Page Type: languageDaur | Ethnologue

DTA ISO 639-3

Daur

A language of China

ISO 639
dta
Alternate Names
Daguor, Dagur, Dawar, Dawo’er, Tahuerh, Tahur
Population
96,100 in China (1999 D. Ying), decreasing. 35,000 Buteha dialect, 35,000 Qiqiha’er dialect, 15,500 Haila’er dialect, 4500 Ili dialect. 24,300 monolinguals. Ethnic population: 132,000 (2010 census).
Location:
Heilongjiang province: Nenjiang prefecture, Fuyu and Nehe counties; Nei Mongol Autonomous Region: Hulun Buir league, Hailar prefecture, Morin Dawa (Molidawa) Daur autonomous banner, Oroqen autonomous banner and Ewenki autonomous banner; Qiqihar prefecture, Qiqihar city; northwest Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region: Tacheng prefecture (Ili dialect).
Language Status
7 (Shifting). Language of recognized nationality: Daur.
Classification
Mongolic, Eastern, Dagur
Dialects
Buteha (Aihui, Bataxan, Butah, Darbin, Mergen, Nawen, Nemor), Haila’er (Hailar, Mokertu, Nantun), Qiqiha’er (Fularji, Jiangdong, Jingxi, Qiqihar, Tsitsikhar), Ili. Definitely distinct from other Mongolian languages (Voegelin and Voegelin 1977). Some identify Haila’er dialect as a dialect of Evenki [evn].
Typology
SOV; grammatical function marked mainly by suffixes; some vowel harmony; many consonant clusters; palatalized and labialized consonants; loans from Chinese, Manchu, Evenki.
Language Use
In Hulun Buir the language is being retained well; in Heilongjiang not transmitted to children among most groups (Bradley 2007a). All domains. Adults only. Neutral attitudes. Shifting to Mandarin Chinese [cmn]. Also use Evenki [evn]. Also use Kazakh [kaz]. Also use Manchu [mnc]. Also use Oroqen [orh]. Also use Peripheral Mongolian [mvf]. Used as L2 by Evenki [evn], Oroqen [orh].
Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 97% (2000 census, Daur nationality). Some literacy in Mongolian among those 30 to 50 years of age in Hala’er. Literature. Radio. Videos. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Daur
Writing
Cyrillic script [Cyrl], 1916–?, 1957–1958. Han script, Simplified variant [Hans]. Latin script [Latn], used from 1920 to some time after 1928, then from 1981, primary usage. Mongolian script [Mong], Manchu style, used since the Qing dynasty.
Other Comments
Traditional religion.

Also Spoken in

Language Name
Daur
Location
Scattered, especially in Hentiy province.
Dialects
Buteha (Bataxan), Haila’er (Hailar), Qiqiha’er (Qiqihar, Tsitsikhar).
Language Status
6a (Vigorous)
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
View other languages of Mongolia

Map

Location: Heilongjiang province: Nenjiang prefecture, Fuyu and Nehe counties; Nei Mongol Autonomous Region: Hulun Buir league, Hailar prefecture, Morin Dawa (Molidawa) Daur autonomous banner, Oroqen autonomous banner and Ewenki autonomous banner; Qiqihar prefecture, Qiqihar city; northwest Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region: Tacheng prefecture (Ili dialect).