''

{{Poemquote|Lord of lords Arghun of old, Genghis king of kings Under your name is all things old oh supreme mediator hold (my) hand In your fence (camp) the eyes of suffering friends will rest That same Abd Qadir rests peacefully oh supreme mediator hold (my) hand}}

|} </div>

==See also== *Nikudari

== Notes == {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== * [http://altaica.ru/LIBRARY/ramstedt/mogholica.pdf G. J. Ramstedt. 1906. "Mogholica. Beiträge zur kenntnis der moghol-sprache in Afghanistan."] ''JSFOu'' 23-4. * [http://altaica.ru/LIBRARY/Ligeti/Ligeti_Le%20lexique%20moghol%20de%20R.%20Leech%201955.pdf Louis Ligeti. 1954. "Le lexique moghol de R. Leech]," ''AOH'' 4. * [http://altaica.ru/LIBRARY/Ligeti/Лигети_О%20монг.%20и%20тюрк.%20языках%20и%20диалектах%20Афганистана%201955.pdf Л. Лигети. 1954. "О монгольских и тюркиских языках и диалектах Афганистана," ''AOH'' 4]. * Sh. Iwamura and H. F. Schurmann. 1954. "Notes on Mongolian Groups in Afghanistan," ''Silver Jubilee Volume of the Zinbun-Kagaku-Kenkyusyo, Kyoto University''. Kyoto University. * [http://altaica.ru/LIBRARY/Iwamura_The%20Zirni%20Manuscript%201961.pdf Shinobu Iwamura. 1961. ''The Zirni Manuscript: A Persian-Mongolian Glossary and Grammar''. Kyoto University]. * H. F. Schurmann. 1962. ''The Moghols of Afghanistan''. Mouton & Co. * Michael Weiers. 1972. ''Die Sprache der Moghol der Provinz Herat in Afghanistan (Sprachmaterial, Grammatik, Wortliste)''. Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag.

{{Mongolic languages}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moghol Language}} Category:Agglutinative languages Category:Mongolic languages Category:Languages of Afghanistan Category:Extinct languages of Asia