ALTAI, SOUTHERN (Russia, Asia)

Country: Russia, Asia
Language code: ALT
Continent: Asia
Alternate language names: OIROT, OYROT, ALTAI
Dialect names: ALTAI PROPER (ALTAI-KIZHI, ALTAJ KIZI, MAI- NA-KIZHI, SOUTHERN ALTAI), TALANGIT (TALANGIT-TOLOS, CHUY)
Genetic affiliation: Altaic, Turkic, Northern
Geographical region: Gorno-Altai AO mountains, bordering on Mongolia and China
Population: 51,600 mother tongue speakers (86%) out of an ethnic population of 60,000, including Northern Altai (1979 census)
Bilingual in: Russian
Printings of whole books of Bible: 1910
Status: Work in progress
Remarks: Has literary status. Cyrillic alphabet. Northern Altai and Southern Altai are not inherently intelli- gible, although there is a dialect continuum between them. Written Altai is based on Southern Altai, but is rejected by Northern Altai children. Teleut is considered a separate language outside the A.O. Different from Oirat (Kalmyk-Oirat), a Mongolian language. Russian is used as the second language by all except older people as a contact language, for litera- ture, and urban professional and cultural life. Altai is used in the familiar sphere and with speakers of other Turkic varieties
Religion: Secularist
Total speakers: 51,600

ALTAI, NORTHERN (Russia, Asia)

Country: Russia, Asia
Language code: ATV
Continent: Asia
Alternate language names: TELEUT, TELENGUT
Genetic affiliation: Altaic, Turkic, Northern
Geographical region: Gorno-Altai AO mountains, bordering on Mongolia and China
Population: (51,000 including Southern Altai; 1979 census)
Bilingual in: Russian
Remarks: Not intelligible with Southern Altai. Considered a separate language outside the region. Southern Altai is rejected by children
Religion: Secularist

Country: Russia, Asia
Language code: DLG
Continent: Asia
Genetic affiliation: Altaic, Turkic, Northern
Geographical region: Yakut ASSR
Population: 5,100 (1979 census)
Bilingual in: Russian
Remarks: A separate language from Yakut. Russian is the second language. Dolgan is the contact language on the Tajmyr Peninsula, and is spoken also by Evenki, Nganasan, and long-- term Russian residents. There are two Cyrillic orthographies: one based on Yakut and one on Russian. Several publications in Dolgan
Total speakers: 5,100

Country: Russia, Asia
Language code: KIM
Continent: Asia
Alternate language names: TOFA, TOFALAR, SAYAN SAMOYED, KAMAS, KARAGASS
Genetic affiliation: Altaic, Turkic, Northern, Siberia
Geographical region: Siberia
Population: 600 (1959 census)
Status: Needs survey
Remarks: The official name is Tofa or Tofalar. Speakers use Russian as second language
Religion: Christian: Russian Orthodox
Grammars: Monograph by V.I Rassadin
Total speakers: 600

Country: Russia, Asia
Language code: KJH
Continent: Asia
Alternate language names: KHAKHAS, KHAKHASS, ABAKAN TATAR, YENISEI TATAR
Dialect names: SAGAI (SAGAJ), BELTIR, KACHA (KACA), KYZYL, SHOR, KAMASSIAN
Genetic affiliation: Altaic, Turkic, Northern
Geographical region: Khakass AO, north of the Altai Mts., and a few north of the Oblast
Population: 57,500 mother tongue speakers (81%) out of an ethnic population of 71,000 in Russia (1979 census); about 10 fluent speakers in China (1988); 57,500 total
Bilingual in: Russian
Status: Work in progress
Remarks: A literary language based primarily on Sagai. Cyrillic script
Total speakers: 57,500
Religion: Russian Orthodox
Also in: China

Country: Russia, Asia
Language code: CJS
Continent: Asia
Alternate language names: SHORTSY, ABA, KONDOMA TATAR, MRAS TATAR, KUZNETS TATAR, TOM-KUZNETS TATAR
Dialect names: MRASSA, KONDOMA
Genetic affiliation: Altaic, Turkic, Northern
Geographical region: Altai Krai, Khakass AO and Gorno-Altai AO, on the River Tomy
Population: 9,760 mother tongue speakers (61%) out of an ethnic population of 16,000 (1979 census)
Status: Work in progress
Remarks: Mras is the basis for the literary language. Some sources combine Shor and Chulym. Shor is distinct from the Shor dialect of Khakas. A language association has been founded. A chair of Shor was formed in the Pedagogical Institute in Novokuzneck
Total speakers: 9,760
Religion: Christian: Russian Orthodox

Country: Russia, Asia
Language code: TUN
Continent: Asia
Alternate language names: TUVA, TUVAN, TUVIA, TYVA, TOFA, TOKHA, SOYOT, SOYON, SOYOD, TANNU-TUVA, TUBA, TUVINIAN, URI- ANKHAI, URIANKHAI-MONCHAK, URYANKHAI, DIBA, KÖK MUNGAK
Dialect names: CENTRAL TUVIN, WESTERN TUVIN, NORTHEAS- TERN TUVIN (TODZHIN), SOUTHEASTERN TUVIN, TUBA-KIZHI
Genetic affiliation: Altaic, Turkic, Northern
Geographical region: Tuvin AO
Population: 166,000 in Russia (1979 census), 99% speak it as mother tongue; 24,700 in Mongolia (1985 estimate); 400 in China (1990); 191,000 total
Bilingual in: Russian, Mongolian
Status: Work in progress
Remarks: Has literary status. Cyrillic script. Sharp dialect differences. Speakers use Russian as second language, and Mongolian near the border. Until 1944 Tuva was a formally independent state
Total speakers: 191,000
Religion: Lamaist Buddhist
Also inMongolia, China

Country: Russia, Asia
Language code: UKT
Continent: Asia
Alternate language names: SAKHA
Genetic affiliation: Altaic, Turkic, Northern
Geographical region: Yakutia, near the Arctic Ocean, nearly the entire length of the basin of the middle Lena River and the Aldan and Kolyma rivers; 2,000 miles long. Jakutsk is the capital
Population: 311,600 mother tongue speakers (95%) out of an ethnic population of 328,000 (1979 census)
Bilingual in: Russian
Printings of whole books of Bible: 1858-1898
Remarks: Has status as a literary language. Cyrillic script. Yakut is preferred by most speakers for most purposes. It is used as second language by some Evenki, Even, and Yukaghir people. A town koine has developed in Jakutsk, which older speakers reject. Speakers are bilingual in Russian. Russian is used in higher education. Grammar
Subsistence type: Nomadic, fishermen, hunters
Grammars: Boehtlink, Otto, Veber die yakutischen Sprache
Total speakers: 311,600
Religion: Traditional religion, Christian: Russi- an Orthodox