Editing Kyrgyz language

{{Short description|Kipchak Turkic language of Central Asia}}
{{Distinguish|Fuyu Kyrgyz language}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Kyrgyz
| nativename       = {{lang|ky|Кыргыз тили}}<br>{{lang|ky-latn|kyrgyz tili}}<br>{{lang|ky|{{script|Arab|قىرعىز تىلى}}}}
| image            = Kyrgyz.svg
| imagecaption     = Kyrgyz written in [[Cyrillic]] and [[Perso-Arabic]] scripts
| pronunciation    = {{IPA|ky|qɯɾʁɯzˈtʃɑ|}}
| ethnicity        = [[Kyrgyz people|Kyrgyz]]
| states           = [[Kyrgyzstan]], [[Afghanistan]], [[Tajikistan]], [[Pakistan]], [[China]]
| speakers         = {{sigfig|5.154500|3}} million
| date             = 2009 census
| ref              = e26
| familycolor      = Altaic
| fam1             = [[Turkic languages|Turkic]]
| fam2             = [[Common Turkic languages|Common Turkic]]
| fam3             = [[Kipchak languages|Kipchak]]
| fam4             = Kyrgyz–Kipchak
| script           = [[Kyrgyz alphabets]] ([[Cyrillic script]], [[Arabic script|Perso-Arabic script]], [[Kyrgyz Braille]]) Historically, [[Old Turkic script]]
| nation           = {{flag|Kyrgyzstan}}<br>{{flag|China}}
*[[Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture]]
{{Collapsible list|titlestyle=font-weight:normal;background:transparent;text-align:left;|title='''Organisations''':|{{flag|Organization of Turkic States}}<br/>{{flag|Collective Security Treaty Organization}}}}
| minority         = {{flag|Uzbekistan}}<br>{{flag|Tajikistan}}
| iso1             = ky
| iso2             = kir
| iso3             = kir
| lingua           = 44-AAB-cd
| notice           = IPA
| glotto           = kirg1245
| glottorefname    = Kirghiz
| region           = [[Central Asia]]
| map              = Distribution of the Kyrgyz language.png
| mapcaption       = Places where Kyrgyz is spoken
| dia1             = [[Pamir Kyrgyz dialect|Pamiri Kyrgyz]]
}}
[[File:“Чуңкурчак” көчү- 2017 этно фестивалы өттү.webm|thumb|A speaker of the Kyrgyz language in traditional dress, recorded on the Chunkurchak pasture on the outskirts of Bishkek during an interview]]
[[File:WIKITONGUES-_Azim_speaking_Kyrgyz.webm|thumb|Azim, a speaker of the Kyrgyz language, recorded in [[Taiwan]]]]

'''Kyrgyz'''{{efn-lr|{{bulleted list|{{IPAc-en|lang|ˈ|k|ɪər|ɡ|ɪ|z|,_|ˈ|k|ɜːr|ɡ|ɪ|z}}|[[Cyrillic]]: {{lang|ky|Кыргыз тили / Кыргызча}}|[[Latin script|Latin]]: {{lang|ky-latn|Kyrgyz tili / Kyrgyzcha}}|[[Arabic script|Arabic]]: {{nq|قىرعىز تئلى / قىرعىزچا}}|{{IPA|ky|qɯrˈʁɯz tɪˈlɪ|pron}}}}}} is a [[Turkic languages|Turkic language]] of the [[Kipchak languages|Kipchak branch]] spoken in [[Central Asia]]. Kyrgyz is the official language of [[Kyrgyzstan]] and a significant minority language in the [[Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture]] in [[Xinjiang]], [[China]] and in the [[Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region]] of [[Tajikistan]]. There is a very high level of [[mutual intelligibility]] between Kyrgyz, [[Kazakh language|Kazakh]], and [[Altay language|Altay]].  A dialect of Kyrgyz known as [[Pamiri Kyrgyz dialect|Pamiri Kyrgyz]] is spoken in north-eastern [[Afghanistan]] and northern [[Pakistan]]. Kyrgyz is also spoken by many ethnic Kyrgyz through the former [[Soviet Union]], [[Afghanistan]], [[Turkey]], parts of northern [[Pakistan]], and [[Russia]].

