Prolegomena to the classification of Western Yugur

Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag. In Turcologica 60. Exploring the Eastern frontiers of Turkic, 2006, 99 - 130 p.The classification of Western Yugur (W Yu) within the Turkic language family is not straightforward, as it is one of those languages which, in the words of Johanson (1998:84), 'have for centuries developed in relative isolation from the branches or groups they once belonged to, thus preserving old features and acquiring new ones in their respective environments.' Following Samoilovich's classification of Turkic languages, which is based foremost on the development of CT *d, W Yu is usually grouped together with Khakas, Shor, and Chulym, which also feature z < *d.