Monguor language

The Monguor language (Chinese: 土族语; pinyin: Tǔzúyǔ; also written Mongour and Mongor) is a Mongolic language. It belongs to the Shirongolic branch. The Monguor people use this language.

It is part of a special language area called the Gansu–Qinghai sprachbund, also known as the Amdo sprachbund.

There are several dialects of Monguor. Some experts think it might be two separate languages: Mongghul and Mangghuer. Mongghul is spoken mainly in Huzhu Tu Autonomous County. Mangghuer is spoken in Minhe Hui and Tu Autonomous County. Both dialects have been shaped by nearby languages. Mongghul has been influenced by Amdo Tibetan. Mangghuer has been affected by Sinitic languages and local Chinese varieties such as the Gangou language.

Phonology

Vowels

Vowel sounds can change when they are next to certain letters. Some vowels like /i/, /e/, and /u/ can sound softer in different parts of a word.

Consonants

Some consonant sounds can change based on their place in a word. For example, the sound /χ/ might sound like [h] or [x] in different words. The sound /ɻ/ can also sound different, like a soft [ʐ] at the start of a stressed word, a quick flap [ɾ] between vowels, or a rhotic [ə˞] at the end of a syllable. The sound /j/ can change in stressed syllables to sound like [ʝ].

Writing system

In 1958, a Cyrillic-based alphabet was made for the Monguor language, but it was not used much because of political issues.

Later, from the 1970s to the 1980s, a Latin alphabet based on Pinyin was created. This alphabet has 31 letters.

Numerals

Some numbers in the Mongghul dialect come from Mongolian. People who speak Mangghuer usually count using Chinese numbers. For example, the Mongolian script uses the word arban for "ten", but older forms show that other words might have been used in the past.