KABARDIAN: a language of Russia (Europe)

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It was superseded by the corresponding entry in the 15th edition (2005).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

ISO 639-2: cau

Population 443,000 including 46,000 Cherkes in Russia (1993 UBS), 97% speak it as mother tongue. Population total all countries 647,000.
Region Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachai-Cherkessia. Naltshik is the capital. Also spoken in Saudi Arabia, Turkey (Asia), USA.
Alternate names   BESLENEI, UPPER CIRCASSIAN, EAST CIRCASSIAN, KABARDINO-CHERKES, KABARDO-CHERKES
Dialects GREATER KABARDIAN, BAKSAN, LESSER KABARDIAN, MALKA, MOZDOK, KUBAN, CHERKES, BESLENEI (BESLENEJ).
Classification North Caucasian, Northwest, Circassian.
Comments Cyrillic alphabet. Sunni Muslim. NT 1993.

Also spoken in:

Turkey (Asia)   
Language name   KABARDIAN
Population 202,000 in Turkey (1993 Johnstone).
Comments Close to Adygey, but a separate language. Sunni Muslim. NT 1993. See main entry under Russia.
 

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Ethnologue data from Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 14th Edition
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