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Moksha
Мокшень кяль / mokšenj kälj
Spoken in	Russia and as a minority language also in Armenia, Australia and the United States
Region	European Russia
Total speakers	~500,000
Language family	Uralic Finno-Ugric Finno-Permic Finno-Volgaic Mordvinic Moksha
Official status
Official language in	Mordovia (Russia)
Regulated by	Mordovian Research Institute of Language, Literature, History and Economics
Language codes
ISO 639-1	None
ISO 639-2	mdf
ISO 639-3	mdf
Note: This page may contain IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode.

The Moksha language (Moksha: мокшень кяль) is a member of the Finno-Volgaic subdivision of the Uralic languages with about 500,000 native speakers. Moksha is the majority language in the western part of Mordovia.^[1] Its closest relative is the Erzya language, although they are not mutually intelligible. Moksha is also considered to be closely related to the extinct Meshcherian and Muromian languages. There are presently six dialects of Moksha: Central, Western (or Zubu dialect), South-Western, Northern, South-Eastern and Southern.

Official status

Moksha is one of the three official languages in Mordovia. The right to one's own language is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Mordovia Republic^[2]. However, there is no special language law regulating the use of Moksha. Courts and other governmental agencies in Mordovia conduct their proceedings and issue official documents in Moksha, Erzya, and Russian.

Phonology

Characteristic features of Moksha is agglutinative morphology; due to the extensive use of the latter, words can be quite long. Now it is considered Moksha lost vowel harmony.

The main stress is always on the first syllable. Stress does not cause any measurable modifications in vowel quality. However, stress is not strong and words appear evenly stressed.

There are eight vowels, whose lexical and grammatical role is highly important, and which are unusually strictly controlled, so that there is almost no allophony. Vowels shown in the table below, followed by the IPA symbol when not identical. These are always different phonemes in the initial syllable; for noninitial syllable, see morphophonology below.

Vowels:

There are 33 consonants in Moksha language. Palatalization, characteristic of Finno-Ugric languages, is contrastive for alveolar consonants; there is also a palatalized postalveolar affricate lacking a corresponding non-palatalized affricate, but the corresponding fricatives lack palatalization.

Consonants:

Writing system

The Mokshan logographic script is a now obsolete writing system based on glyphs representing objects, concepts, activity, places or events. It was in use before Christianization and remained popular till the beginning of the 20th century^{[3][4][5] [6] [7] [8]}.

Obsolete Mokshan writing system glyphs

Moksha is written using the Cyrillic alphabet with spelling rules identical with that of Russian and as a consequence of that vowels e, ä, ə are not indicated in a consistent way ^[9]. The Moksha version of the Cyrillic alphabet has several extra letters, either digraphs or single letters with diacritics^[10]. Although the use of the Latin alphabet for Moksha was officially approved by the CIK VCKNA (General Executive Committee of the All Union New Alphabet Central Committee) on June 25, 1932, it was never implemented.

Mokshan Latin alphabet 1930s

Mokshan Cyrillic alphabet 1924-1927

SIL code: MDF

ISO 639-2: mdf

• Latin alphabet (1930s): A/a, B/в, C/c, Ç/ç, D/d, Ə/ә, E/e, F/f, G/g, Y/y, I/i, J/j, K/k, L/l, M/m, N/n, O/o, P/p, R/r, S/s, Ş/ş, T/t, U/u, V/v, X/x, Z/z, ƶ, ь, rx, lh

• Cyrillic alphabet for Russian: А/а, Б/б, В/в, Г/г, Д/д, Е/е, Ё/ё, Ж/ж, З/з, И/и, Й/й, К/к, Л/л, М/м, Н/н, О/о, П/п, Р/р, С/с, Т/т, У/у, Ф/ф, Х/х, Ц/ц, Ч/ч, Ш/ш, Щ/щ, Ъ/ъ, Ы/ы, Ь/ь, Э/э, Ю/ю, Я/я

• Alternative Latin alphabet: Aa, Ää, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww, Xx, Yy, Zz

Pronunciation of the Cyrillic alphabet

Literature

Before 1917 about 100 books and pamphlets mostly of religious character were published. More than 200 manuscripts including at least 50 wordlists were not printed. In 19th century the Russian Orthodox Missionary Society in Kazan published Moksha primers and elementary textbooks of the Russian language for the Mokshas. Among them were two fascicles with samples of Moksha folk poetry. The great native scholar Makar Evsevyev collected Moksha folk songs published in one volume in 1897. Early in the Soviet period, social and political literature predominated among published works. Printing of Moksha language books was all done in Moscow until the establishment of the Mordvinian national district in 1928. Official conferences in 1928 and 1935 decreed the northwest dialect to be the basis for the literary language.

