Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ortatil?
Ortatil is the most easily understandable communication language for all Muslim Turkic-speaking peoples.
Which Turkic languages are accepted as the basis?
The languages are divided into 3 dialect groups: Oghuz, Karluk, and Kipchak.
- Oghuz group
- Turkish language
- Azerbaijani language
- Turkmen language
- Crimean Tatar language
- Karluk group
- Uzbek language
- Uyghur language
- Kipchak group
- Kazakh language
- Kyrgyz language
- Karakalpak language
- Tatar language
- Bashkir language
- Karachay-Balkar language
- Kumyk language
- Nogai language
Why were mainly Muslim-populated Turkic languages chosen?
Muslim Turkic peoples have been under the strong influence of Arabic and Persian languages, and the share of loanwords from these languages exceeds 50%. If we were to include the languages of non-Muslim peoples such as Chuvash or Sakha (Yakut), the intelligibility level of Ortatil could decrease significantly.
Is Ortatil an artificial language?
This question can be answered with both "yes" and "no." There is no element in Ortatil that does not exist in other Turkic languages. At the same time, it does not fully coincide with any of the existing languages and is currently no one's native language. It can be compared to a literary language as an intermediate standard accepted by society.
How is Ortatil formed?
The project consists of five stages:
- Forming language groups.
- Selecting the alphabet and phonemes (phonetics, orthography).
- Selecting grammatical rules (morphology, syntax).
- Selecting vocabulary (semantics).
- Translating one literary book from each Turkic language.
Why was one of the existing Turkic languages not chosen?
Previously, there were debates regarding the choice of an intermediary language. For example:
- Accepting the Turkish language as a communication language because it has the largest number of speakers.
- Making the Azerbaijani language a common language because it is considered the most easily understandable language for other Turkic-speaking peoples.
- Using the Khorezm dialect of the Uzbek language, which combines elements of Oghuz and Karluk dialects.
Unfortunately, in the modern era, some Turkic peoples do not feel themselves to be "Turk." That is why we use the word "Turkic" (türki), which passed from the Persian language. Attempts to name it "Uzbek Turkic language" or "Kazakh Turkic language" were not successful. It is difficult, perhaps impossible, to get other Turkic peoples to voluntarily accept the Turkish language.
Most Turkic peoples were under the oppression of the Russian Empire, and the Russian language was forced upon them. The forced imposition of the Turkish language could create unpleasant associations related to past oppression.
Therefore, the most correct path is to create a common, understandable, and neutral communication language.
Is Ortatil a new idea?
No, the idea of creating a common language existed before, especially during the Jadidist period. For example, Ismail Gasprinsky's JALPI project in 1839. At that time, the lack of development in information technologies hindered the language from becoming widely known.
Modern information technologies make it possible to implement this project, insha'Allah.