Editing Tuvan language (section)

== Classification ==
Tuvan (also spelled Tyvan) is linguistically classified as a Sayan Turkic language. Its closest relative is the moribund [[Tofa language|Tofa]].

Tuvan, as spoken in Tuva, is principally divided into four dialect groups; Western, Central, Northeastern, Southeastern.
* Central: forms the basis of the literary language and includes Ovyur and Bii-Khem subdialects. The geographical centrality of this dialect meant it was similar to the language spoken by most Tuvans, whether or not exactly the same.<ref name="Harrison 2001">{{harvp|Harrison|2001}}</ref>
* Western: can be found spoken near the upper course of the [[Khemchik]]. It is influenced by the Altai language.
* Northeastern, also known as the [[Tozhu Tuvans#Language|Todzhi dialect]], is spoken near the upper course of the [[Great Yenisey]]. The speakers of this dialect utilize nasalization. It contains a large vocabulary related to hunting and reindeer breeding not found in the other dialects.
* Southeastern: shows the most influence from the [[Mongolic languages]].

Other dialects include those spoken by the [[Dzungar people|Dzungar]], the [[Tsengel people|Tsengel]] and the [[Dukha people|Dukha]] Tuvans, but currently these uncommon dialects are not comprehensively documented. Different dialects of the language exist across the geographic region in which Tuvan is spoken. [[K. David Harrison]], who completed his dissertation on the Tuvan language in 2001, argues that the divergence of these dialects relates to the nomadic nature of the Tuvan nation.<ref name="Harrison 2001" />

One subset is the Jungar Tuvan language, originating in the [[Altai Mountains]] in the western region of Mongolia. There is no accurate number of Jungar-Tuvan speakers because most currently reside in China, and the Chinese include Tuvan speakers as Mongolians in their census.<ref name="Mawkanuli 2001">{{Cite journal |last=Mawkanuli |first=Talant |date=2001 |title=The Jungar Tuvas: Language and National Identity in the PRC |journal=Central Asian Survey |language=en |volume=20 |issue=4 |pages=497–517 |doi=10.1080/02634930120104654 |s2cid=143405271}}</ref>
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