Hungarian language

File:WIKITONGUES- Orsolya speaking Hungarian.webm

Hu-funeral sermon and prayer OSZK

Komjati sztpal

Esztergom Jordánszky-kódex

Hungarian language in Transylvania

Hungarian language is a Finno-Ugric language spoken primarily in Hungary and parts of several neighboring countries. It is the official language of Hungary and one of the 24 official languages of the European Union. Unlike most other languages in Europe, Hungarian is not part of the Indo-European language family. Instead, it belongs to the Uralic language family, with its closest relatives being the Mansi and Khanty languages spoken in western Siberia.

History

The history of the Hungarian language begins with the migration of the Magyars from the Ural region to the Carpathian Basin in the late 9th century. The language has undergone significant changes over the centuries, including influences from Turkic, Slavic, and Germanic languages, as well as Latin and more recently, English. Despite these influences, Hungarian has retained its unique structure and vocabulary, distinguishing it from its neighbors.

Characteristics

Hungarian is known for its complex grammar and vocabulary. It employs agglutinative morphology, meaning that words are often formed by stringing together multiple morphemes, each carrying a specific meaning or grammatical function. This can result in very long words and a high degree of inflection. The language has 14 vowel phonemes, and vowel harmony plays a crucial role in the morphology of the language. Hungarian syntax is flexible, allowing for a range of word orders, though the typical word order is subject-verb-object (SVO).

Vocabulary

The Hungarian vocabulary is a mix of Uralic root words, with significant borrowings from various languages over the centuries. Despite the borrowings, efforts have been made to preserve the Hungarian character of the language, including the creation of new words from Hungarian roots.

Writing System

Hungarian is written using the Latin script, with a number of added diacritics and digraphs to represent the unique sounds of the language. The alphabet consists of 44 letters. The use of these special characters and the importance of vowel length and consonant length can make Hungarian challenging for learners.

Dialects

There are several dialects of Hungarian, primarily divided between the dialects spoken in Hungary and those spoken by Hungarian communities in neighboring countries. The standard language, based on the dialect of the central region of Hungary, is understood by all speakers.

Cultural Significance

The Hungarian language is deeply intertwined with the national identity and culture of Hungary. It has a rich literary tradition, with works from the Hungarian literature dating back to the 13th century. The language and its literature are a source of national pride and are celebrated in Hungary and among Hungarian communities worldwide.

Education and Use

Hungarian is taught in schools throughout Hungary and in Hungarian communities abroad. It is also offered as a course of study at universities around the world. Despite its complexity, there is a growing interest in learning Hungarian as a second language.

Challenges and Preservation

Like many languages, Hungarian faces challenges related to globalization and the dominance of English. However, there is a strong movement in Hungary and among Hungarians abroad to preserve the language, including through education, literature, and media.