@article{ART003206495},
author={陈吉文 and Na, Min Gu},
title={The Evolution of Dungan Language in Central Asia and the Formation of Its Speech Island},
journal={The Journal of Study on Language and Culture of Korea and China},
issn={1738-0502},
year={2025},
number={76},
pages={93-122},
doi={10.16874/jslckc.2025..76.004}
TY - JOUR
AU - 陈吉文
AU - Na, Min Gu
TI - The Evolution of Dungan Language in Central Asia and the Formation of Its Speech Island
JO - The Journal of Study on Language and Culture of Korea and China
PY - 2025
VL - null
IS - 76
PB - Korean Society of Study on Chinese Languge and Culture
SP - 93
EP - 122
SN - 1738-0502
AB - This paper focuses on the diachronic evolution of the Dungan language in Central Asia and the underlying causes behind the formation of its unique cross-border speech islands resulting from migration.
The Dungans are a distinctive ethnic group that traces its roots to late Qing-era Hui Muslims from China’s northwestern provinces, who migrated to regions such as Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan due to ethnic conflict and political upheaval. Over more than a century, they have evolved into a community that embodies both the cultural imprint of northwestern China and the regional characteristics of Central Asia.
Dungan, a Sinitic language of the Sino-Tibetan family, developed from northwestern Chinese dialects. Through the efforts of Dungan scholars, it adopted a unique writing system based on Cyrillic script, which has been preserved and passed down through literary works and cultural practice.
Further analyzes the formation of the Dungan speech island from a language contact perspective. As the Dungan people migrated across borders, their native dialects became geographically and culturally detached from the Chinese linguistic core. Isolation, coupled with endogamous traditions and limited contact with surrounding Russian and Turkic languages, resulted in the emergence of a linguistically enclosed "island"—a dialect enclave evolving in relative independence.
Finally, the paper outlines potential trajectories for the Dungan language, proposing that this case offers valuable insights for the preservation and study of diasporic languages in cross-cultural and multilingual contexts.
KW - Dungan ethnicity;Dungan Language;speech island;Hui ethnic group;northwestern Chinese dialects;Shaanxi-Gansu dialects
DO - 10.16874/jslckc.2025..76.004
ER -
陈吉文 and Na, Min Gu. (2025). The Evolution of Dungan Language in Central Asia and the Formation of Its Speech Island. The Journal of Study on Language and Culture of Korea and China, 76, 93-122.
陈吉文 and Na, Min Gu. 2025, "The Evolution of Dungan Language in Central Asia and the Formation of Its Speech Island", The Journal of Study on Language and Culture of Korea and China, no.76, pp.93-122. Available from: doi:10.16874/jslckc.2025..76.004
陈吉文, Na, Min Gu "The Evolution of Dungan Language in Central Asia and the Formation of Its Speech Island" The Journal of Study on Language and Culture of Korea and China 76 pp.93-122 (2025) : 93.
陈吉文, Na, Min Gu. The Evolution of Dungan Language in Central Asia and the Formation of Its Speech Island. 2025; 76 : 93-122. Available from: doi:10.16874/jslckc.2025..76.004
陈吉文 and Na, Min Gu. "The Evolution of Dungan Language in Central Asia and the Formation of Its Speech Island" The Journal of Study on Language and Culture of Korea and China no.76(2025) : 93-122.doi: 10.16874/jslckc.2025..76.004
陈吉文; Na, Min Gu. The Evolution of Dungan Language in Central Asia and the Formation of Its Speech Island. The Journal of Study on Language and Culture of Korea and China, 76, 93-122. doi: 10.16874/jslckc.2025..76.004
陈吉文; Na, Min Gu. The Evolution of Dungan Language in Central Asia and the Formation of Its Speech Island. The Journal of Study on Language and Culture of Korea and China. 2025; 76 93-122. doi: 10.16874/jslckc.2025..76.004
陈吉文, Na, Min Gu. The Evolution of Dungan Language in Central Asia and the Formation of Its Speech Island. 2025; 76 : 93-122. Available from: doi:10.16874/jslckc.2025..76.004
陈吉文 and Na, Min Gu. "The Evolution of Dungan Language in Central Asia and the Formation of Its Speech Island" The Journal of Study on Language and Culture of Korea and China no.76(2025) : 93-122.doi: 10.16874/jslckc.2025..76.004
