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| Cuman | |
|---|---|
| Kuman, Kipchak, Polovcian[1] | |
| Tatar til | |
 Codex Cumanicus, 14th century | |
| Native to | Cuman–Kipchak Confederation,Golden Horde |
| Region | Cumania |
| Ethnicity | Cumans,Kipchaks,Tatars |
| Extinct | InKunság: 1770, with the death ofIstván Varró [fr][2] Other regions: evolved into Kipchak-Cuman languages |
| Arabic,Latin | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | qwm |
qwm | |
| Glottolog | cuma1241 |
_eng.png) Map of territory occupied by the Cumans around 1200 | |
Cuman orKuman (also calledKipchak,Qypchaq orPolovtsian, self referred to asTatar (tatar til) inCodex Cumanicus)[4] was aWest KipchakTurkic language spoken by theCumans (Polovtsy, Folban, Vallany, Kun) andKipchaks; the language was similar to today's various languages of the West Kipchak branch. Cuman is documented in medieval works, including the Codex Cumanicus, and in early modern manuscripts, like the notebook of Benedictine monk Johannes ex Grafing.[5] It was a literary language inCentral andEastern Europe that left a rich literary inheritance. The language became the main language (lingua franca) of theGolden Horde.[6]
The Cumans were nomadic people who lived on the steppes ofEastern Europe, north of theBlack Sea, before theGolden Horde. Many Turkic peoples including theCrimean Tatars,Nogais,Karachays,Kumyks,Crimean Karaites,Krymchaks andBalkars,Manavs are descended from the Cumans. Today, the speakers of these various languages belonging to theKipchak branch speak variations closely related to the Cuman language.[7][8][9][10]
The literary Cuman language became extinct in the early 18th century in the region ofCumania inHungary, which was its last stronghold. Tradition holds that the last speaker of the Cuman language in Hungary was István Varró, a resident ofKarcag (Hungary) who died in 1770. The Cuman language in Crimea, however, managed to survive. The Cuman language is considered the direct ancestor of the currentlanguage of the Crimean Tatars with possible incorporations of the other languages in the region, likeCrimean Gothic.[11][12][13]
By a preponderance Cumanian population of the Crimea acquired the name "Tatars", embracedIslam, and retained the Quman-Qipchaq Turkic language, and the process of consolidating the multi-ethnic conglomerate of the Peninsula began, which has led to the emergence of the Crimean Tatar people.[14]
The Cuman-Kipchaks had an important role in the history ofAnatolia,Kazakhstan,Ukraine,Russia,Georgia,Hungary,Romania (see, for example, theBasarab dynasty),Moldavia,Bessarabia andBulgaria.[15][16][17][18]
Radlov believed that among the current languages Cuman is closest to theMishar dialect of theTatar language.[19]
From the book known as theCodex Cumanicus, a Cuman Kipchak TurkicPater Noster (transcribed in theCommon Turkic Alphabet):
Atamız kim köktesiñ. Alğışlı bolsun seniñ atıñ, kelsin seniñ xanlığıñ, bolsun seniñ tilemekiñ – neçik kim kökte, alay [da] yerde. Kündeki ötmegimizni bizge bugün bergil. Dağı yazuqlarımıznı bizge boşatqıl – neçik biz boşatırbız bizge yaman etkenlerge. Dağı yekniñ sınamaqına bizni quurmağıl. Basa barça yamandan bizni qutxarğıl. Amen![20]
István Varró, a member of the Jász-Cuman mission to the empress of Austria Maria Theresa and the known last speaker of the Cuman language, died in 1770.
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| Common Turkic |
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