Classification of Kazakh Language Dialects and Issues of Dialect Studies

This article examines the importance of studying the history, grammatical structures, and vocabulary of a language. Determining the stages of language development and its historical periods is carried out through the analysis of its vocabulary. The current forms of the Kazakh language are characterized as the common national language and local varieties, i.e., dialects. In dialectological research, assessing the natural features of a language, monitoring its development, and revealing its vocabulary are among the key directions in linguistics. Based on previous research on local languages, the article provides a definition of the concept of a local language, explores the factors influencing its formation, and examines the classification of local languages and the diversity of such classifications. It also analyses the distinctions between dialects and the literary language, the integration of dialectal elements into the literary language and terminological corpus, and their positive and negative aspects. Furthermore, the article presents a brief chronology of dialectological studies in Kazakhstan and discusses scholars’ views on whether Kazakh has dialects, highlighting two opposing perspectives and reviewing the works of their representatives. The article also addresses the current state of Kazakh dialectology and its methodological, technical, and social challenges. It emphasizes the inconsistency of existing dialect classifications, the lack of unified criteria, and the absence of a universal typology. Accordingly, the need for an integrative classification that encompasses phonetic, morphological, and lexical features is underlined. Another issue under discussion is the inconsistency of transcription: the fact that different researchers denote the same sound with different symbols significantly complicates comparative studies. As a solution, the adoption of a unified transcription system based on the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is proposed.

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