The Oghur, or Bulgar languages (also spelled Ogur, Oghur, Oguric; Bulghar, Bolgar, and variants; also known as Lir-Turkic), are a branch of the Turkic language family. They were historically spoken in Old Great Bulgaria (Magna Bulgaria/Onoguria), and later in the Danube Bulgar Khanate (Danube Bulgaria) and Volga Bulgaria. The only extant member of the group is the Chuvash language. The Oghur branch arguably broke off from Common Turkic perhaps as early as 500 BCE.
Languages from this family were spoken in some of the nomadic tribal confederations, such as those of the Onogurs, Bulgars, and Khazars, and possibly by the Pannonian Avars. It is uncertain whether Chuvash is directly descended from any of these or is a separate branch within this dialect group (Johanson 1998).
The Oghur group is characterized by the sound correspondences Oghuric l vs. Common Turkic (i.e. non-Oghur-Turkic) š and Oghuric r vs. Common Turkic z, for which reason it is also known as "Lir-Turkic", or "r-Turkic". The name Oghur itself is an example of the r/z isogloss, being cognate with Oghuz in Common Turkic. "dj-Turkic" is also used as a term for Oghur, in reference to a sound change from i- to dj-.
