ILI TURKI: 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It was superseded by the corresponding entry in the 15th edition (2005).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: ILI

ISO 639-2: tut

Population	120 approximately, or at least 30 households in China (1980 R.F. Hahn). Population total both countries 120 or more.
Region	Ili Valley near Kuldja, Xinjiang. Probably some in Kazakhstan. Also spoken in Kazakhstan.
Alternate names	T'URK, TUERKE
Classification	Altaic, Turkic, Eastern.
Comments	Reported to be a link between Chagatai and Kypchak (Uzbek dialect). Bilingualism in Kazakh, Uyghur. Spoken by older people. Younger people are intermarrying with neighboring groups. Ethnically and linguistically distinct, discovered in 1956. Their oral history says they came from the Ferghana Valley (Uzbekistan/Kyrgyzstan) about 200 years ago. SOV; vowel harmony; influenced greatly by Kazakh and Uyghur; has Arabic, Persian, Chinese, and Russian loans.

Also spoken in:

Kazakhstan

Language name	ILI TURKI
Alternate names	T'URK, TUERKE
Comments	The language is linguistically distinct, a link between Chagatai and Kypchak (Uzbek dialect). Their oral history says their ancestors came from the Ferghana Valley (Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan) about 200 years ago. Speakers are older. Younger people understand Ili Turki, but are adopting Kazakh or Uyghur, and intermarrying with neighboring groups. See main entry under China.