CONSONANT ASSİMİLATİON İN THE TURKİSTAN DİALECT OF KAZAKH TURKİC

Kazakh Turkic, belonging to the Kipchak branch of the Turkic language family, has historically spread over a vast geographical area. This spread has led to the development of various dialects and regional varieties. One such dialect is the Turkistan dialect, spoken in the southern region of Kazakhstan. This dialect is notable for its phonetic and morphological characteristics, reflecting the richness of Kazakh Turkic.Consonant assimilation in the Turkistan dialect is a significant phonological phenomenon. Consonant assimilation refers to the process where consonants within or between words become similar due to sound harmony or ease of pronunciation. These assimilations have emerged naturally over the course of the language’s evolution and have become one of the characteristic features of the dialect. These sound changes affect not only the phonetic level but also have an impact on the morphological structure of the language. For example, such assimilations in roots or affixes play a determining role in word formation and inflection processes. The consonant assimilations found in the Turkistan dialect are also important from the perspective of the language’s historical development and regional interactions. These assimilations reveal both the connections and differences between this dialect and other Turkic varieties, shedding light on the evolutionary path of the language