Title: Materials of the tuvinian language in China
Abstract:The Tuvinians of China inhabit the high mountain ridges of the Altai Prefecture, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, along the Chinese-Russian (now Kazakhstan) borders. They live mainly in Xom, Xanas (...The Tuvinians of China inhabit the high mountain ridges of the Altai Prefecture, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, along the Chinese-Russian (now Kazakhstan) borders. They live mainly in Xom, Xanas (Buwirsin County) and Aq Qaba (Qaba County). In addition, a few Tuvinians also live at Temeki (about 6-7 km to the Northwest of Koktoghay County) and at Koksuw of Altai County as well. They have a population of about 2000. Because the Tuvinians wear Mongolian-style robes and believe in Lamaism, in the officiai census they are included among the Mongolians by the local govemment. The local Kazakhs call them Muncaq (or Kok Muncaq), and the Mongols call them Urianghai. They call themselves as D'iba (jurt) or Muncaq. The Tuvinians of China are divided into 7 clans: Qara Soyan, Qizil Soyan, Orasaq, Aq Soyan and Muncaq, etc. The Tuvinians are engaged mainly in animal husbandry and hunting (mostly in winter). The following materials of the Tuvinian language were collected by myself 43 years ago, in October, 1956. In August of 1956 when I met in Urumchi the Mon golist of former S.U. Prof. В. H. Todayeva, who just came back from Tarbaqatai (for investigation of Western Mongolian language), she told me that in the Altai Prefec ture there exists a part of Mongolians speaking a special unknown language. She asked me to clear this question during my investigation of Kazakh dialects there. After finishing the investigation work of Kazakh dialects, I arrived at Buwirsin County at the end of September. We stayed at a place called Chongqur to the North of the centre of the county for making preparation to enter the remote mountain reRead More