Kyrgyz was originally written in [[Old Turkic script|Göktürk script]],<ref>Кызласов И. Л., ''Рунические письменности евразийских степей'' (Kyzlasov I.L. ''Runic scripts of Eurasian steppes''), Восточная литература (Eastern Literature), Moscow, 1994, pp. 80 on, {{ISBN|978-5-02-017741-3}}, with further bibliography.</ref> gradually replaced by the [[Arabic script|Perso-Arabic alphabet]] (in use until 1928 in the USSR, still in use in China). Between 1928 and 1940, a [[Latin-script alphabet]], the [[Common Turkic Alphabet#In the USSR|Uniform Turkic Alphabet]], was used. In 1940, Soviet authorities replaced the Latin script with the [[Cyrillic script|Cyrillic alphabet]] for all Turkic languages on its territory. When Kyrgyzstan became independent following the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991, a plan to adopt the Latin alphabet became popular. Although the plan has not been implemented, it remains in occasional discussion.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Altynbayev |first=Kanat |title=Kyrgyzstan considers switch to Latin alphabet from Cyrillic |url=https://central.asia-news.com/en_GB/articles/cnmi_ca/features/2019/09/24/feature-02 |access-date=2022-07-29 |website=Caravanserai |language=en-GB}}</ref>

== Classification ==
Kyrgyz is a [[Common Turkic languages|Common Turkic]] language belonging to the [[Kipchak languages|Kipchak branch]] of the family. It is considered to be an [[East Kipchak language]], forming a subfamily with the [[Southern Altai language]] within the greater Kipchak branch. Internally, Kyrgyz has three distinct varieties; Northern and Southern Kyrgyz.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Glottolog 4.3 - Kirghiz|url=https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/kirg1245|access-date=2021-05-03|website=glottolog.org}}</ref> 

Language should not be confused with Old Kyrgyz ([[Yenisei Kyrgyz]]) language which classified as a member of the [[Siberian Turkic languages|South Siberian]] branch of Turkic languages. The successor of the Yenisei Kyrgyz language today are the [[Khakas people|Khakas]] in [[Russia|Russian Federation]] and [[Fuyu Kyrgyz people|Fuyu Kyrgyz]] in [[Northeast China|Northeastern China]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=AzG5llo3YCMC&pg=PA110 Tchoroev (Chorotegin) 2003], p. 110.</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=LbmP_1KIQ_8C&pg=PA113 Pozzi & Janhunen & Weiers 2006, p. 113.]</ref><ref name="StaryPozzi2006">{{cite book |author1=Giovanni Stary |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LbmP_1KIQ_8C&pg=PA112 |title=Tumen Jalafun Jecen Aku: Manchu Studies in Honour of Giovanni Stary |author2=Alessandra Pozzi |author3=Juha Antero Janhunen |author4=Michael Weiers |publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag |year=2006 |isbn=978-3-447-05378-5 |pages=112–}}</ref>

==History==
In 925, when the [[Liao dynasty]] defeated the [[Yenisei Kyrgyz Khaganate|Yenisei Kyrgyz]] and expelled them from the Mongolian steppes, some Ancient Kyrgyz elites settled in Altai and Xinjiang where they mixed with the local [[Kipchaks]], resulting in a language shift.

After the [[Mongol Empire|Mongol conquest]] in 1207 and a series of revolts against the [[Yuan dynasty]], Kyrgyz-speaking tribes started to migrate to [[Tian Shan]], which was already populated by various [[Turco-Mongol tradition|Turco-Mongol]] tribes. As [[Chagatai Khanate|Chaghatai Ulus]] subjects, the Kyrgyz converted to [[Islam]]. [[Persian language|Persian]] and [[Arabic]] vocabulary loaned to the Kyrgyz language, but to a much lesser extent than [[Kazakh language|Kazakh]], [[Uzbek language|Uzbek]] and [[Uyghur language|Uyghur]].

== Dialects ==
Kyrgyz is divided into two main dialects, Northern and Southern. Northern having more [[Mongolian language|Mongolian]] loanwords and Southern having more [[Uzbek language|Uzbek]] ones. Standard Kyrgyz is based on Northern Kyrgyz.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Kyrgyz (Kirgiz, Kyrghyz, Kirghiz) |url=https://www.langcen.cam.ac.uk/resources/langk/kyrgyz.html |access-date= |publisher=[[University of Cambridge]]}}</ref> There is also a third smaller dialect called Pamiri Kyrgyz.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Callahan |first=Ted |date=2007 |title=The Kyrgyz of the Afghan Pamir Ride On |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43123791 |journal=Nomadic Peoples |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=39–48 |doi=10.3167/np.2007.110103 |jstor=43123791 |issn=0822-7942}}</ref>

