Khazar Language

Khazar Language

Khazar was the Turkic language spoken by the Khazars, a semi-nomadic Turkic people from Central Asia. It is also referred to as Khazarian, Khazaric, or Khazari.

The language is extinct and written records are almost non-existent. The 10th-century Kievan letter contains the only extant record of the Khazar language, the so-called "runiform recognitio", interpreted as the single word-phrase "I have read (it)." This appears to be a sign of approval from a Khazar magistrate.

Extant texts written in the Khazar Khaganate during the 10th century are primarily in the Hebrew language.

The linguistic affiliation of the Khazars has been disputed. Khazar was a Turkic language, however, different scholars take different views whether it belonged to the Oghur ("lir") or the Oghuz ("shaz") branch of the language family.

Read more about Khazar Language:  Classification

Famous quotes containing the word language:

    Just as language has no longer anything in common with the thing it names, so the movements of most of the people who live in cities have lost their connexion with the earth; they hang, as it were, in the air, hover in all directions, and find no place where they can settle.
    Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926)