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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Asia > Kyrgyzstan > Kyrgyz

Kyrgyz

A language of Kyrgyzstan

ISO 639-3: kir

Population	2,450,000 in Kyrgyzstan (1993 UBS). Population total all countries: 2,893,354.
Region	Widespread. Also in Afghanistan, China, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation (Asia), Tajikistan, Turkey (Asia), United States, Uzbekistan.
Language map	Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan
Alternate names	Kara-Kirgiz, Kirghiz, Kirgiz
Dialects	Northern Kyrgyz, Southern Kyrgyz.
Classification	Altaic, Turkic, Western, Aralo-Caspian
Language use	Official language. L1 for 98% of Kyrgyz. The Ichkilik are a Kyrgyz-speaking people of non-Kyrgyz origin. Some also use Russian.
Language development	Schools in Kyrghyz. Newspapers. Radio programs. Films. TV. Bible: 1995–2004.
Writing system	Arabic script, used in China. Cyrillic script, not used in Afghanistan. Latin script, used in Turkey.
Comments	The names Eastern Kyrghyz and Western Kyrghyz have been erroneously applied to Kazakh. Increasing education. SOV. Muslim (Sunni), Buddhist (Lamaist).

Also spoken in:

Afghanistan

Language name	Kyrgyz
Population	750 in Afghanistan (2000). 445 in the Great Pamir, plus a few in Badakhshan.
Region	Extreme northeast, Great Pamir Valley. All from Little Pamir went to Pakistan and then Turkey in 1982.
Language map	Afghanistan
Alternate names	Kirghiz, Kirghizi, Kirgiz
Language use	Spoken by a few Kyrghyz who cross the Chinese and Kyrgyzstan frontiers.
Language development	Literacy rate in L1: Below 1%. Afghan Kyrgyz do not read Cyrillic script.
Comments	Muslim (Sunni).

China

Language name	Kyrgyz
Population	160,000 in China (2000 census). Older adults monolingual. 60,000 Northern Kirghiz, 40,000 Southern Kirghiz.
Region	West and southwest Xinjiang, in Wuqia, Akqi, Akto, Tekes, Zhaosu, Baicheng, Wushi counties.
Language map	China
Alternate names	Kara, Ke’erkez, Kirgiz
Dialects	Southern Kyrgyz, Northern Kyrgyz.
Language use	Vigorous. All domains. All ages. Positive attitude. Also use Uyghur [uig], Chinese [cmn], or some variety of Farsi [pes].
Language development	Literacy rate in L1: 80%–85%. Literacy rate in L2: 59%. Taught in primary and secondary schools.
Comments	Classified as Kyrghyz nationality. Animal husbandry; agriculturalists. Muslim (Sunni), Shamanist.

Tajikistan

Language name	Kyrgyz
Population	64,000 in Tajikistan.
Language map	Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

Turkey (Asia)

Language name	Kyrgyz
Population	1,140 in Turkey (1982).
Region	Van and Kars provinces.
Comments	Refugees from Afghanistan; now Turkish citizens. Muslim (Sunni).

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

Clifton, John M. 2002. "Alphabets of ten Turkic languages."

Clifton, John M. and Deborah A. Clifton, editors. 2002. Comments on discourse structures in ten Turkic languages.

Davletov, Mukhtar and Edward Walkwitz. 2002. "The use of tense/aspect in two Kyrgyz stories."