AYNU (China)
- Country
- China
- Language code
- AIB
- Continent
- Asia
- Alternate language names
- AINI, ABDAL
- Genetic affiliation
- Altaic, Turkic, Eastern
- Geographical region
- Yengixar (Shule) town, Hanalik and Paynap villages in
the Kashgar area, and Gewoz village near Hoban. Xinjiang Autonomous Region
- Population
- 5,000 (1988)
- Status
- Needs survey
- Remarks
- The language has the same grammar as Uyghur but much
Persian vocabulary. They speak Aynu in the family, but Uyghur to outsiders.
They do not intermarry with Uyghur. The Uyghur despise them and call them
'Abdal' or 'beggar'. The government counts them as Uyghur
- Subsistence type
- Caste of circumcisers
- Total speakers
- 5,000
ILI TURKI (China)
- Country
- China
- Language code
- ILI
- Continent
- Asia
- Alternate language names
- T'URK, TUERKE
- Genetic affiliation
- Altaic, Turkic, Eastern
- Geographical region
- Ili Valley near Kuldja, Xinjiang. Probably some in Kazakhstan
- Population
- 120 approximately, or at least 30 households in China
(1980 R.F. Hahn)
- Status
- Needs survey
- Remarks
- Reported to be a link between Chagatai and Kypchak (Uzbek
dialect). Ethnically and linguistically distinct, discovered in 1956. Their
oral history says they came from the Ferghana Valley (Uzbekistan/Kyrghyzstan)
about 200 years ago. Spoken by older people. Younger people are intermarrying
with neighboring groups. They understand Ili Turki but are adopting Kazakh
or Uyghur
- Total speakers
- 120 approximately
- Also in
- Kazakhstan
SALAR (China)
- Country
- China
- Language code
- SLR
- Continent
- Asia
- Alternate language names
- SALA
- Genetic affiliation
- Altaic, Turkic, Eastern
- Geographical region
- Xunhua Salar Autonomous County and Hualong Hui Autonomous
County in Qinghai Province, Jishishan Autono- mous County in Gansu Province.
Also Yining in Xinjiang
- Population
- 55,000 speakers (1982) out of 87,697 in the official
nationality (1990 census)
- Bilingual in
- Uyghur, Chinese
- Remarks
- The people use Chinese as literary language. Reinhard
F. Hahn says Salar is spoken by descendants of an Oghuz-Turkic-speaking
sub-tribe that, in the 15th century area of Samarkand, split off a main
tribe and 'returned eastward,' eventually settling in Western China. Their
language has an Oghuz Turkic base, has taken on a medieval Chaghatay Turkic
stratum through Central Asian contacts and finally acquired a stratum of
features from local languages. An official nationality
- Subsistence type
- Agriculturalists, animal hus- bandry, commerce
- Grammar typology
- SOV
- Religion
- Sunni Muslim
- Total speakers
- 55,000
UYGHUR (China)
- Country
- China
- Language code
- UIG
- Continent
- Asia
- Alternate language names
- UIGHUR, UYGUR, UIGUR, UIGHUIR, UIGUIR, WEIWUER
- Dialect names
- KASHGAR-YARKAND (KASHI-SHACHE), YENGI HISSAR (YENGISAR),
KHOTAN-KERYA (HOTAN-YUTIAN), CHARCHAN (QARQAN, QIEMO), AKSU(AQSU), QARASHAHR
(KARAXAHAR), KUCHA (KUQA), TURFAN (TURPAN), KUMUL (HAMI), ILI (KULJA, YINING,
TARANCHI), URUMQI (URUMCHI), LOPNOR (LOPNUR), DOLAN, AKTO TÜRKMEN
- Genetic affiliation
- Altaic, Turkic, Eastern
- Geographical region
- Throughout the Xinjiang Autonomous Region. Also in Germany,
India, Australia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, USA, possibly Morocco, Iran
- Population
- 7,214,431 in China (1990 census), including 4,700,000
Central Uyghur, 1,150,000 Hotan, 25,000 Lop; 245,000 in Kazakhstan, Kyrghyzstan,
and Uzbekistan (1986); 3,000 in Afghanistan; 1,000 in Mongolia; 500 or
more in Turkey (1981); a few hundred families of traders in Pakistan; 7,464,000
total or more
- Bible printings
- 1950
- New Testament printings
- 1914-1939
- Printings of whole books of Bible
- 1898-1982
- Status
- Work in progress
- Remarks
- Roman, Arabic, and Cyrillic script have been used. Urumqi
is the literary dialect in China. One of the five main official nationalities
in China. It had a Pinyin (Roman) alphabet in China; a new Arabic script
was introduced in 1987. Cyrillic script is used in the former USSR. Only
the Roman alphabet is known in Turkey. There are radio broadcasts in Uyghur.
Those in the north are more influenced by modern Chinese culture. The Akto
Türkmen speak a dialect of Uyghur with 500 different seldom-used words.
