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{{Infobox language
|name=Khazar
|region=[[Khazar Khanate]]
|extinct=by the 13th century
|familycolor=Altaic
|fam1=[[Turkic languages|Turkic]]
|fam2=[[Oghur languages|Oghur]]?
|script=[[Old Turkic alphabet|Old Turkic]]
|iso3=zkz
|linglist=zkz
|glotto=none
}}
'''''Khazar''''', also known as ''Khazaric'' or ''Khazaris'', was the dialect spoken by the [[Khazars]], a group of semi-[[nomadic]] [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] originating from Central Asia. There are few written records of the language, and it is regarded as extinct. Khazar was a [[Turkic language]]; however, there is a dispute among scholars as to which branch of the Turkic language family it belongs. One consideration believes it belongs to the [[Lir-Turkic|Oghur ("lir")]] branch of the Turkic language family, while another consideration is that it belongs to the [[Shaz-Turkic|Oghuz ("shaz")]] branch.

==Classification==
[[Image:Signature Kiev letter.gif|right|thumb|250px|The 10th century [[Kievian Letter]] has [[Orkhon script|Orkhon]] inscription word-phrase ''OKHQURÜM'', "I read (this or it)".]]

There are many problems with exact classification of the Khazar language. One of the basic issues is the vague nature of the name ''Khazar'' itself. It has not yet been determined whether it refers to a specific Turkish tribe, or if it had a political and geographical origin that was not ethnolinguistic.{{sfn|Golden|2011|p=224}} The Khazar realm was a polyglot (multi lingual ) and polyethnic (multicultural) state, with Iranian, Finnic, Ugric, Slavic, and North Caucasian languages.{{sfn|Golden|2011|p=151}} According to anthropological data, it was ruled by Inner Asian Mongoloid (with some Europoid somatic elements) core tribes that accompanied the dynasty.{{sfn|Golden|2011|p=224}}{{sfn|Golden|1992|p=235}} The Turkic tribes probably spoke a number of Turkic languages.{{sfn|Golden|2011|p=151, 224}} Scholars considered it a possibility that the term ''Khazar'' denoted one or even several languages; however, the sources cannot determine the extent of its use.{{sfn|Golden|2011|p=225}}

Chronicles of the time are unclear on Khazar's linguistic affiliation. The tenth century [[Estakhri|Al-Istakhri]] wrote two conflicting notices: "''the language of the Khazars is different than the language of the Turks and the Persians, nor does a tongue of (any) group of humanity have anything in common with it and the language of the [[Bulgars]] is like the language of the Khazars, but the [[Burtas]] have another language.''"{{sfn|Golden|2011|p=225}} Al-Istakhri mentioned that population of [[Derbent|Darband]] spoke Khazar along with other languages of their mountains.{{sfn|Golden|2011|p=226}} [[Al-Masudi]] listed Khazars among types of the Turks, and noted they are called ''[[Sabir people|Sabir]]'' in Turkic and ''Xazar'' in Persian.{{sfn|Golden|2011|p=225}} [[Al-Biruni]], while discussing the Volga Bulgars and Sawars (Sabirs), noted their language was a "''mixture of Turkic and Khazar.''"{{sfn|Golden|2011|p=226}}{{sfn|Golden|1992|p=235}} [[Al-Muqaddasi]] described the Khazar language as "''very incomprehensible.''"{{sfn|Golden|2011|p=226}}

Compared to the uniformity of Common Turkic, which Al-Istakhri mentioned "''as for the Turks, all of them, from the [[Toquz Oghuz]], [[Kyrgyz people|Qirgiz]], [[Kimek tribe|Kimek]], [[Oghuz Turks|Oguz]], [[Karluks|Qarluq]], their language is one. They understand one another; even if Khazar belonged or was similar to Oghuro-Bulgaric languages, it was distinctly different.{{sfn|Golden|2011|p=227}}

The linguistic data consists of Khazar titles ([[Bey|Beg]], [[Baliqchi|Bolušči]], [[Ishad]], [[Elteber|Il-teber/El-teber]], [[Khagan|Qağan]], [[Kündür|Kündü Qağan]], [[Jawyshyghr|Jâwšîġr]], [[Tarkhan|Tarxan]], [[Tudun]], [[Yabgu]], Yilig/Yelig), anthroponyms (Itaq), and toponyms ([[Sarkel|Sarkel/Šarkil]], [[Saqsin|Sarığšın/Sarığčın]]), mostly of Turkic origin.{{sfn|Golden|1992|p=234–235}}{{sfn|Golden|2011|p=227–239}} The interpretations do not indicate whether these are Common Turkic or Oghuric.{{sfn|Golden|2011|p=150}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist|2}}

;Sources
*{{cite book |last=Golden |first=Peter Benjamin |author-link=Peter Benjamin Golden |date=1992 |title=An introduction to the History of the Turkic peoples: ethnogenesis and state formation in medieval and early modern Eurasia and the Middle East |url=http://www.academia.edu/12545004/An_Introduction_to_the_History_of_the_Turkic_Peoples |publisher=[[Harrassowitz Verlag|Otto Harrassowitz]] |place=[[Wiesbaden]] |isbn=9783447032742 |ref={{harvid|Golden1992}}}}
*{{cite book |last=Golden |first=Peter B. |author-link=Peter Benjamin Golden |date=2011 |title=Studies on the Peoples and Cultures of the Eurasian Steppes |url=http://www.academia.edu/9609971/Studies_on_the_Peoples_and_Cultures_of_the_Eurasian_Steppes |publisher=Editura Academiei Române; Editura Istros a Muzeului Brăilei |isbn=9789732721520 |ref={{harvid|Golden2011}}}}

==External links==
*[http://www.khazaria.com Khazaria.com]

{{Turkic languages}}
{{Khazaria}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khazar Language}}
[[Category:Khazars]]
[[Category:Agglutinative languages]]
[[Category:Oghur languages]]
[[Category:Medieval languages]]
[[Category:Extinct languages of Asia]]
[[Category:Extinct languages of Europe]]

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