==Phonology==
{{main|Kyrgyz phonology}}
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+Kyrgyz vowel phonemes<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Kara|2003|p=10}}</ref>
! rowspan=2|
!colspan=2 | [[Front vowel|Front]]
!colspan=2 | [[Back vowel|Back]]
|- style="vertical-align: center; font-size: x-small; height: 3em"
!unrounded || rounded
!unrounded || rounded
|-
![[Close vowel|Close]]
|{{IPA link|i}}
|{{IPA link|y}}
|{{IPA link|ɯ}}
|{{IPA link|u}}
|-
![[Mid vowel|Mid]]
|{{IPA link|e̞|e}}
|{{IPA link|ø̞|ø}}
|
|{{IPA link|o̞|o}}
|-
![[Open vowel|Open]]
|({{IPA link|a}})
|
|{{IPA link|ɑ}}
|
|}
{{IPA|/a/}} appears only in borrowings from Persian or when followed by a front vowel later in the word (regressive assimilation), e.g. {{IPA|/ajdøʃ/}} 'sloping' instead of {{IPA|*/ɑjdøʃ/}}.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Washington|2007|p=11}}</ref> In most dialects, its status as a vowel distinct from {{IPA|/ɑ/}} is questionable.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Washington|2006b|p=2}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+Vowel Harmony (Peace Corps Method)
!Left Shift (<)
!Right Shift (>) 
!Shift Direction
|-
|а 
|ы
|Straight Across Left-Right Shift
|-
|о 
|у
|("y" Left-shifts up-diagonally to "a")
|-
|е (э)
|и
|Straight Across Left-Right Shift
|-
|ө
|ү
|Straight Across Left-Right Shift
|}
The United States [[Peace Corps]] trains its volunteers using a "Left-Right Shift" method when carrying out language training in Kyrgyzstan.
{|class="wikitable" style=text-align:center
|+Kyrgyz consonant phonemes<ref name="kara11">{{Harvcoltxt|Kara|2003|p=11}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |
! [[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! [[Dental consonant|Dental]]/<br />[[Alveolar consonant|alveolar]]
! [[Postalveolar consonant|Post-<br />alveolar]]
! [[Dorsal consonant|Dorsal]]
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
| {{IPA link|m}}
| {{IPA link|n}}
|
| {{IPA link|ŋ}}
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Plosive]]
! {{small|[[Voicelessness|voiceless]]}}
| {{IPA link|p}}
| {{IPA link|t̪|t}}
|
| {{IPA link|k}}
|-
! {{small|[[Voice (phonetics)|voiced]]}}
| {{IPA link|b}}
| {{IPA link|d̪|d}}
|
| {{IPA link|ɡ}}
|-
! rowspan="2" |[[Affricate]]
! {{small|[[Voicelessness|voiceless]]}}
|
| {{IPA link|t̪͡s̪|t͡s}}{{efn|name=borrowings|{{IPA|/f, v, t͡s, x/}} occur only in foreign borrowings from Russian, Arabic and English.<ref name="kara11"/>}}
| {{IPA link|t͡ʃ}}
|
|-
! {{small|[[Voice (phonetics)|voiced]]}}
| ||
| {{IPA link|d͡ʒ}}
|
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Fricative]]
! {{small|[[Voicelessness|voiceless]]}}
| {{IPA link|f}}{{efn|name=borrowings}}
| {{IPA link|s̪|s}}
| {{IPA link|ʃ}}
| {{IPA link|x}}{{efn|name=borrowings}}
|-
! {{small|[[Voice (phonetics)|voiced]]}}
| {{IPA link|v}}{{efn|name=borrowings}}
| {{IPA link|z̪|z}}
| ||
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Approximant]]
|
| {{IPA link|l}}
|
| {{IPA link|j}}
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Trill consonant|Trill]]
|
|{{IPA link|r}}
|
|
|}
{{notelist}}

== Lexicon ==
Kyrgyz has spent centuries in contact with numerous other languages, and as such has borrowed extensively from them. These languages include: Uzbek, [[Oirat language|Oirat]], Mongolian, [[Russian language|Russian]], and [[Arabic]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hays |first=Jeffrey |title=KYRGYZ IN CHINA {{!}} Facts and Details |url=https://factsanddetails.com/china/cat5/4sub6/entry-4342.html |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=factsanddetails.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Alimov |first=Rysbek |date=2024-04-01 |title=Western Mongolian (Oirat-Kalmyk) loanwords in Kyrgyz |url=https://libmast.utm.my/Record/doaj.art-24cf572b2c1d48c1846fd359a57bdc59 |journal=Orientalia Suecana |language=English |volume=73 |pages=5–27 |doi=10.33063/os.v73.501 |issn=2001-7324|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Acar |first=Ömer |date=2024-08-29 |title=Kırgız Türkçesi İle Türkiye Türkçesindeki Ortak Arapça Kelimelerin Ses Değişimleri |url=https://turkishstudies.net/turkishstudies?mod=makale_ing_ozet&makale_id=18551 |journal=Journal of Turkish Studies |language=tr |volume=10 |issue=8 |pages=273–298 |doi=10.7827/TurkishStudies.8219|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Russian Loanwords in Kyrgyz - PhD thesis - Dissertation |url=https://www.dissertationtopic.net/doc/1508512 |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=www.dissertationtopic.net}}</ref>

