Historical Stages of the Gagauz People and Factors in the Formation of Their Language

Abstract

The article is devoted to the history of the ethnic formation of the Gagauz people, the origin and developmental features of their language, as well as the influence of other languages that affected the Gagauz language at various historical stages. Scientific views on the formation of the Gagauz people are comparatively analyzed, and the substantiated aspects of different hypotheses are highlighted. The works of numerous scholars are examined, and historical documents are taken into consideration.

It is well known that as a result of long-term residence in diverse linguistic environments shaped by historical, political, and cultural interactions, the Gagauz language has been influenced by Bulgarian, Romanian, Greek, Moldovan, Russian, as well as Arabic-Persian languages. These linguistic influences are particularly evident in the lexical layer, religious terminology, and administrative-political nomenclature. Based on factual data, it is shown that until the mid-twentieth century, lacking a writing system and alphabet, the Gagauz people were able to preserve their rich literary heritage exclusively through oral tradition.

The main aim of the study is to describe the process of formation of the Gagauz people and their language from historical, ethnolinguistic, and comparative-linguistic perspectives. Within this framework, established scholarly views on the ethnogenesis of the Gagauz are systematized, their connections with Oghuz tribes, migration routes to the Balkan region, and socio-historical conditions are clarified.

Although some scholars express differing opinions regarding the origin of the Gagauz people, the article demonstrates—on the basis of linguistic evidence—the place of the Gagauz language within the system of Turkic languages, its Turkic foundation, and its affiliation with the Oghuz group of languages.

The study also analyzes the current linguistic situation of the Gagauz language, alongside pressing issues related to its preservation, development, and future in the context of multilingualism and globalization. It is determined that as a result of long-term historical language contact, certain contact-induced features have emerged in the Gagauz language; nevertheless, its core grammatical system has remained largely close to that of Turkic languages.