мокшень кяль
Moksha
Uralic (Mordvinic)
Moksha (мокшень кяль mokshen kjal') is one of two Mordvinic Uralic languages alongside Erzya, with ~250K speakers. Both are co-official with Russian in the Republic of Mordovia (capital Saransk), but they are not mutually intelligible despite shared ancestry — they diverged before the medieval period and are now separate written languages. Moksha has more western/southern distribution than Erzya, while Erzya is more east/north. Notable for an unusual reduced-vowel /ə/ phoneme (written ъ in Cyrillic, distinct from Russian usage), 13 grammatical cases, definite/indefinite/possessive declensions, an uvular consonant series, and SOV word order. Cyrillic-based orthography with extra letters since 1922 (with a brief Latin Yañalif phase 1928-37). Literary tradition since 1920s national-revival period. UNESCO classifies as definitely endangered due to ongoing Russification.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Moksha
Water
ведь
/vedʲ/
Fire
тол
/tol/
Sun
ши
/ʃi/
Moon
ков
/kov/
Mother
тядя
/tʲadʲa/
Father
аля
/alʲa/
Eat
ярхцамс
/jarxtsams/
Drink
симомс
/simoms/
Love
кельгома
/kelʲɡoma/
Heart
седи
/sedʲi/
Tree
шуфта
/ʃufta/
House
куд
/kud/
Dog
пине
/pinʲe/
Cat
катка
/katka/
Hand
кядь
/kʲadʲ/
Eye
сельме
/sʲelʲmʲe/
Hello
шумбрат
/ʃumbrat/
Thank you
сюкпря
/sʲukprʲa/
One
фкя
/fkʲa/
Good
цебярь
/tsʲebʲarʲ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Uralic (Mordvinic) languages
| Meaning | Moksha | Erzya | Meadow Mari | Livonian | Skolt Sámi | Hill Mari | Kildin Sámi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ведь /vedʲ/ | ведь /vedʲ/ | вӱд /vyd/ | vež /vɛʒ/ | čääʹcc /tʃæːtsʲː/ | вӹд /vʉd/ | чадзь /tʃadzʲ/ |
| Fire | тол /tol/ | тол /tol/ | тул /tul/ | tūl /tuːl/ | toll /tolː/ | тыл /tɨl/ | тоалл /toallʲ/ |
| Sun | ши /ʃi/ | чи /tʃi/ | кече /ketʃe/ | pǟva /pæːva/ | peeiʹvv /peːjvʲː/ | кечӹ /ketʃʉ/ | пе̄ййв /peːjjv/ |
| Moon | ков /kov/ | ков /kov/ | тылзе /tɨlze/ | kūʼ /kuː/ | mään /mæːn/ | тӹлзӹ /tʉlzʉ/ | ма̄нн /maːnn/ |
| Mother | тядя /tʲadʲa/ | ава /ava/ | ава /ava/ | jemā /jɛmaː/ | jeäʹnn /jæːnʲː/ | ӓвӓ /ævæ/ | е̄ннҍ /jeːnnʲ/ |
| Father | аля /alʲa/ | тетя /tʲetʲa/ | ача /atʃa/ | izā /izaː/ | eeʹǩǩ /eːkʲː/ | ӓтя /ætʲa/ | а̄джь /aːdʒʲ/ |
| Eat | ярхцамс /jarxtsams/ | ярсамс /jarsams/ | кочкаш /kotʃkaʃ/ | sīedõ /siːədə/ | poorrâd /porːad/ | качкаш /katʃkaʃ/ | пӯрраҥе /puːrraŋe/ |
| Drink | симомс /simoms/ | симемс /sʲimems/ | йӱаш /jyaʃ/ | jūodõ /juːədə/ | juukkâd /juːkːad/ | йӱӓш /jyæʃ/ | югкаҥе /jukkaŋe/ |
| Love | кельгома /kelʲɡoma/ | вечкема /vetʃkema/ | йӧратымаш /jøratɨmaʃ/ | ārmaztõ /aːrmastə/ | rääʹǩǩesvuõtt /ræːkʲːesvuɘtː/ | ярататмаш /jaratatmaʃ/ | па̄ллай /paːllaj/ |
| Heart | седи /sedʲi/ | седей /sedej/ | шӱм /ʃym/ | sidām /sidaːm/ | vueʹmm /vuemʲː/ | шӱм /ʃym/ | чӯлм /tʃuːlm/ |
| Tree | шуфта /ʃufta/ | чувто /tʃuvto/ | пушеҥге /puʃeŋɡe/ | pū /puː/ | muõrr /muɔrː/ | пушӓнгӹ /puʃæŋɡʉ/ | муэрр /muerr/ |
| House | куд /kud/ | кудо /kudo/ | пӧрт /pørt/ | kuodā /kuədaː/ | kåʹdd /kɔdʲː/ | пӧрт /pørt/ | пэ̄ҏҏт /peːrrt/ |
| Dog | пине /pinʲe/ | киска /kiska/ | пий /pij/ | piņ /piɲ/ | piânnaj /pianːaj/ | пи /pi/ | пенне /penne/ |
| Cat | катка /katka/ | катка /katka/ | пырыс /pɨrɨs/ | kaš /kaʃ/ | kõõšš /kɵːʃː/ | кытьӹ /kʉtʲʉ/ | ке̄ршш /keːrʃː/ |
| Hand | кядь /kʲadʲ/ | кедь /kedʲ/ | кид /kid/ | kež /kɛʒ/ | ǩeätt /kʲætː/ | кид /kid/ | кэдт /kʲedt/ |
| Eye | сельме /sʲelʲmʲe/ | сельме /sʲelʲmʲe/ | шинча /ʃintʃa/ | sīlma /siːlma/ | čââlm /tʃæːlm/ | сӹнзӓ /sʉnzæ/ | чальм /tʃalʲm/ |
| Hello | шумбрат /ʃumbrat/ | шумбрат /ʃumbrat/ | салам лийже /salam lijʒe/ | tervīst /tɛrviːst/ | tiõrv /tiɵrv/ | пӓрӓнӓ /pærænæ/ | тиерв /tʲierv/ |
| Thank you | сюкпря /sʲukprʲa/ | сюкпря /sʲukprʲa/ | тау /tau/ | tienū /tiɛnuː/ | späʹsseb /spæsʲːeb/ | таусола /tausola/ | пасьпе /pasʲpe/ |
| One | фкя /fkʲa/ | вейке /vejke/ | ик /ik/ | ikš /ikʃ/ | õhtt /ɵhtː/ | ик /ik/ | ыкт /ɨkt/ |
| Good | цебярь /tsʲebʲarʲ/ | паро /paro/ | сай /saj/ | jõvā /jəvaː/ | šiõǥǥ /ʃiɵɣː/ | сӓй /sæj/ | шӣгг /ʃiːɡː/ |
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