==Orthography==
{{Main|Kyrgyz alphabets}}

Historically the Old Turkic Script was the first script used to write Kyrgyz.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last1=Jumabaeva |first1=Guliam |title=Kyrgyz Language Manual |last2=Abylkasymove |first2=Miriam |date=June 1996 |publisher=Peace Corps, Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) |location=Bishkek |pages=13–18 |language=en, ky}}</ref> 

The Kyrgyz in [[Kyrgyzstan]] use a [[Cyrillic script|Cyrillic alphabet]], which uses all the Russian letters plus [[ң]], [[ө]] and [[ү]]. Though in the [[Xinjiang]] region of China, an [[Arabic script|Arabic alphabet]] is used. Between 1928 and 1940, a [[Common Turkic Alphabet#In the USSR|Latin alphabet]] was used for many minority languages in the USSR, including Kyrgyz. There have been attempts after 1990 to introduce other Latin alphabets which are closer to the [[Turkish alphabet]], e.g. the [[Common Turkic Alphabet]]. There are political shades to the Cyrillic-Latin debate. In April 2023, Russia suspended dairy exports to Kyrgyzstan after a proposal by the chairman of Kyrgyzstan's National Commission for the State Language and Language Policies, Kanybek Osmonaliev, to change the alphabet from Cyrillic to Latin to bring the country in line with other Turkic nations. Osmonaliev was reprimanded by President [[Sadyr Japarov]], who later clarified that Kyrgyzstan had no plans to replace the Cyrillic alphabet.<ref>[https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-kyrgyzstan-dairy-products-banned-cyrillic-latin/32373802.html Russia Suspends Dairy Products From Kyrgyzstan After Calls In Bishkek To Drop Cyrillic Script]. [[Radio Free Europe]], 21 April 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Comparison of Kyrgyz alphabets<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Kyrgyz language and alphabets |url=https://omniglot.com/writing/kirghiz.htm |access-date=2024-09-24 |website=omniglot.com}}</ref>
!Cyrillic
!Braille
!Arabic
![[Yañalif|Latin]]
(1928–⁠1938)
|-
|[[А]] [[а]]
|⠁
|[[ا]]
|A a
|-
|[[Б]] [[б]]
|⠃
|[[ب]]
|B ʙ
|-
|[[В]] [[в]]
|⠺
|[[ۋ]]
|V v
|-
|[[Г]] [[г]]
|⠛
|[[گ]]
[[ع]]*
|G g, [[Ƣ]] [[ƣ]]
|-
|[[Д]] [[д]]
|⠙
|[[د]]
|D d
|-
|[[Е]] [[е]]
|⠑
|[[ە]]
|E e
|-
|[[Ё]] [[ё]]
|⠡
|ي+و(يو)
|Jo jo
|-
|[[Ж]] [[ж]]
|⠚
|[[ج]]
|[[Ç|Cc]] ([[Ƶ]] [[ƶ]] from 1938)
|-
|[[З]] [[з]]
|⠵
|[[ز]]
|Z z
|-
|[[И]] [[и]]
|⠊
|[[ئ]]
|I i
|-
|[[Й]] [[й]]
|⠯
|[[ي]]
|J j
|-
|[[К]] [[к]]
|⠅
|[[ك]]
[[ق]]*
|K k, Q q
|-
|[[Л]] [[л]]
|⠇
|[[ل]]
|L l
|-
|[[М]] [[м]]
|⠍
|[[م]]
|M m
|-
|[[Н]] [[н]]
|⠝
|[[ن]]
|N n
|-
|[[Ң]] [[ң]]
|⠽
|[[ڭ]]
|[[Ꞑ]] [[ꞑ]]
|-
|[[О]] [[о]]
|⠕
|[[و]]
|O o
|-
|[[Ө]] [[ө]]
|⠌
|[[ۅ]]
|[[Ɵ]] [[ɵ]]
|-
|[[П]] [[п]]
|⠏
|[[پ]]
|P p
|-
|[[Р]] [[р]]
|⠗
|[[ر]]
|R r
|-
|[[С]] [[с]]
|⠎
|[[س]]
|S s
|-
|[[Т]] [[т]]
|⠞
|[[ت]]
|T t
|-
|[[У]] [[у]]
|⠥
|[[ۇ]]
|U u
|-
|[[Ү]] [[ү]]
|⠧
|[[ۉ]]
|Y y
|-
|[[Ф]] [[ф]]
|⠋
|[[ف]]
|F f
|-
|[[Х]] [[х]]
|⠓
|[[ح]]
|H h
|-
|[[Ц]] [[ц]]
|⠉
|(ت+س (تس
|Ts ts
|-
|[[Ч]] [[ч]]
|⠟
|[[چ]]
|Ç ç
|-
|[[Ш]] [[ш]]
|⠱
|[[ش]]
|Ş ş
|-
|[[Щ]] [[щ]]
|⠭
| -
|ŞÇ şç
|-
|[[Ъ]] [[ъ]]
|⠷
| -
| -
|-
|[[Ы]] [[ы]]
|⠮
|[[ى]]
|[[I with bowl|Ь]] [[I with bowl|ь]]
|-
|[[Ь]] [[ь]]
|⠾
| -
| -
|-
|[[Э]] [[э]]
|⠪
|[[ە]]
|E e
|-
|[[Ю]] [[ю]]
|⠳
|ي+ۇ(يۇ)
|Ju ju
|-
| [[Я]] [[я]]
|⠫
|ي+ا(يا)
|Ja ja
|-
|}

