Brief Information
Bashkir language is the ethnic language of Bashkirs, one of the official languages of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Tatars, Russians, Chuvash people, Mari people, Udmurts, Kazakhs and Uzbeks also speak Bashkir.
The total number of Bashkirs living in Russia is, according to the Russian census, 1 584 554. At the same time, 1 152 404 people reported that they have knowledge of Bashkir, Bashkir people constitute approximately 977 thousands of this number.
The absolute majority of the native Bashkir speakers (931 thousand people) live in the Republic of Bashkortostan. Besides that, the native speakers of this language also live in Udmurtia, Tatarstan, Orenburg, Tyumen, Chelyabinsk, Kurgan, Sverdlovsk Oblasts, Perm Krai, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.
The endonym for Bashkir people – башҡорттар, for Bashkir language – башҡорт.
Three dialects are usually noted in Bashkir language: Eastern (Kuvakan, the mountain dialect), Western (North-western) and Southern.
Genealogy
Bashkir language belongs to the Volga-Kipchak (Kipchak–Bulgar) subgroup of the Turkic language group inside the macro family of Altai languages. Among the Turkic languages Bashkir is especially close to Tatar language.
Three dialects are usually noted in Bashkir language. The Eastern (Kuvakan, the mountain dialect) is spoken in the northern and north-eastern regions of Bashkortostan, in Chelyabinsk and Kurgan Oblasts. Eastern dialects is represented by five sub dialects: Ayskiy, Miasskiy, Kyzylskiy, Argayashskiy, Salyutskiy. The Western dialect has been heavily influenced by the Tatar language and is commonly spoken in the North-western regions of Bashkortostan, Perm Krai, Sverdlovsk Oblasts and in the eastern Tatarstan Republic. The Western dialect has five subdialects: Karaidelsky, Sredneuralskiy, Tanypskiy, Gaininsky, Nizhnebelsky. The Southern dialect is spoken in the southern regions of the Republic of Bashkortostan, as well as in Samara, Orenburg and Saratov Oblasts. The Southern dialect has three subdialects: Iksakmarskiy, Demskiy and the Middle subdialect. Dialects are comparatively close to each other and their main differences are, primarily, in phonetics.
Distribution
The absolute majority of the native Bashkir speakers (931 thousand people) live in the Republic of Bashkortostan. Besides that, the native speakers of this language also live in Udmurtia, Tatarstan, Orenburg, Tyumen, Chelyabinsk, Kurgan, Sverdlovsk Oblasts, Perm Krai, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.
Language contacts and multilingualism
The language state of the modern Bashkortostan is the one of distinct multilingualism. The communicative spheres of language are varied. Their status and social and communicative framework of usage are also varied: Russian is used as the national language and a mean of inter-ethnic communication, non-titular for the Republic of Bashkortostan; Bashkir language is the language of the titular nation; Tatar language is a non-titular language, but it is used by one third of the population of the Republic of Bashkortostan and it covers two thirds of the territorial distribution in Bashkortostan.
Tatar language had a significant influence on the Western (North-western) dialect of Bashkir.
Language functioning
- Legal status
- Writing system
- Language standardization
- Domains of language usage
Is the official language of the Republic of Bashkortostan.
Bashkir tribes have been using the Old Turkic script from ancient times. Writings based on the Arabic script started to spread among Bashkir people due to the adoption of Islam in the 10th century. The earliest examples of writing (tombstone inscriptions, genealogy records) are preserved since the 14th century. The writing traditions of the Turki language, a common language for many Turkic languages, became customary in the 15-16th centuries. At the turn of the 19-20th centuries Bashkirs used the Old Tatar written language. In 1919 Bashkir script, based on the Arabic script, had been modernized and adopted for the phonetic system of Bashkir spoken language. In 1928 the writing system had been transferred to Latin script, which was the most suited for reflecting phonetics in spoken Bashkir.
In 1940 Bashkir language started to be written with Cyrillic script, with the addition of special symbols (ҡ, ғ, ә, ө, ү, ң, ҙ, ҫ, h) to denote the specifics of the Bashkir phonetics.
There were two periods in the history of standard Bashkir: before the October revolution, and the period from 1920s to modern times. The first period had two sub-periods: the Turki language with Bashkir elements of the Ural-Volga region in the 13-18th century and standard Bashkir of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The second period is the stage of development of standard Bashkir starting from the 1920s. Modern standard Bashkir was formed in 1920s on the base of Eastern and Southern dialects, while bringing some traditions of the Old Turki standard language in various styles, vocabulary and syntax, as well as in folklore traditions.
