KIR ISO 639-3
Kyrgyz
кыргыз тили (Kyrgyz tili), кыргызча (Kyrgyzcha) Autonym
A language of Kyrgyzstan
- ISO 639
- kir
- Alternate Names
- Kara-Kirgiz, Kirghiz, Kirgiz
- Autonym
- кыргыз тили (Kyrgyz tili), кыргызча (Kyrgyzcha)
- Population
- 4,510,000 in Kyrgyzstan (2018). Ethnic population: 3,800,000 (2009 census). Total users in all countries: 5,132,100.
- Location:
- Widespread.
- Language Status
- 1 (National). Statutory national language (2010, Constitution, Art 5 (1)).
- Classification
- Turkic, Western, Aralo-Caspian
- Dialects
- Northern Kyrgyz, Southern Kyrgyz.
- Typology
- SOV; postpositions; no articles; case-marking (7 cases); verb affixes mark person, number; passives; tense; 19 consonant and 8 vowel phonemes; non-tonal; stress on final syllable; vowel harmony.
- Language Use
- L1 for 98% of Kyrgyz. The Ichkilik are a Kyrgyz-speaking people of non-Kyrgyz origin. Also use Russian [rus].
- Language Development
- Schools in Kyrghyz. Newspapers. Radio. TV. Videos. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1995–2004.
- Language Resources
- OLAC resources in and about Kyrgyz
- Writing
- Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab], used in China. Cyrillic script [Cyrl], not used in Afghanistan. Latin script [Latn], used in Turkey.
- Other Comments
- The names Eastern Kyrghyz and Western Kyrghyz have been erroneously applied to Kazakh. Increasing education. Muslim, Buddhist.
Also Spoken in
- Location
- Badakhshan province: Wakhan district, Great Pamir and Little Pamir valleys.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. Muslim. View other languages of Afghanistan
Language Name
Kyrgyz
User Population
750 in Afghanistan (2000). 450 in the Great Pamir; a few in Badakhshan.
- Location
- Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region: Akqi, Akto, Baicheng, Tekes, Wuqia, Wushi, and Zhaosu counties.
- Dialects
- Southern Kyrgyz, Northern Kyrgyz.
- Language Status
- 2 (Provincial)
- Other Comments
- Muslim, traditional religion. View other languages of China
Language Name
Kyrgyz
User Population
160,000 in China (2000 census). 60,000 Northern Kirghiz, 40,000 Southern Kirghiz (Shearer and Sun 2002). Older adults monolingual. Ethnic population: 187,000 (2010 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Germany
Language Name
Kyrgyz
User Population
9,050 in Germany (2020 census). , based on nationality.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Kazakhstan
Language Name
Kyrgyz
User Population
17,200 in Kazakhstan (2009 census). Ethnic population: 23,300 (2009 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Russian Federation
Language Name
Kyrgyz
User Population
80,300 in Russian Federation (2010 census). Ethnic population: 103,000 (2010 census).
- Location
- Kuhistoni Badakhshon region and Regions of Republican Subordination.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed) View other languages of Tajikistan
Language Name
Kyrgyz
User Population
71,400 in Tajikistan (2017). Ethnic population: 152,000 (2017).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Turkmenistan
Language Name
Kyrgyz
User Population
1,400 in Turkmenistan (Leclerc 2019b). , based on ethnicity.
- Location
- Kars and Van provinces.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. Refugees from Afghanistan; now Turkish citizens. Muslim. View other languages of Turkey
Language Name
Kyrgyz
- Location
- Andijon, Farg’ona, and Namangan regions: scattered.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Uzbekistan
Language Name
Kyrgyz
User Population
282,000 in Uzbekistan (2019).
Map
Location: Widespread.
Size and Vitality
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