== Morphology and syntax ==
Kyrgyz follows a [[Subject–object–verb word order|subject-object-verb]] word order, Kyrgyz also has no [[grammatical gender]] with gender being implied through context. Kyrgyz lacks several [[Analytic language|analytic]] grammatical features that english has, these include: [[Auxiliary verb|auxiliary verbs]] (ex: to have), [[Definite article|definite articles]] (ex: the), [[indefinite articles]] (ex: a/an), and [[Modal verb|modal verbs]] (ex: should; will), [[Dependent clause|dependent clauses]], and [[Grammatical conjugation|subordinating conjugations]] (ex: that; before; while). Kyrgyz instead replaces these with various [[Synthetic language|synthetic]] grammatical substutes.<ref name=":2" />{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2008}}

===Case===
Nouns in Kyrgyz take a number of [[declension|case]] endings that change based on vowel harmony and the sort of [[consonant]] they follow (see [[#Phonology|the section on phonology]]).

{|class="wikitable"
!Case
!Underlying form
!Possible forms
!"''boat''"||"''air''"||"''bucket''"||"''hand''"||"''head''"||"''salt''"||"''eye''"
|-
!Nominative
|colspan="2" align="center" | —
|кеме||аба||челек||кол||баш||туз||көз
|-
!Genitive
| -NIn
| -нын, -нин, -дын, -дин, -тын, -тин, -нун, -нүн, -дун, -дүн, -тун, -түн
|кеме'''нин''' ||аба'''нын''' ||челек'''тин''' ||кол'''дун''' ||баш'''тын''' ||туз'''дун''' ||көз'''дүн'''
|-
!Dative
| -GA
| -га, -ка, -ге, -ке, -го, -ко, -гө, -кө
|кеме'''ге''' ||аба'''га''' ||челек'''ке''' ||кол'''го''' ||баш'''ка''' ||туз'''га''' ||көз'''гө'''
|-
!Accusative
| -NI
| -ны, -ни, -ды, -ди, -ты, -ти, -ну, -нү, -ду, -дү, -ту, -тү
|кеме'''ни''' ||аба'''ны''' ||челек'''ти''' ||кол'''ду''' ||баш'''ты''' ||туз'''ду''' ||көз'''дү'''
|-
!Locative
| -DA
| -да, -де, -та, -те, -до, -дө, -то, -тө
|кеме'''де''' ||аба'''да''' ||челек'''те''' ||кол'''до''' ||баш'''та''' ||туз'''да''' ||көз'''дө'''
|-
!Ablative
| -DAn
| -дан, -ден, -тан, -тен, -дон, -дөн, -тон, -төн
|кеме'''ден''' ||аба'''дан''' ||челек'''тен''' ||кол'''дон''' ||баш'''тан''' ||туз'''дан''' ||көз'''дөн'''
|}