Family / everyday communication
Family / everyday communication
Bashkir is used in this domain. However, in urban environments children do not always have a conduct of Bashkir, even in monoethnic families.
Education
Education
Language of study
In preschool establishments and schools of the Republic of Bashkortostan Bashkir is a language of instruction.
In 2013 in the Republic of Bashkortostan 1885 preschool educational establishments were active, in which more than 194 thousand children ages 1-6 were taught. In preschools Bashkir language, along with Russian, Tatar, Chuvash, Mari and Udmurt, is a language of instruction. Every year the quantity of preschools that use children’s native languages for instructions is rising. As of 2016, 30752 children (57%) in 1068 preschools were taught in their native language (Bashkir, Tatar, Chuvash, Mari, Udmurt).
In 2014/2015 Bashkir was used as a language of instruction:
- In 35 urban schools: altogether 9042 people were studying at these institutions; 3899 people in grades 1 to 4, 4326 people in grades 5 to 9, 823 people in grades 10 to 11
- In 502 country schools; altogether 28 297 people were studying at these institutions; 12 448 people in grades 1 to 4, 13 650 people in grades 5 to 9, 2199 people in grades 10 to 11
Bashkir language is used as the language of instruction at the faculty of Bashkir philology and journalistics (Bashkir State University), the faculty of Bashkir philology and primary education (Bashkir State University), as well as at the department of the Bashkir language and literature of the Faculty of Philology, the faculties of primary school and preschool education.
Subject of study
Preschool
Bashkir language is taught as a school subject, starting from the senior age group, in all preschools.
Primary education (1-4 grades)
In 2014/2015 Bashkir was taught as a school subject:
- In 269 urban schools; altogether 28897 people were studying at the schools, 10589 people in grades 1-4
- In 572 country schools; altogether 32373 people were studying at the schools, 10487 people in grades 1-4
Basic education (5-9)
In 2014/2015 Bashkir was taught as a school subject:
- In 269 urban schools; altogether 28897 people were studying at the schools, 15 758 people in grades 5-9
- In 572 country schools; altogether 32373 people were studying at the schools, 18 216 people in grades 5-9
Secondary education (10-11)
In 2014/2015 Bashkir was taught as a school subject:
- In 269 urban schools; altogether 28897 people were studying at the schools, 2550 people in grades 10-11
- In 572 country schools; altogether 32373 people were studying at the schools, 3670 people in grades 10-11
Secondary specialized and higher education
Bashkir is taught as a school subject in the institutions of secondary specialized education, as well as in universities.
Textbooks & Manuals
Textbooks and manuals are published in small quantities and small runs. There are about two dozen textbooks for preschools and schools in Bashkir, the same number of textbooks for middle schools and 6 textbooks for high schools, which are constantly republished.
Mass media
Mass media
Press
Republic-level and regional newspapers are published in Bashkir. A total of 389 newspapers are published in Bashkortostan, of which 69 are in Bashkir.
Currently 11 periodicals in Bashkir are published in 8 subjects of Russian Federation. For instance, there is a weekly issue of national pages in the Tatar and Bashkir languages in the city of Chelyabinsk. In the Chelyabinsk region there are 162 thousand Bashkirs and about the same number of Tatars.
Moreover, 96 journals are printed in the Bashkir Republic, 10 of which are published in Bashkir.
Radio and TV
Radio broadcasting is carried out by the State Television and Radio Company of the Republic of Bashkortostan, broadcasting in the Bashkir language lasts for 2–3 hours, along with Bashkir Russian and Tatar are used.
TV broadcasting is carried out by the State Television and Radio Company of the Republic of Bashkortostan, broadcasting in the Bashkir lasts for 2-3 hours, along with Bashkir Russian, Tata, Chuvash, Mari are used
Local radio and television broadcasts are broadcasted in individual cities and regional centers; for example, Shark-1 (Шарк-1) station broadcasts 6 hours a day in Bashkir and Tatar languages.
Culture
Culture
In the Republic of Bashkortostan there are 11 professional drama theaters, performances are staged in the Bashkir language in 5 of them.
There is no original film production in Bashkir. The language is only used for dubbing films and movies that are broadcasted on TV.
The Bashkir Philharmonic hall, the Sterlitamak Philharmonic hall, and Sibay State Philharmonic hall often give concerts and hold recitals in Bashkir.
Traditional culture
Amateur performance
Variety show
Theatre
Cinema
Cartoons
Museums
Audio and video production
Science
Science
Russian is used in all spheres of science, Bashkir is used in humanities: linguistics (most notable Bashkir usage of all), pedagogy, literature, anthropology. The Bashkir language is the subject of research in fields of grammar, morphology, phonology, lexicology, phraseology, syntax, stylistics, culture of speech, bilingual studies, onomastics, etc.; there is a number of extensive literature on various sections of these fields in Bashkir linguistics.
