Oroqen (Ороӄэн Уркун; Oroqėn Urkun /ˈɒrətʃɛn, ˈɒroʊ-/; also known as Orochon, Oronchon, Olunchun, Elunchun or Ulunchun) is a Northern Tungusic language spoken in the People's Republic of China and Russia. Dialects are Gankui and Heilongjiang. Gankui is the standard dialect.^[1] It is spoken by the Oroqen people of Inner Mongolia (predominantly the Oroqin Autonomous Banner), Heilongjiang in Northeast China and Malyy Urkan River Region, located in Amur Oblast, Russia and locality of Dor Mountain Khabarovsk Krai.^[2]

Since the 1980s, Oroqen-language materials were produced by teachers in Oroqen-speaking areas. They based the language's orthography either on IPA or Pinyin. A majority of Oroqen speakers use Chinese as a literary language and some also speak Daur..

Geographic distribution

Oroqen is spoken in the following counties of China and Russian Far East Region:^[1]

• Heilongjiang province
  • Da Hinggan Ling: Huma County and Tahe County
  • Heihe: Xunke County
  • Yichun: Jiayin County and Heihe City
• Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
  • Hulunbuir: Oroqen Autonomous Banner
• Khabarovsk Krai:
  • Byuko and Syurdok Region of Okhotsk Sea
• Amur Oblast:
  • Magdagachi
  • Ukolkit Mount
  • Berkakit and Burpala Mountains Valley
  • Chernyayevo
  • Ushumun
  • Shimanovsk

Dialects

• Birarchen †
• Kumarchen †
• Orochen †
• Selpechen (in Heilongjiang and Amur Oblast,Russia)
• Gankui (in Inner Mongolia and Khabarovsk Krai, Russia)

The Gankui dialect is used as the standard dialect for the Oroqen language.

Phonology

Consonants

• Allophones of /x/ are heard as [ɣ], [h].
• A bilabial /ɸ/ can also be heard as a labio-dental [f].
• A rhotic trill /r/ tends to sound as a tap [ɾ], when occurring word-finally.

Vowels

• /ə, əː/ are often heard as lower sounds [ɐ, ɐː].
• Short allophones of /o, u/ are heard as [ɵ, ʉ].^[3]