Kyrgyz

English translation: please, see below

00:27 Sep 19, 2007

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Social Sciences - Linguistics

English term or phrase: Kyrgyz

I need to understand this name. I searched the Internet and found the Kyrgyz Republic. But since I am not familiar with this name, I need to double-check if "Kyrgyz" is a complete noun, not a possessive form like "Korean." "Korea" is the complete noun form of this country name and "Korean", as its possesive form, means its language or people when used as noun.

So my question is:
Is "Kyrgyz" equivalent to "Korea", not to "Korean"?

skyblue KudoZ activity Questions: 28 (none open) (4 closed without grading) Answers: 35 United States
Local time: 01:04

Selected answer:please, see below

Explanation:
I guess, Kyrgyz is a language spoken in Kyrgyzstan.
So, it's an adjective that according to your analogy would be like "Korean."

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Note added at 11 mins (2007-09-19 00:38:27 GMT)
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyrgyzstan

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Note added at 2 hrs (2007-09-19 02:33:37 GMT)
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the Kyrgyz Republic = adjective
the Kyrgyz language = adjective
Kyrgyz history = adjective

"The Kyrgyz state reached its greatest expansion after defeating the Uyghur Khanate in 840 A.D. Then Kyrgyz quickly moved as far as the Tian Shan range" ---
the Kyrgyz state - adjective
Krygyz quickly moved - of course, it's a noun in this sentence, which means THE KYRGYZ PEOPLE, but it's still adjectival by nature.

By analogy: (the) Russians quickly moved...
(the) Koreans quickly moved...

THE QUESTION WAS WHETHER KYRGYZ IS LIKE KOREA OR KOREAN.
It might be a lame analogy, I agree.
But KYRGYZ cannot by itself mean a state. It can only be the KYRGYZ REPUBLIC or KYRGYZSTAN (and in the former, it is clearly an adjective).

Selected response from:

Roman Ivashkiv
Local time: 23:04

Grading comment

Thank you for your time!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

5 +1

a noun (language and nation; also a Kyrgyz ntional); adjective

Rita Marshall

Kyrgyz - noun (meaning a language), adjective (meaning people)

Victoria Novak

please, see below

Roman Ivashkiv

Discussion entries: 11

Andrew Vdovin

10:00 Sep 19, 2007

What I meant is that it's equivalent both to "a Korean" and "a Korean guy" (noun and adjective).

Andrew Vdovin

09:59 Sep 19, 2007

Brrr! I mean it's equivalent to KOREAN and not to Korea. Sorry - must have overwoked today.

Andrew Vdovin

09:57 Sep 19, 2007

I'm sure it's equivalent to both "Korea" and "Korean".

Roman Ivashkiv

02:56 Sep 19, 2007

NO ;-)

skyblue

United States

ASKER

02:53 Sep 19, 2007

Korea's official name is "The Republic of Korea" and I am supposed to say that. But I can also say "Korea" in an informal manner. So one cannot say "Kyrgyz" in the same way as I say "Korea"?

Roman Ivashkiv

02:51 Sep 19, 2007

In other words, she can say "I come from the Kyrgyz Republic," "I come from Kyrgyzstan" or (to describe her nationality) "I am Kyrgyz."

Roman Ivashkiv

02:49 Sep 19, 2007

It can't: it's either THE KYRGYZ REPUBLIC, or KYRGYZSTAN. Hope this makes it all clear, Skyblue ;-)

skyblue

United States

ASKER

02:47 Sep 19, 2007

I realize that my question may not have been clear enough.

What I am asking is:
Can "Kyrgyz" be used as a name of the country? For example, if a Kyrgyz is asked from which country she came, can she answer "Kyrgyz"? As a Korean, my answer will be Korea, not Korean.

Roman Ivashkiv

02:45 Sep 19, 2007

Another testimony to the adjectival nature of the word KYRGYZ is that even denoting the nationality in the plural it does not take the English plural marker 's' - like "the RussianS" but preserves the same form - "the Kyrgyz"

Roman Ivashkiv

02:38 Sep 19, 2007

Vadim, I agree that as a name of a person (people) representing the Kyrgyz nationality, it can be a noun, or rather a substantivized adjective. But I still think I answered the question correctly especially in view of the manner it was posed.

Vadim Khazin

02:28 Sep 19, 2007

to Roman Ivashkiv: The question was: Is "Kyrgyz" equivalent to "Korea", not to "Korean"? That is, is it a noun or adjective. You said, "it's an adjective ... like "Korean." My comment was that it may be both. So your answer was incomplete.

Answers

1 hr confidence:

kyrgyz Kyrgyz - noun (meaning a language), adjective (meaning people)

Explanation:
Kyrgyz (also spelled Kirghiz) are a Turkic ethnic group found primarily in Kyrgyzstan.
Kyrgyz or Kirghiz (Kyrgyz tili, Кыргыз тили, قىرعىز ٴتىلى) is a Turkic language, and, together with Russian, an official language of Kyrgyzstan. It is most closely related to Altay, and more distantly so to Kazakh.
Kyrgyzstan - officially the Kyrgyz Republic

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Note added at 1 hr (2007-09-19 01:38:12 GMT)
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It's vice versa!!!
Noun for a language
Adj. for people

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyrgyz
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyrgyz_language

Victoria Novak
Local time: 01:04
Native speaker of:

Russian,

Ukrainian

10 mins confidence:

kyrgyz

please, see below

Roman Ivashkiv
Local time: 23:04
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Ukrainian
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

Thank you for your time!

3 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

kyrgyz a noun (language and nation; also a Kyrgyz ntional); adjective

Explanation:
It can be a noun (the language and the naion) – also a Kyrgyz national – and an adjective, just like 'Korean'. Here is an example from Wikipedia:
According to recent historical findings, Kyrgyz history dates back to 201 BC. The early Yenisei Kirghiz lived in the upper Yenisey River valley, central Siberia. Chinese and Muslim sources of the 7th–12th centuries AD describe the Kyrgyz as red-haired with fair complexion and green (blue) eyes.

Rita Marshall
Local time: 17:04
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Russian

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