Folklore
Folklore
Rich folklore is documented and published in Bashkir, which is presented by a variety of genres: epic, kubairs (Bashkir-specific genre of poetic stories performed in recitative), songs, legends, revayats, tales (about animals, heroes, non-magical tales, novelistic tales). The most extensive collection is presented in the edition of «Башҡорт халыҡ ижады» (Bashkir folklore), which was published in 18 volumes in Bashkir and in 12 volumes in Russian.
Literature
Literature
Several hundred lyrical poems, several plays, several hundred stories, and several dozen novels have been published in Bashkir. Due to the fact that fiction is sometimes published at the expense of the authors themselves, sponsors, and various foundations, it is extremely difficult to determine the exact number of stories published.
There is literature, translated in Bashkir: for example, in 2014, 14 of such books and brochures were published. In 2012, 168 books and brochures were published in the Bashkir language with a print run of 777.3 thousand copies,12 books and brochures were translated with a print run of 20.9 thousand copies.
Children’s literature
Fiction
Popular science
Religion
Religion
The most common religion in the Republic of Bashkortostan is Islam. Some religious ceremonies are held in Arabic. Some ceremonies are held in Bashkir, for example sermons, but Tatar is also often used in religious ceremonies. The text of the Koran has been translated into Bashkir.
Legislation
Legislation
In the Parliament of the Republic of Bashkortostan, legislative activity is carried out in Russian. However, all laws, decrees and resolutions are translated into Bashkir.
Bashkir is also used in this sphere (to a limited extent) in oral interpersonal communication.
Administrative activities
Administrative activities
In the sphere of administrative activity the Bashkir language is used to a limited extent and mainly in places of compact residence of Bashkirs.
Legal proceedings
Legal proceedings
The Bashkir language is not used in written or oral court proceedings, but is used, to a limited extent, in testimonies.
Industry
Industry
In the production sphere it is used only informally in oral communication between Bashkirs.
Agriculture
Agriculture
The Bashkir language is used, to a limited extent, in informal communication in the sphere of agriculture.
Trade and service
Trade and service
The Bashkir language is used only in interpersonal communication between workers of these spheres and people of the worker’s ethnicity. It is also used in written advertising.
Transport
Transport
In the sphere of transport Bashkir is used only in informal communication between employees, if they are representatives of the Bashkir ethnos.
Internet
Internet
Bashkir language is often used in the Internet. In particular, it can be found in Wikipedia articles.
Dynamics of language usage
In 2002 in the Russian Federation 1,192,950 people spoke Bashkir (71.2% of all Bashkir population of the Russian Federation). In Bashkortostan the number of native speakers was recorded to be 912,204 people (74.7% of all population of the republic of Bashkir ethnos).
In 2010 in the Russian Federation 1 152 404 people spoke Bashkir (72,7% of all Bashkir population of the Russian Federation). In the Republic of Bashkortostan 790,383 people (67.4% of the total Bashkir population of the Republic of Bashkortostan) spoke it. Representatives of other ethnic groups were also registered among Bashkir speakers: 113,268 Tatars, 14,640 Russians, 5702 Chuvash and 2,608 Mari.
The Bashkir language currently has a fairly well-developed network of social functions and, due to this, a relatively high level of vitality. However, there is a decrease in the level of language proficiency among the younger generation in the urban areas. Since the knowledge of Bashkir language does not give any special advantages connected with social position, even in a monoethnic Bashkir families children might not know Bashkir. Still, other factors can influence the interest for Bashkir, and the determining one is, often, the national self-consciousness of children of Bashkir speakers.
Language experts
Khisamitdinova Firdaus Gilmitdinovna
(Institute of History, Language and Literature of the Federal State Budgetary Institution of the Ufa Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IHLL UFRC RAS))Is the author of approximately 200 scientific and scientific methodical works. The most significant among them are in collaboration with the Hungarian scientist J. Torma: a monograph "…a tűznek mondom!” (I say to the fire!), published in Budapest in Hungarian; and a translation of the "The Gospel of Luke" into Bashkir language, which was published in Stockholm.
Professor F.G. Khisamitdinova is the supervisor and executor of a number of international scientific projects. Among them are two INTAS projects (Belgium) on the development of a textbook of Bashkir language for foreign learners, as well as a study of Islam in Russia, and a project with the International Bible Translation Institute (Stockholm).
