Ethnologue 14 report for language code:EVN

EVENKI: a language of China

The following is the entry for this language as it appeared in the 14th edition (2000).
It was superseded by the corresponding entry in the 15th edition (2005). See also the corresponding entry in the current edition of Ethnologue.

SIL code: EVN

ISO 639-2: tut

Population

20,000 speakers out of 34,000 in the ethnic population in China (1995 M. Krauss). Population total all countries 30,000.

Region

Hulunbuir Banners Ewenki, Moriadawa, Oronchon, Chen Bargu, Arong, Ergune East, and Huisuomu in Inner Mongolia; Nale Prefecture in Heilongjiang Province; and a few in Xinjiang. Also spoken in Mongolia, Russia (Asia).

Alternate names

EWENKE, EWENKI, OWENKE, SOLON, SUOLUN, KHAMNIGAN

Dialects

HAILA'ER, AOLUGUYA, CHENBA'ERHU.

Classification

Altaic, Tungus, Northern, Evenki.

Comments

Significant dialect differences from Russia. It is not clear how dialect names Solon, Kakut, and Tungus relate to names listed above. Written Mongolian and Chinese used as literary languages. Herdsmen use Mongolian as second language, farmers use Chinese. They maintain native language and customs. It has official regional recognition in China. 'Solon' is their name for themselves in China, but they also now use the official name 'Ewenke'. 'Sulong' may be an alternate spelling. Investigation needed: intelligibility with Evenki of Russia. Literacy rate in second language: 81%. Mountain forests, marshlands. Nomadic pastoralists: reindeer; hunters, agriculturalists. Shamanism, Lamaist, Christian.

Also spoken in:

Mongolia

Language name	EVENKI
Population	1,000 in Mongolia (1995 M. Krauss).
Alternate names	KHAMNIGAN, TUNGUS, SOLON
Comments	Bilingualism in Halh Mongolian. Literacy rate in second language: In Halh Mongolian. Shamanist, Lamaist Buddhist. See main entry under China.

Russia (Asia)

Language name	EVENKI
Population	9,000 mother tongue speakers out of an ethnic population of 30,000 in Russia (1997 M. Krauss).
Alternate names	EWENKI, TUNGUS, CHAPOGIR, AVANKI, AVANKIL, SOLON, KHAMNIGAN
Dialects	YERBOGOCEN, NAKANNA, ILIMPEYA, TUTONCANA, PODKAMENNAYA TUNGUSKA, CEMDALSK, VANAVARA, EAYKIT, POLIGUS, UCHAMA, CIS-BAIKALIA, SYM, TOKMO-UPPER LENA, NEPA, LOWER NEPA TUNGIR, KALAR, TOKKO, ALDAN TIMPTON, TOMMOT, JELTULAK, UCHUR, AYAN-MAYA, KUR-URMI, TUGURO-CHUMIKAN, SAKHALIN, ZEYA-BUREYA.
Comments	Manegir may be a dialect or related language. Significant dialect differences from China. Bilingualism in Russian, Yakut, Buriat. Grammar. Literacy rate in second language: Nearly all. Shamanist, Lamaist, Christian. See main entry under China.