Common expressions (Moksha-Russian-English)

• И́на/Ina – Да - Yes
• Э́ле/Elä – Да - Yes
• Пара/Para – Ладно. - Good
• Аф/Af – Не. - Not.
• Аш/Ash – Нет. - No.
• Шумбра́т!/Shumbrat! – Здравствуй! - Hello! (addressing one person)
• Шумбра́тада! /Shumbratada! – Здравствуйте! - Hello! (addressing more than one person)
• Сюк(пря)! /Sjuk(prä)! – Привет! ("поклон"), Добро пожаловать! - Hi! (Welcome!)
• Ульхть шумбра́!/Ulxtj shumbra! – Будь здоров! – Take care!
• У́леда шумбра́т!/Uläda shumbrat! – Будьте здоровы! – Take care (to many)!
• Ко́да те́фне?/Koda tefnä? – Как дела? – How are your things getting on/How are you?
• Ко́да э́рят?/Koda erjat? – Как поживаешь? – How do you do?
• Лац! Це́бярьста!/Lats! Tsebärjsta! – Неплохо! Замечательно! – Fine! Very good!
• Ня́емозонк!/Näemazonk! – До свидания! – Good bye!
• Ва́ндыс!/Vandis! – До завтра! – See you tomorrow!
• Шумбра́ста па́чкодемс!/Shumbrasta pachkadäms! – Счастливого пути! – Have a good trip/flight!
• Па́ра а́зан /Para azan – Благодарю – Thank you
  • - ле́здоманкса!/ - lezdamanksa! – за помощь!– for help/assistance!
  • - се́мбонкса!/ - sembänksa! – за всё! – for everything!
• Аш ме́зенкса!/Ash mezänksa! – Не за что! – Not at all!
• Прости́ндамак!/Prostindamak! – Извини! – I'm sorry!
• Прости́ндамасть!/Prostindamastj! – Извините! – I'm sorry (to many)!
• Тят кя́жиякшне!/Tät käzhijakshnä! – Не сердись! – I didn't mean to hurt you!
• Ужя́ль!/Uzhälj! – Жаль! – It's a pity!
• Ко́да тонь ле́мце?/Koda tonj lemtsä? - Как тебя зовут? - What is your name?
• Монь ле́мозе/Monj lemazä.. – Меня зовут.. – My name is..
• Мъзя́ра тейть ки́зода?/Mezjara tejtj kizada? - Сколько тебе лет? - How old are you?
• Мъзя́ра тейнза ки́зода?/Mezjara tejnza kizada? - Сколько ему (ей) лет? - How old is he (she)?
• Те́йне ... ки́зот./Tejnä ... kizat. - Мне ... лет. - I'm ... years old.
• Те́йнза ... ки́зот./Tejnza ... kizat. - Ему (ей) ... лет. - He (she) is ... years old.
• Мярьк сува́мс?/Märjk suvams? – Разреши войти? – May I come in?
• Мярьк о́замс?/Märjk ozams? – Разреши сесть? – May I have a seat?
• О́зак./Ozak. – Присаживайся. – Take a seat.
• О́зада./Ozada. – Присаживайтесь. – Take a seat (to more than one person).
• Учт аф ла́мос./Ucht af lamas. – Подожди немного. – Please wait a little.
• Мярьк та́ргамс?/Märjk targams? – Разреши закурить? – May I have a smoke?
• Та́ргак./Targak. – Кури(те). – You may smoke.
• Та́ргада./Targada. – Курите. – You may smoke (to more than one person).
• Аф, э́няльдян, тят та́рга./Af, enäljdän, tät targa. – Нет, пожалуйста, не кури. – Please, don't smoke.
• Ко́рхтак аф ламода сяда кайгиста (сяда валомне)./Korxtak af lamada säda kajgista (säda valomnä). – Говори немного погромче (тише). – Please speak a bit louder (lower).
• Аст ни́нге весть./Ast ningä vestj. – Повтори ещё раз. – Repeat one more time.
• Га́йфтек те́йне./Gajftäk tejnä. - Позвони мне. - Call me.
• Га́йфтеда те́йне./Gajftäda tejnä. - Позвоните мне. - Call me (to more than one person).
• Га́йфтек те́йне сяда ме́ле./Gajftäk tejnä säda melä. - Перезвоните мне позже. - Call me later.
• Сува́к./Suvak. - Войди. - Come in.
• Сува́да./Suvada. - Войдите. - Come in (to many).
• Ётак./Jotak. - Проходи. - Enter.
• Ётада./Jotada. - Проходите. - Enter (to many).
• Ша́чема ши́цень ма́рхта! /Shachäma shitsänj marxta! – С днём рождения! – Happy Birthday!
• А́рьсян тейть па́ваз!/Arjsän tejtj pavaz! – Желаю тебе счастья! – I wish you happiniess!
• А́рьсян тейть о́цю сатфкст! /Arjsän tejtj otsu satvkst! – Желаю тебе больших успехов! – I wish you great success!
• Тонь шумбраши́цень и́нкса!/Tonj shumbrashitsänj inksa! – За твое здоровье! – Your health!
• Од Ки́за ма́рхта!/Od Kiza marxta! – С Новым годом! – Happy New Year!
• Ро́штува ма́рхта!/Roshtuva marxta! – С Рождеством! – Happy Christmas!
• То́ньге ста́не! /Tonjgä stanä! – Тебя также! – Same to you!

See also

• Mokshan numeric system

References

Bibliography

• Черапкин И.Г. Мокша-мордовско – русский словарь. Саранск, 1933
• Juhász Jenő. Moksa-Mordvin szójegyzék. Budapest, 1961
• Paasonen H. Mordwinisches worterbuch, Helsinki SU Seura, 1990-1998
• Ермушкин Г.И. Ареальные исследования по восточным финно-угорским языкам (Areal research in East Fenno-Ugric languages). Москва, 1984
• Аитов Г. 'Новый алфавит - великая революция на Востоке. К межрайонным и краевой конференции по вопросам нового алфавита. Саратов, Нижневолжское краевое издательство, 1932. 73 с.
• Denis Sinor, The Uralic Languages: Description, History and Foreign Influences

External links