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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Asia > Russian Federation (Asia) > Tuva

Tuva

A language of Russian Federation (Asia)

ISO 639-3: tyv

Population	235,000 in Russian Federation, increasing. Population total all countries: 264,400. Ethnic population: 242,500 in Russian Federation.
Region	Siberia, Tuvin Ao. Also in China, Mongolia.
Language maps	Western Asian Russia, reference number 39 Western Asian Russia, reference number 39
Alternate names	Diba, Kök, Mungak, Soyod, Soyon, Soyot, Tannu-Tuva, Tofa, Tokha, Tuba, Tuvan, Tuvia, Tuvin, Tuvinian, Tyva, Uriankhai, Uriankhai-Monchak, Uryankhai
Dialects	Central Tuvin, Western Tuvin, Northeastern Tuvin (Todzhin), Southeastern Tuvin, Tuba-Kizhi. Sharp dialect differences.
Classification	Altaic, Turkic, Northern
Language use	One of most vital minority languages in Siberia due to geographic isolation. Home, work. All ages. Neutral attitude. Also use Russian or Mongolian [khk] near the border.
Language development	Literacy rate in L2: 85% in Russian (2007 SIL). In designated schools outside of Kyzyl. In designated schools outside of Kyzyl. NT: 2002.
Writing system	Cyrillic script.
Comments	Until 1944 Tuva was a formally independent state. Hunters; animal husbandry: cattle, horses, sheep, goats, camels, reindeer. Buddhist (Lamaist), traditional religion.

Also spoken in:

China

Language name	Tuva
Population	2,400 in China (1999 H. Wu). No monolinguals.
Region	Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Altay Prefecture, Burjin, Habahe, Fuyun, and Altay counties.
Language map	China
Alternate names	Diba, Kök, Mungak, Tuvin, Tuwa
Language use	Vigorous. Religious services. All ages. Positive attitude. Peripheral Mongolian [mvf] used in education. More than 90% also use Kazakh [kaz], 30% also know Kalmyk-Oirat [xal]. Some also use Chinese.
Comments	Classified as Mongolian nationality. Animal husbandry; agriculturalists; hunters. Buddhist (Lamaist), syncretism with shamanism.

Mongolia

Language name	Tuva
Population	27,000 in Mongolia (Johnstone 1993).
Region	North and west Monolia, Hövsgöl and Hovd Aimags.
Alternate names	Diba, Kök, Mungak, Soyod, Soyon, Soyot, Tannu-Tuva, Tuba, Tuva-Uriankhai, Tuvan, Tuvia, Tuvin, Tuvinian, Tuwa-Uriankhai, Uriankhai, Uryankhai-Monchak
Dialects	Kokchulutan, Khöwsögöl Uigur.
Language use	Also use Halh Mongolian [khk].
Language development	Literacy rate in L2: In Halh Mongolian. Literacy is in Halh [khk].
Comments	Buddhist.

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

CHAN, Jo, author. 2000. Throat-singing in Tuva.

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

CLIFTON, John M., author. 2002. "Alphabets of ten Turkic languages."

VOINOV, Vitaly, author. 2002. "Preliminary observations on cohesion devices in Tuvan expository texts."