Affricates in the Kazakh Dialect of the Western Group of the Azerbaijani Language

Abstract

The phonetic system of the Azerbaijani language, particularly at the dialectal level, is important for studying linguistic diversity and language development. In Standard Azerbaijani, affricates are limited to two types — [č] (voiceless) and [ǯ] (voiced) — which are used in all speech positions and morphological forms. However, the Qazakh dialect of the Western group of Azerbaijani has two additional affricates: [c] and [ȝ]. These affricates do not appear in Standard Azerbaijani and are exclusively used in dialectal speech. They occur in various word positions and suffixes, emphasising their functional significance at the dialectal level.

Researchers suggest that the emergence of these sounds is associated with historical-linguistic influences, particularly contact with Khazars, Kipchaks, Mongols and Caucasian languages. The Qazakh dialect also exhibits chain transformations of affricates, whereby sibilant affricates [č] and [ǯ] shift to their non-sibilant counterparts [c] and [ȝ]. These changes have led to the formation of numerous regional variants and parallel phonemic systems, demonstrating the rich and multilayered nature of Azerbaijani phonetics and dialectology. Affricates such as [c] and [ȝ] are not just dialectal phenomena; they also reflect significant ethno-linguistic and historical processes, broadening our understanding of the development and regional diversity of the Azerbaijani language.