Normally the decision between the [[velar consonant|velar]] ({{IPA|[ɡ ~ ɣ]}}, {{IPA|[k]}}) and [[uvular consonant|uvular]] ({{IPA|[ɢ ~ ʁ]}} and {{IPA|[χ ~ q]}}) pronunciation of {{angle bracket|г}} and {{angle bracket|к}} is based on the backness of the following vowel—i.e. [[back vowel]]s imply a uvular rendering and [[front vowel]]s imply a velar rendering—and the vowel in suffixes is decided based on the preceding vowel in the word. However, with the dative suffix in Kyrgyz, the vowel is decided normally, but the decision between velars and uvulars can be decided based on a contacting consonant, for example банк /bank/ 'bank' + GA yields банкка {{IPA|/bankka/}}, not {{IPA|/bankqa/}} as predicted by the following vowel.

=== Pronouns ===
Kyrgyz has eight personal pronouns:

{|class="wikitable"
|+ Personal pronouns
|-
! colspan="2" | 
! singular
! plural
|-
! colspan="2" | 1st person
| Мен (Men)
| Биз (Biz)
|-
! rowspan="2" | 2nd person
! {{small|informal}}
| Сен (Sen) || Силер (Siler)
|-
! {{small|formal}}
| Сиз (Siz) || Сиздер (Sizder)
|-
! colspan="2" | 3rd person
| Ал (Al) || Алар (Alar)
|}

The declension of the pronouns is outlined in the following chart. Singular pronouns (with the exception of сиз, which used to be plural) exhibit irregularities, while plural pronouns don't. Irregular forms are highlighted in bold.

{|class="wikitable"
|+Declension of pronouns
! rowspan="3" |
! colspan="4" | Singular
! colspan="4" | Plural
|-
! rowspan="2" | 1st
! colspan="2" | 2nd
! rowspan="2" | 3rd
! rowspan="2" | 1st
! colspan="2" | 2nd
! rowspan="2" | 3rd
|-
! {{small|informal}} !! {{small|formal}}
! {{small|informal}} !! {{small|formal}}
|-
!Nom
|мен||сен||сиз||ал||биз||силер||сиздер||алар
|-
!Acc
|'''мени'''||'''сени'''||сизди||'''аны'''||бизди||силерди||сиздерди||аларды
|-
!Gen
|'''менин'''||'''сенин'''||сиздин||'''анын'''||биздин||силердин||сиздердин||алардын
|-
!Dat
|'''мага'''||'''сага'''||сизге||'''ага'''||бизге||силерге||сиздерге||аларга
|-
!Loc
|менде||сенде||сизде||анда||бизде||силерде||сиздерде||аларда
|-
!Abl
|менден||сенден||сизден||андан||бизден||силерден||сиздерден||алардан
|}

In addition to the pronouns, there are several more sets of morphemes dealing with person.

{|class="wikitable"
|+Morphemes indicating person
! colspan="2" | ||pronouns||copulas||present tense||possessive endings||past/conditional||imperative
|-
! colspan="2" |1st sg
|мен||-mIn||-mIn||-(I)m||-(I)m||-AyIN
|-
! rowspan="2" | 2nd sg
! {{small|informal}}
|сен||-sIŋ||-sIŋ||-(I)ŋ||-(I)ŋ||—, -GIn
|-
! {{small|formal}}
|сиз||-sIz||-sIz||-(I)ŋIz||-(I)ŋIz||-GIlA
|-
! colspan="2" |3rd sg
|ал||—||-t||-(s)I(n)||—||-sIn
|-
! colspan="2" |1st pl
|биз||-BIz|| -BIz ||-(I)bIz||-(I)K||-AyIK
|-
! rowspan="2" | 2nd pl
! {{small|informal}}
|силер||-sIŋAr||-sIŋAr||-(I)ŋAr||-(I)ŋAr||
|-
! {{small|formal}}
|сиздер||-sIzdAr||-sIzdAr||-(I)ŋIzdAr||-(I)nIzdAr||
|-
! colspan="2" |3rd pl
|алар||—||-(I)şAt||-(s)I(n)||—||-sIn, -IşsIn
|}

=== Verbs ===
Verbs are conjugated by analyzing the root verb: 1) determine whether the end letter is a vowel or consonant 2) add appropriate suffix while following vowel-harmony/shift rules.
{| class="wikitable"
|+Simple present tense conjugations (Peace Corps)
! colspan="2" |
!Per. Pronoun
!Vowel 
!Consonant
|-
! colspan="2" |1st sg
|Мен
| -м
| -м
|-
! rowspan="2" | 2nd pl
! {{small|informal}}
|Сен
| -йс<ң
| -йс<ң
|-
! {{small|formal}}
|Сиз
| -йс<з
| -йс<з
|-
! colspan="2" |3rd sg
|Ал
| -йт
| -йт
|-
! colspan="2" |1st pl
|Биз
| -йб>з
| -<б>з
|-
! rowspan="2" | 2nd pl
! {{small|informal}}
|Силер
|
|
|-
! {{small|formal}}
|Сиздер
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" |3rd pl
|Алар
|
|
|}