They have different appearance and customs. They say they originated in
Samarkand, and are listed as Kirghiz by the government. There are 2,000
in two villages, Kösarap and Oytak in Akto County, south of Kashgar,
Xinjiang. Dolan is a dialect spoken around the fringes of the Taklimakan
desert in Xinjiang
- Ecosystem type
- Desert, oases
- Geological type
- Valleys
- Subsistence type
- Agriculturalists: grain, fruit, grapes, vegetables, cotton;
traders; craftsmen
- Grammar typology
- SOV
- Total speakers
- 7,464,000 or more
- Religion
- Sunni Muslim
- Also in
- Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Turkey, Pakistan,
Germa- ny, Australia, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, USA, Taiwan,
Kyrghyzstan, Uzbekistan
CHAGATAI (Turkmenistan)
- Country
- Turkmenistan
- Language code
- CGT
- Continent
- Asia
- Alternate language names
- CHAGHATAY, JAGATAI
- Genetic affiliation
- Altaic, Turkic, Eastern
- Status
- Extinct
UZBEK, NORTHERN (Uzbekistan)
- Country
- Uzbekistan
- Language code
- UZB
- Continent
- Asia
- Alternate language names
- UZBEGS, O"ZBEK
- Dialect names
- KARLUKO-CHIGILE-UIGHUR, KYPCHAK, OGHUZ, QURAMA, LOKHAY
- Genetic affiliation
- Altaic, Turkic, Eastern
- Geographical region
- Uzbekistan and throughout Asian republics of the former
USSR. East of the Amu Darya and around the southern Aral Sea. Also in USA,
Australia, possibly Munich, Germany
- Population
- 15,000,000 in Uzbekistan (1986 esti- mate), 99% speak
it as mother tongue; 3,000 in China (1990); 15,003,000 total
- New Testament printings
- in press (1989)
- Printings of whole books of Bible
- 1891-1990
- National language
- Yes
- Remarks
- Arabic and Roman scripts used formerly, now Cyrillic
script is used. Used in schools, publishing, radio, television, theater.
Children speak Uzbek at home. Many speakers are bilingual in Russian, but
rural people have limited proficien- cy. People are highly literate and
about one-third urbanized. Much Persian influence in language and culture.
Increasing ethnic pride. Patrilineal. 'Sart' is an obsolete name for sedentary
Uzbek. 49% understand Russian. There are Uzbek-speaking Gypsy communities
in Soviet central Asia. Distinct from Southern Uzbek of Afghanistan and
Turkey. Oghuz may be a dialect of Khorasani Turkish (see Turkey) rather
than Uzbek
- Geological type
- Desert, semi-arid; fertile valleys
- Subsistence type
- Agriculturalists: cotton, fruit, vegetables, grain; pastoralists:
sheep; silk production; technicians, professionals, industrialists, communications,
medicine, educators, administrators
- Radio use
- Yes
- Total speakers
- 15,003,000
- Religion
- Hanafi Sunni Muslim
- Also in
- China, USA, Australia
UZBEK, SOUTHERN (Afghanistan)
- Country
- Afghanistan
- Language code
- UZS
- Continent
- Asia
- Alternate language names
- UZBEKI, USBEKI, USBAKI
- Genetic affiliation
- Altaic, Turkic, Eastern
- Geographical region
- Many places in north Afghan- istan, especially Fariab
Province. Maimana town is largely Uzbek. Also Pakistan, possibly Germany
- Population
- 1,403,000, or 9% of population in Afghanistan (1990 WA);
1,981 in Turkey (1982); 1,405,000 total or more
- Bilingual in
- Dari Persian (20%), Pashto
- Remarks
- A literary language in Afghanistan, but the only literature
is a newspaper. Arabic script. Speakers generally understand Dari Persian
or Pashto. 5% to 15% literate. Distinct from Northern Uzbek of Uzbekistan
and China
- Subsistence type
- Mainly settled agricultura- lists, some nomads, some
craftsmen in gold, jewels, pottery, leather
- Total speakers
- 1,405,000 or more
- Religion
- Sunni Muslim 100%
- Also in
- Turkey, Pakistan
YUGUR, WEST (China)
- Country
- China
- Language code
- YBE
- Continent
- Asia
- Alternate language names
- SARYGH UYGUR, SARIG, YA LU, YELLOW UIGHUR, SARI YOGUR,
YUKU, YUGU, SARY-UIGHUR
- Genetic affiliation
- Altaic, Turkic, Eastern
- Geographical region
- Sunan Yugur Autonomous County near Zhangye (Kanchow)
in northwest Gansu Province
- Population
- 6,150 speakers out of ethnic group of 12,297 (1990 census)
- Remarks
- An official nationality together with East Yugur, a Mongolian
language. About one-third of the ethnic group speaks Chinese as first language.
Written Chinese in use
- Subsistence type
- Animal husbandry
- Grammar typology
- SOV
- Religion
- Lamaist Buddhist, shamanism
- Total speakers
- 6,150
