AYNU (China)

Family
Eastern-(Chagatay)-Turkic languages

Country
China

Language code
AIB

Continent
Asia

Alternate language names
AINI, ABDAL

Genetic affiliation
Altaic, Turkic, Eastern

Geographical region
Yengixar (Shule) town, Hanalik and Paynap villages in the Kashgar area, and Gewoz village near Hoban. Xinjiang Autonomous Region

Population
5,000 (1988)

Status
Needs survey

Remarks
The language has the same grammar as Uyghur but much Persian vocabulary. They speak Aynu in the family, but Uyghur to outsiders. They do not intermarry with Uyghur. The Uyghur despise them and call them 'Abdal' or 'beggar'. The government counts them as Uyghur

Subsistence type
Caste of circumcisers

Total speakers
5,000