Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Mishaski, Brushaski, Burushaki, Burucaki, Burushki, Burucaski, Biltum, Khajuna, Kunjut
CLASSIFICATION		Isolate, South Asian
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		bsk
VARIANTS & DIALECTS		Nagar Yasin Hunza
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search

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Information from: “The Burushaski Language Documentation Project” . Sadaf Munshi (2014)

Threatened

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
100,300
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
“There are no official records on the total number of Burushaski speakers. Based on personal communication with the native speakers of Burushaski in different regions, [The Burushaski language Documentation Project] estimates the total number of Burushos (speakers of the Burushaski language) in Pakistan to be around 100,000... About 300 speakers of Burushaski live in Srinagar.”

DATE OF INFO: 2012

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

“…dominance of Urdu has resulted in a strong push for a majority of Burushos to shift to Urdu. As a result, many younger generation Burushos only have a receptive proficiency in Burushaski. With greater means of mobility, more and more people have chosen to move to bigger cities for education and employment. As a result, they shift to using Urdu as their primary language. Thus, imperfect knowledge of the language is very common and fluency in Burushaski among the second and third generation is on a rapid decline."

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

Urdu

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

"Lack of institutional support and cultural homogenization through education and media have also greatly contributed to a drive towards language shift.”

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
87,000
Native speakers worldwide

DATE OF INFO: 2000

PLACES: India; Pakistan

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
87,000
Native speakers worldwide

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
55,000-60,000
Native speakers worldwide

DATE OF INFO: 1981

PLACES: Pakistan

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Hunza, Nagar, Yasin valleys (Northern areas)

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
<90,000
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
The Nager dialect is perhaps spoken by as many as 80,000, and the Yasin dialect (northwest of Gilgit) is perhaps spoken by about 10,000.

PLACES: Pakistan

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Hunza-Karakorum, North Pakistan

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
87,049
Native speakers worldwide

Endangered

40 percent certain, based on the evidence available
80,000
Native speakers worldwide

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

MORE ON VITALITY

Believed to be dwindling fast.

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

Heavily admixed with Urdu and English elements in recent times. Bilingualism has led to attrition of morphosyntax in younger speakers.

PLACES: Pakistan: Hunza-Nager and Yasin valleys

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Some 50,000 Burúsho live in Hunza and Nager and some 30,000 live in Yasin. A considerable Burúsho population has also settled in Gilgit itself.

0199255911		2005	The World Atlas of Language Structures			Bernard Comrie and David Gil and Martin Haspelmath and Matthew S. Dryer	Oxford University Press		New York				2005. "The World Atlas of Language Structures." edited by Bernard Comrie et al. Oxford University Press.														36.5,74.5
	16	2009	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16th Edition (2009)			M. Paul Lewis	SIL International		Dallas, TX		http://www.ethnologue.com/		Lewis, M. Paul (ed.). 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16 edn. http://www.ethnologue.com/home.asp. (15 February, 2011.)	ll_pub	87,000	2000	10000-99999				Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)				India; Pakistan
		1990	Burushaski					Encyclopaedia Iranica, Online Edition			http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/burushaski-language-spoken-in-hunza-karakorum-north-pakista	Berger, Hermann	Hermann Berger. 1990. "Burushaski." In Encyclopaedia Iranica, Online Edition, Online: http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/burushaski-language-spoken-in-hunza-karakorum-north-pakista.		<90,000		10000-99999	The Nager dialect is perhaps spoken by as many as 80,000, and the Yasin dialect (northwest of Gilgit) is perhaps spoken by about 10,000.			Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)				Pakistan	Hunza-Karakorum, North Pakistan
		2014	The Burushaski Language Documentation Project							University of North Texas	http://burushaskilanguage.com/	Sadaf Munshi			100,300	2012	100000	“There are no official records on the total number of Burushaski speakers. Based on personal communication with the native speakers of Burushaski in different regions, [The Burushaski language Documentation Project] estimates the total number of Burushos (speakers of the Burushaski language) in Pakistan to be around 100,000... About 300 speakers of Burushaski live in Srinagar.”	Urdu	"Lack of institutional support and cultural homogenization through education and media have also greatly contributed to a drive towards language shift.”	Threatened (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	12	“…dominance of Urdu has resulted in a strong push for a majority of Burushos to shift to Urdu. As a result, many younger generation Burushos only have a receptive proficiency in Burushaski. With greater means of mobility, more and more people have chosen to move to bigger cities for education and employment. As a result, they shift to using Urdu as their primary language. Thus, imperfect knowledge of the language is very common and fluency in Burushaski among the second and third generation is on a rapid decline."	14
		2006	Language policy, multilingualism and language vitality in Pakistan	Lesser-known languages of South Asia: status and policies, case studies and applications of information technology	73-106	Anju Saxena and Lars Borin	Mouton de Gruyter		Berlin			Tariq Rahman	Tariq Rahman. 2006. "Language Policy, Multilingualism and Language Vitality in Pakistan." In Lesser-known languages of South Asia: status and policies, case studies and applications of information technology, edited by Anju Saxena and Lars Borin. 73-106. Mouton de Gruyter.		55,000-60,000	1981	10000-99999				Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)				Pakistan	Hunza, Nagar, Yasin valleys (Northern areas)
		2007	South Asia and the Middle East	Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages	283-348	Christopher Moseley	London & New York: Routledge					George van Driem	George van Driem. 2007. "South Asia and the Middle East." In Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages, edited by C. Moseley. 283-348. London & New York: Routledge.	HHOLD	80,000		10000-99999			Heavily admixed with Urdu and English elements in recent times. Bilingualism has led to attrition of morphosyntax in younger speakers.	Endangered (40 percent certain, based on the evidence available)		Believed to be dwindling fast.	14	Pakistan: Hunza-Nager and Yasin valleys	Some 50,000 Burúsho live in Hunza and Nager and some 30,000 live in Yasin. A considerable Burúsho population has also settled in Gilgit itself.	36.3294753, 74.6605365; 36.3596633, 73.3384471
	3rd	2010	Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger				UNESCO Publishing		Paris		http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas	Christopher Moseley (ed.)	Moseley, Christopher (ed.). 2010. Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, 3rd edn. http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas. (03 June, 2011.)	ll_pub	87,000		10000-99999				Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)						36.3294753, 74.6605365
			Glottolog								http://www.glottolog.org/glottolog/		"Glottolog." Online: http://www.glottolog.org/glottolog/.														36.218067, 74.822003
			World Oral Literature Project								http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.		87,049		10000-99999				Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)

Burushaski

Language metadata

Language information by source

Threatened

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

100,300

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

87,000

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

87,000

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

55,000-60,000

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

<90,000

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

87,049

Endangered

40 percent certain, based on the evidence available

80,000

Discussion

Burushaski

Language metadata

Language information by source

Threatened

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

100,300

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

87,000

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

87,000

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

55,000-60,000

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

<90,000

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

87,049

Endangered

40 percent certain, based on the evidence available

80,000

Discussion

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Sources of information

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