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Definition of Altaic
1. Noun. Any member of the peoples speaking a language in the Altaic language group.
2. Adjective. Of or pertaining to or written in Altaic.
3. Noun. A group of related languages spoken in Asia and southeastern Europe.
Specialized synonyms: Turki, Turkic, Turkic Language, Turko-tatar, Tungusic, Tungusic Language, Mongolian, Mongolic, Mongolic Language, Korean, Japanese
Generic synonyms: Ural-altaic
Definition of Altaic
1. Adjective. Of or pertaining to a hypothetical grouping of languages that includes the Turkic, Mongolic, and Tungusic and less often the Japanese and Korean languages. The most familiar modern languages of this group include Turkish, Mongolian and, more controversially, Japanese and Korean. ¹
¹ Source: wiktionary.com
Lexicographical Neighbors of Altaic
Literary usage of Altaic
Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:
1. The Chinese Repository edited by Elijah Coleman Bridgman, Samuel Wells Willaims (1838)
"The altaic, which is terminated to the west by the mountains of the ... I.
System of the altaic. This chain surrounds the sources of the irtish and Yenisei ..."
2. The History of Language by Henry Sweet (1900)
"altaic.—The affiliation of Aryan to Ugrian is only the first step in the
investigation of its affinities. If we pursue our course still further east, ..."
3. The Outline of History: Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind by Herbert George Wells (1921)
"... must once have spread a further distinct language system which is now represented
by a group of languages known as the TURANIAN, or URAL-altaic group. ..."
4. The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge: Embracing by Johann Jakob Herzog, Philip Schaff, Albert Hauck (1909)
"... branch of the Ural- altaic race, originated on the banks of the Yenisei River
or Lake Baikal in Asia, and moved westward in the course of centuries. ..."
5. Language and the Study of Language: Twelve Lectures on the Principles of by William Dwight Whitney (1889)
"Scythian or altaic family: its five branches: their history, literatures, and
character. Unity of the family somewhat doubtful. WE have now taken a survey ..."
6. Origins of English History by Charles Isaac Elton (1882)
"Theory of analogous origin of the Junior-right.—Priesthood of the youngest.—Early
extension of altaic peoples.—Mongolian and Ugrian junior-right. ..."