uig ISO 639

ئۇيغۇر تىلى‎ (Uyghur tili), ئۇيغۇرچە‎ (Uyghurche) Autonyms

Uyghur

  • Geography

    CN Northwest, many separate enclaves in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region; also in northernmost Gansu Province, border enclave on Mongolia border; possibly scattered in other Chinese provinces and regions.
  • Language Cloud

A language of China

uig
Uighuir, Uighur, Uiguir, Uigur, Uygur, Weiwu’er, Wiga
ئۇيغۇر تىلى‎ (Uyghur tili), ئۇيغۇرچە‎ (Uyghurche)
10,100,000 in China (2010 census). Some are monolingual. Ethnic population: 10,100,000 (2010 census). Total users in all countries: 10,408,822.
Northwest, many separate enclaves in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region; also in northernmost Gansu Province, border enclave on Mongolia border; possibly scattered in other Chinese provinces and regions.
China, Kazakhstan
2 (Provincial). Language of recognized nationality: Uygur.
Turkic, Eastern
Central Uyghur, Southern Uyghur (Hetian, Hotan), Lopnur (Luobu), Akto Turkmen, Dolan. Central Uyghur comprises the varieties immediately north and south of the Tianshan mountains (Ili (Gulja, Yili, Taranchi), Urumqi (Urumchi), Turfan (Tulufan), Kumul (Hami), Aqsu (Akesu), Qarashahr (Karaxahar), Kucha (Kuqa). Kashgar (Kashi), Yarkand (Shache) and Yengisar (Yengi Hissar) are also generally considered part of Central Uyghur. Southern Uyghur comprises Khotan (Hetian), Keriya (Yutian), and Charchan (Qiemo). Modern standard Uyghur currently encompasses a number of local Turkic varieties whose linguistic affiliations are contested. These include Ainu (Eynu) [aib], Aqto Türkmen, Dolan, and Ili Turki (Taranchi) [ili]. Ainu is a southern Uyghur variety whose lexifier language is partly Persian; it is used as a jargon. Dolan is a slightly Mongol-inflected variety in the Teklimakan desert east of Kashgar. South of Kashgar, in Aqto county, 2,000 residents in the villages of Kösarap and Oytak use a Turkmen-inflected variety dubbed ‘Aqto Türkmen’ by some. Ili Turki (Taranchi) is indistinguishable from the Central Uyghur spoken in that Ili (Ghulja) area. Minor dialect differences between China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, overwhelmingly in loan vocabulary (2015 A. Dwyer). Lexical similarity: 51% with Yakut [sah]; 52% with Chuvash [chv]; 55% with Tuvan [tyv]; 60% with Turkish [tur]; 61% with Khakas [kjh]; 62% with Northern Azerbaijani [azj]; 65% with Southern Altai [alt]; 68% with Turkmen [tuk]; 70% with Karachay-Balkar [krc]; 71% with Bashkort [bak]; 72% with Tatar [tat]; 76% with Kazakh [kaz]; 78% with Kyrgyz [kir]; 83% with North Uzbek [uzn].
SOV; postpositions; genitives, adjectives, numerals, relatives before noun heads; question words initial; word order distinguishes subjects and indirect objects, topic and comment; 8 noun cases shown by suffixes; verb suffixes mark subject person, number, second person marks plural and 3 levels of respect; passive, reflexive, reciprocal and causative; comparatives; 25 consonant and 15 vowel phonemes; CV, CVC, CVCC syllables; non-tonal; stress on final syllable; vowel harmony; evidentials.
Vigorous, except in Urumqi. All domains. Used by all. Positive attitudes. Also use English [eng]. Also use Mandarin Chinese [cmn], especially young people, intellectuals, and city dwellers, but increasingly in rural areas as well. Also use Russian [rus]. Used as L2 by Ainu [aib], Ili Turki [ili], Kyrgyz [kir], Northern Uzbek [uzn], Peripheral Mongolian [mvf], Russian [rus], Salar [slr], Sarikoli [srh], Tatar [tat], Xibe [sjo].
Literacy rate in L2: 91% in any language (2000 census, Uyghur nationality). Literacy based on Central Uyghur as spoken in the area between Yili (Ili) and Urumqi, and includes literates in Uyghur or Chinese or both. Taught in a few primary and secondary schools, though this is in decline; taught as subject in some scholols. Taught in tertiary schools. Newspapers. Radio. TV. Grammar. Bible: 1950–2018.
Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab], official and primary usage in China, also used in Afghanistan. Cyrillic script [Cyrl], used in Kazakhstan, past usage in China. Latin script [Latn], used in China and Turkey.
Those in the north are more influenced by modern Chinese culture. Muslim.
OLAC resources in and about Uyghur
Uyghur
No known L1 speakers in Afghanistan. Ethnic population: 3,500 (2022 Joshua Project).
Badakshan province: Baharak district, a few villages; Faizabad city; Kabul.
Kashgar-Yarkand (Yarkandi).
9 (Dormant)
Shifted to Dari [prs].
Literacy rate in L2: 5%–15%.
Non-indigenous. Muslim.
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Uyghur
2 in India (2016 S. Kumar). Ethnic population: 150 (2016 S. Kumar).
Jammu and Kashmir state: Srinagar; Ladakh, Leh.
8b (Nearly extinct)
Elderly only. Shifted to Kashmiri [kas].
Non-indigenous. Border disputed with China.
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Uyghur
37,300 in Kyrgyzstan (2009 census). Ethnic population: 48,500 (2009 census).
Unestablished
Non-indigenous.
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Uyghur
191,000 in Kazakhstan (2009 census). Ethnic population: 225,000 (2009 census).
Almaty region.
Kashgar-Yarkand.
5 (Dispersed)
86% speak it as L1. Used as L2 by Ili Turki [ili].
Found in minority schools.
Muslim.
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Uyghur
No known L1 speakers in Mongolia. Ethnic population: 12,000 (2015).
Govi-Altay province: Altai and Thogta sums.
9 (Dormant)
Shifted to Halh Mongolian [khk].
Literacy is in Halh [khk] in Mongolia; the Uyghur are generally assimilated to Halh culture.
Muslim.
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Uyghur
10,000 in Pakistan (2018). A few families permanently settled in Pakistan.
Unestablished
Non-indigenous. Muslim.
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Uyghur
1,050 in Russian Federation (2002 census).
Unestablished
Non-indigenous.
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Uyghur
8,730 in Saudi Arabia (2018), based on ethnicity.
Unestablished
Non-indigenous.
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Uyghur
2,300 in Turkmenistan (Leclerc 2019b), based on ethnicity.
Unestablished
Non-indigenous.
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Uyghur
Istanbul and Kayseri provinces.
5 (Dispersed)
Non-indigenous. Muslim.
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Uyghur
8,900 in United States (2015 census).
California; District of Columbia; Florida; Idaho; Maryland; New Jersey; New York; Pennsylvania; Texas; Virginia; Washington.
Unestablished
Some also use English [eng].
Non-indigenous.
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Uyghur
48,500 in Uzbekistan (2019).
Andijon, Farg’ona, and Namangan regions; cultural centers: Andijon and Toshkent cities; scattered elsewhere.
Unestablished
Non-indigenous.
View other languages of Uzbekistan