Status of Kazakh Language in Mongolia

Abstract

Kazakh people settled in the territories of present-day western Mongolia about three centuries ago. Over time their language has diverged from that spoken in Kazakhstan. In the more recent period, external migration to Kazakhstan has caused a significant reduction in the number of Kazakhs residing in Mongolia, while domestic migration resulted in about 25% of the remaining population scattering unevenly across the country. Both of these phenomena affected and still affect the number of speakers, the language function, the intergenerational transmission and thus, language preservation. This article presents the results of research on the endangerment level of the Kazakh language in Mongolia, investigating its causes and trends in the country’s many speakers’ communities.