Boris Valeryevich Orekhov
(Faculty of Humanities, National Research University – Higher School of Economics)The main developer of the National Corpora of the Bashkir language. Boris Orekhov researches structures of verses in Bashkir poetry and is the author of several scientific publications.
Research centres
Order of the Badge of Honour Institute of History, Language and Literature of the Federal State Budgetary Institution of the Ufa Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences
The research center is involved with studying the rich culture, language, history and ethnology of the Bashkir people.
Core references
Grammatical descriptions: grammars, sketches
Dmitriev N. К. Grammatika Bashkirskogo yazika [The grammar of the Bashkir language] – Nauka Publishers. Moscow, 2008.
Usmanova M.G. Grammatika Bashkirskogo yazika: dlya yzuchaychich yazik kak gosydarstvennyi. [The grammar of the Bashkir language for those who study it as a state language] – Kitap publishers. Ufa, 2012.
Khisamitdinova F.G Bashkirskiy yazik bashgkort koors [The Bashkir language Башҡорт, a course] – Govorun Publishers. Moscow, 2011.
Uldashev A.A. (ed.) Grammatika sovremennogo Bashkirskogo yazika [The grammar of the standard modern Bashkir language] – Moscow, 1981.
Dictionaries
Samsitova L. H. Realie Bashkirskoy cultury: slovar bezequivalentnoi leksiky Bashkirskogo yazika [The realities of Bashkir Culture: Dictionary of the Non-Equivalent Vocabulary of the Bashkir Language] – Kitap Publishers. Ufa, 2006.
Uraksin Z. G. (ed.) Russko-Bashkirskyi slovar v dvyh tomah [Russian-Bashkir Dictionary: in 2 volumes] – Bashkir Encyclopedia. Ufa, 2005. Vol. 1. A-O. - 2005. Vol. 2. П-Я. - 2005.
Uraksin Z. G. Russko-Bashkirskyi slovar [Russian-Bashkir Dictionary] – Kitap Publishers. Ufa, 2007.
Khisamitdinova F.G (col.) Russko-bashkirskyi, bashkirsko-russkyi slovar: dlya izuchayushchikh bashkirskyi yazik kak gosudarstvennyi. [The Russian-Bashkir and Bashkir-Russian Dictionary: Bashkir-Language Dictionary. Russian-Bashkir, Bashkir-Russian Dictionary: for those learning Bashkir language as a state language] – Malenkyi genyi Bashkortostana; Uchebno-metodicheskiy centr «Edvis». Ufa, 2014.
Publications of texts
A. G. Bessonov (record, transl.), N. K. Dmitriev. (compilation, editorship, introductory article and notes) Bashkirskie narodnye skazki. [Bashkir Folk Tales] – Bashgosizdat. Ufa, 1941.
Bashkirskoe narodnoe tvorchestvo (“Башҡорт халыҡ ижады”) [Bashkir folk tales] – Kitap Publishers. Ufa, 1954-2009.
Работы по этнологии
Khisamitdinova F.G. Struktura yazyka i ehtnicheskaya specifika [The structure of the language and its ethnic specifics] – Bashkiry; Nauka Publishers. Moscow, 2016.
Resources
Corpora and text collections
The volume of the corpus: 20 million words. Contains texts from official websites of the Republic of Bashkortostan, newspaper articles, fiction, Wikipedia articles, and laws.
The corpora contains more than 1.8 million tokens. The text collection consists of poems by Bashkir poets of the 20th and early 21st century (more than 17,000 poems by 101 poets).
The corpus contains oral texts in the Bashkir language. The texts were recorded in 2011-2017 in the villages of Rakhmetovo and Baimovo. Baimovo is located in the Abzelilovsky district of the Republic of Bashkortostan. These settlements belong to the Kubalyak dialect of Bashkir, which belongs to the Southeastern group of Eastern Bashkir dialects (with some features of southern dialects). In general, the texts of the corpus are close to the standard Bashkir language, but have some dialectal features at the level of phonetics and morphonology.
Other electronic resources
The resource contains an online course of the Bashkir language from the Bashkir State Pedagogical University named after M. Akmulla.
A public page on the VKontakte social network dedicated to Bashkir films.
Contains about 18 thousand articles, most of which are translated into Bashkir.
Data for this page kindly provided by
Kozhemyakina V. A. Bashkirskyi yazik [Bashkir language] – Language and Society. Encyclopedia. – Publishing Center "Azbukovnik". Moscow, 2016
Orekhov B.V., Sai S. S., Yagafarova G. N. Bashkirskyi yazik [Bashkir language] – Postnauka. Digital publication