==== Subordinate clauses ====
To form [[complement clause]]s, Kyrgyz nominalises verb phrases. For example, "I don't know what I saw" would be:
{{fs interlinear|indent=3
|Мен эмнени көргөнүмдү билбейм
|Men emneni körgönümdü bilbeym
|I what-ACC.DEF see-ing-1SG-ACC.DEF know-NEG-1SG
| roughly "I don't know my having seen what," where the verb phrase "I saw what" is treated as a nominal object of the verb "to know."}}

The sentence above is also an excellent example of Kyrgyz vowel harmony; notice that all the vowel sounds are front vowels.

Several nominalisation strategies are used depending on the temporal properties of the relativised verb phrase: -GAn(dIK) for general past tense, -AAr for future/potential unrealised events, and -A turgan(dɯq) for non-perfective events are the most common. The copula has an irregular relativised form экен(дик) which may be used equivalently to forms of the verb бол- ''be'' (болгон(дук), болор). Relativised verb forms may, and often do, take nominal possessive endings as well as case endings.

== Sample text ==
Article 1 of the [[Universal Declaration of Human Rights]]:<ref>[http://wikisource.org/wiki/Адам_укуктарынын_жалпы_декларациясы Kyrgyz edition of Universal Declaration of Human Rights]</ref>

; Cyrillic script: {{lang|ky|Бардык адамдар өз беделинде жана укуктарында эркин жана тең укуктуу болуп жаралат. Алардын аң-сезими менен абийири бар жана бири-бирине бир туугандык мамиле кылууга тийиш.}}
; Arabic script: <span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.35;" dir="rtl">{{Lang|ky-Arab|باردىق ادامدار ۅز بەدەلينده جانا وُقوُقتارىندا ەرکین جانا تەڭ ۇقۇقتۇۇ بولۇپ جارالات. الاردىن اڭ-سەزیمی مەنەن ابئییری بار جانا بئرى-بئرینه بئر توُوُعاندىق مامئلە قىلوُوُعا تئییش. }}</span>
; Latin script: {{lang|ky-Latn|Bardyk adamdar öz bedelinde jana ukuktarynda erkin jana teng ukuktuu bolup jaralat. Alardyn ang-sezimi menen abiiri bar jana biri-birine bir tuugandyk mamile kyluuga tiish. }}
; IPA transcription: {{IPA|[bɑɾˈdɯq ɑdɑmˈdɑɾ øz bedelɪnˈde d͡ʒɑˈnɑ uquqtɑɾɯnˈdɑ eɾˈkin d͡ʒɑˈnɑ teŋ uquqˈtuː boˈɫup d͡ʒɑɾɑˈɫɑt ‖ ɑɫɑɾˈdɯn ɑɴ‿seziˈmi meˈnen ɑβijiˈɾi bɑr d͡ʒɑˈnɑ biɾi‿βiɾiˈne biɾ tuːʁɑnˈdɯq mamiˈle qɯɫuːˈʁɑ tiˈjiɕ ‖]}}
; English translation: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

==See also==
*[[BGN/PCGN romanization of Kyrgyz]]
*[[Kyrgyz people]]
*[[Romanization of Kyrgyz]]

