KARAIM: a language of Lithuania

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It was superseded by the corresponding entry in the 15th edition (2005).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

ISO 639-2: tut

Population	535 mother tongue speakers (16%) out of an ethnic population of 3,340 (1979 census). Population total all countries 535 or more.
Region	Also spoken in Israel, Ukraine.
Alternate names	KARAITE
Dialects	EASTERN KARAIM, NORTHWESTERN KARAIM, TRAKAY, GALITS.
Classification	Altaic, Turkic, Western, Ponto-Caspian.
Comments	Close to Karachay and Kumyk. One report says few children speakers. National language of the Karaim. Cyrillic and Hebrew scripts. Karaim Jewish: they say their religion is 'Karaim', not Judaism, celebrate the same religious holidays as the Jews, but their prayer services, held in Turkic, bear little resemblance to Jewish services (Philip E. Miller). Bible portions 1842.

Also spoken in:

Israel

Language name	KARAIM
Population	Ethnic group has 20,000 in Israel (1996 Philip E. Miller).
Comments	Close to Karachay and Kumyk. National language of the Karaim. They are descended from a medieval sect of Judaism which rejected the authority of the Talmud and the rabbinic tradition. Cyrillic and Hebrew scripts. Karaim Jewish. Bible portions 1842. See main entry under Lithuania.

Ukraine

Language name	KARAIM
Comments	Karaim Jewish. Bible portions 1842. See main entry under Lithuania.