Nenets
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A language of Russian Federation
21,900 (2010 census). Ethnic population: 44,600 (2010 census).
Nenetskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Yamalo-Nenetskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, and Khanty-Mansiyskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug; also in Krasnoyarskiy Kray, Komi, and Arkhangel’skaya Oblast’; northwest Siberia, north Dvina river mouth tundra area to Yenisei river delta, scattered in Kola peninsula.
6b (Threatened).
Forest Yurak, Tundra Yurak.
In Siberia most young people are still fluent in the language. On the European side, very few children learn it; young people tend to prefer Russian [rus] and most speakers are middle-aged or older (Salminen 2007). A few to half of children speak Nenets. Positive attitudes. Also use Russian [rus], especially school-aged children in Siberia. Used as L2 by Komi-Zyrian [kpv].
Cyrillic script [Cyrl].
Mainly nomadic. Christian, traditional religion.