==Notes==
{{notelist-lr}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
* {{citation
|last=Kara
|first=Dávid Somfai
|title=Kyrgyz
|year=2003
|publisher=Lincom Europa
|isbn=978-3-89586-843-6
}}
* Krippes, Karl A. (1998). ''Kyrgyz: Kyrgyz-English/English-Kyrgyz: Glossary of Terms''. Hippocrene Books, New York. {{ISBN|978-0-7818-0641-1}}.
* Library of Congress, Country Studies, Kyrgyzstan.
* Comrie, Bernard. 1983. ''The languages of the Soviet Union''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
* Beckwith, Christopher I. 1987/1993. "The Tibetan Empire in Central Asia." Princeton: Princeton University Press.
* Tchoroev, Tyntchtykbek. 2003. The Kyrgyz.; in: The History of Civilisations of Central Asia, Vol. 5, Development in contrast: from the sixteenth to the mid-nineteenth century /Editors: Ch. Adle and Irfan Habib. Co-editor: Karl M. Baipakov. – UNESCO Publishing. Multiple History Series. Paris. – Chapter  4, p.&nbsp;109–125. ({{ISBN|978-92-3-103876-1}}).
* {{citation
|last=Washington
|first=Jonathan North
|year=2006b
|title=Root Vowels and Affix Vowels: Height Effects in Kyrgyz Vowel Harmony
|url=http://jnw.name/papers/2006wi-kgvowels.pdf
|access-date=2007-04-12
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070113052100/http://jnw.name/papers/2006wi-kgvowels.pdf
|archive-date=2007-01-13
|url-status=dead
}}
* {{citation
|last=Washington
|first=Jonathan North
|year=2007
|title=Phonetic and Phonological Problems in Kyrgyz: A Fulbrighter's plans for gathering data in the field
|url=http://jnw.name/papers/2007su-kyrgyz_handout.pdf
|access-date=2015-06-29
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113003703/http://jnw.name/papers/2007su-kyrgyz_handout.pdf
|archive-date=2016-01-13
|url-status=dead
}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{InterWiki|code=ky}}

{{Wikivoyage|Kyrgyz phrasebook|Kyrgyz|a phrasebook}}
{{commons category}}
* [https://konyvtar.uni-pannon.hu/doktori/2023/Askarbek_Mambetaliev_dissertation.pdf Language Policies, Attitudes, and Beliefs in Kyrgyzstan]
* [https://el-sozduk.kg/ El-Sozduk – English-Kyrgyz online dictionary, phrasebook, Android app]
* [https://www.academia.edu/27246121/Vitality_of_the_Kyrgyz_Language_in_Bishkek Ferdinand, S. & Komlósi, F. 2016. Vitality of the Kyrgyz Language in Bishkek]. IJORS, 5/2, pp.&nbsp;210–226.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110605042652/http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/Profile.aspx?LangID=62&menu=004 Kyrgyz language]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070113052100/http://jnw.name/papers/2006wi-kgvowels.pdf Root Vowels and Affix Vowels: Height Effects in Kyrgyz Vowel Harmony]
* {{in lang|ja}} "[https://web.archive.org/web/20041122163308/http://www.jica.go.jp/branch/hiro/jigyo/pdf/study_kyr.pdf 事前学習補助教材Кыргыз тили （キルギス語）]" (Kyrgyz exercises; [http://web.archive.org/web/20041122163308/http://www.jica.go.jp/branch/hiro/jigyo/pdf/study_kyr.pdf Archive]) - [[Japan International Cooperation Agency]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20101130161232/http://sras.org/english_kyrgyz_phrasebook The Talking Kyrgyz Phrasebook]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080512160321/http://kyrgyz.lugovsa.net/index.htm Кыргыз тили] – Kyrgyz language resources (in Russian)
* [http://translit.kerben.org/ Кербен Translit] – Easy Kyrgyz-Cyrillic–Latin converter
* [http://www.transliteration.kpr.eu/ky/ Kyrgyz Cyrillic–Arabic–Latin converter]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120215014904/http://akipress.org/dic/ Kyrgyz–Russian–English Dictionary]
* [http://literatura.kg/articles/?aid=620/ Kyrgyz Latin Alphabet]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120223055303/http://www.gaspirali.net/ky/sozluk/ Kyrgyz-Turkish Dictionary]
* [https://pauctle.com/kgtr/ Kyrgyz<>Turkish dictionary] (Pamukkale University)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20091211052725/http://inostran.org/idiom.php?l=kyr Russian-Kyrgyz Kyrgyz-Russian Dictionary]
* [http://wiki.apertium.org/wiki/Kyrgyz Kyrgyz – Apertium]

{{Languages of Kyrgyzstan}}
{{Languages of Afghanistan}}
{{Languages of Pakistan}}
{{Languages of China}}
{{Turkic languages}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kyrgyz Language}}
[[Category:Kyrgyz language| ]]
[[Category:Agglutinative languages]]
[[Category:Vowel-harmony languages]]
[[Category:Turkic languages]]
[[Category:Languages of China]]
[[Category:Languages of Kyrgyzstan]]
[[Category:Languages of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Languages of Russia]]
[[Category:Languages of Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Turkic languages of Afghanistan]]
[[Category:Languages of Uzbekistan]]
[[Category:Languages of Tajikistan]]
[[Category:Languages of Turkey]]
[[Category:Ethnic Kyrgyz people]]
[[Category:Subject–object–verb languages]]