InterTurkic

InterTurkic (TürkAralıq) is an International Auxiliary Language designed as an "intermediate language" which could bridge the gaps between all the different branches of the Turkic language family. It was designed in Turkestan in the 1960s by Ramazon Kärim-ulı (an Üzbek) and Eprem Nurğalı-ulı (a Qazaq), and was later promoted as a new lingua franca for Turkestan.

InterTurkic was supposed to be based on the shared base vocabulary and grammar of all four main Turkic language families – Çağataı, Qıpçaq, Oğuz and Soltüşlik – and share characteristics of all of these language groups. In practice, it was mostly based on the Çağataı and Qıpçaq language families, and although it has vocabulary input from the other Turkic families, its grammar has been seen as something of a cross between Qazaq and Üzbek.

During the reign of Hamra Maxambet-ulı Ilxan, InterTurkic was promoted as the language of interethnic communication for the Turkestani state, and made an official language alongside Qazaq, Kırğız, Qaraqalpaq, Üzbek, Türkümän and Tajik. Furthermore, most of the national television and radio channels, as well as many of the newspapers and print media, were forced to switch to InterTurkic as their primary language. In many cases, the quality of InterTurkic spoken or written, especially in the early days following the enforced switch, was fairly bad. InterTurkic television programs were often subtitled in the other local languages, and many print media provided magazines and newspapers with dual copy – the page in InterTurkic on the right-hand side, with its "translation" in Qazaq, Üzbek etc. on the facing page to the left.

After Hamra Ilxan was deposed in a coup and forced to flee the country, the emphasis once again shifted onto the "normal" local languages – the 5 Turkic official languages of Turkestan plus Tajik, the sole non-Turkic official language. InterTurkic retained its status as an official language, but little to no emphasis was placed on it.

Today, InterTurkic can be learned as a foreign language in some schools, though more time is given to languages that are considered to be of some immediate use (Persian, Turkish, Butuņhua and Russian are the most common). The World InterTurkic Society (Bükül Älemlik TürkAralıq Üyümi, or BÄTÜ) based in Samarqand, Tajikistan, is the main publisher in the InterTurkic language, including materials for learning InterTurkic in a variety of languages.

Altaic Languages

Turkic Languages

Oğuz (Oghuz)

Qıpçaq (Qipchak)

Çağataı (Chaghatai)

Siberian

Oğur (Ogur)

Arğu (Arghu)

IAL

Pecheneg †

Western

Eastern

Southern

Western

Volga-Ural

Aralo-Caspian

Western

Eastern

Northern

Southern

Turkish Æzeri (Azeri) Gagauz

Türkümän (Turkmen) Xorasanı (Khorasani)

Afşar

Qumıq (Kumyk) Qarachai-Balkar Cuman † Crimean Tatar

Kazan Tatar Başqır (Bashkir) Siberian Tatar

Qazaq Qaraqalpaq Kırğız

Üzbek Uygur

Yugur Çağataı † Salar

Saxa (Yakut) Dolgan

Tuvin Xakas (Khakass) Altai Tlingit

Çuvaş (Chuvash) Xazar (Khazar) † Avar † Hunnic †

Xalaj

InterTurkic