알타이언어의 새로운 연구 방향에 대하여 = A New Direction of Research on Altaic Languages

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The Altaic languages (also called the Altaic language family from a different point of view) includes three language branches: Turkic, Mongolic, and Manchu-Tungusic. Until recently, the viewpoint of Altaic language research in Korea has been solely directed towards the genealogical study of the Korean language. That is, they have tried to work out the relationship between Korean and the Altaic languages through comparative study, with a speculation that the language from which Korean developed is in relation with the Altaic Languages. Although such research yielded achievements to some extent, the question of whether to classify Korean into Altaic remains unanswered. Besides, the research in which they suggest the possibility that the Altaic language family itself might not have existed, is rather gaining significant supports among scholars.
In this study, we emphasize that we aim to conduct research on the Altaic languages from a new angle with the results of previous research at its foundation. We view dead languages or endangered ones with a small number of speakers as one aspect of the critical situation where humanity is losing its cultural diversity. Quite a number of the Altaic languages, particularly most of the Manchu-Tungusic branch are facing extinction. Linguistic societies around the world today are raising efforts to document endangered languages. Linguists in Korea, too, will have to be actively involved in fulfilling the task.
We present here research direction for the future under the guidance of our fieldwork experience of two Manchu-Tungusic languages that have become vulnerable to loss. One of the findings is from Ewen, in which its word structure reflects a very interesting cultural background. Spoken Manchu as well provides a typical characteristics of endangered languages; it is observed as being significantly influenced by Chinese on its phonetic, and phonological grammar. Research on these Altaic languages is also a contribution to general linguistics, since the Altaic languages are virtually the least studied languages on earth.
Korean linguists will have to put in all their effort to stop languages―the most valuable cultural property of mankind―from disappearing, by making records of languages that are falling out of use, and teaching those languages in order to save them from vanishment. In this way, we will achieve two goals at the same time. Namely, the first one is that we participate in the struggle of linguists around the world involved with the documentation of endangered languages. Secondly, we perform a service for future study, by documenting data of the most valuable languages that could shed light on the genealogy of the Korean language.

참고문헌 (Reference)

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