Endangered Languages Project

The Yazgulami language belongs to the northern group of the Pamir languages which form a part of the Iranian group of the Indo-European family of languages. In addition to the Yazgulami language, the other Shughni-Roshani languages -- the Shughni, the Roshani, the Bartangi, the Oroshori and the Khufi languages from the West-Pamirs and the Sarikoli language from China -- belong to the group. It is probable that the Vandzh language, once spoken in the River Vandzh valley, but now extinct, also belonged to the same linguistic group. (The Red Book of the Peoples of the Russian Empire)

ALSO KNOWN AS		Iazgulem, Yazgulam, Yazghulami, Yazgulyam, Yuzdomi zəvég, Zgamígi zəvég, Zgamígayi zəvég
CLASSIFICATION		Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Eastern Iranian
ORTHOGRAPHY		Latin-based
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		yah
VARIANTS & DIALECTS		Upper Yazgulyam Lower Yazgulyam
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS		Yazghulami is closely related to the Shughni language group

Compare Sources (7)

Information from: “Language Access and Tajik Language Proficiency among the Yazghulami of Tajikistan” . Daniel Paul and Elisabeth Abbess and Katja Müller and Calvin Tiessen and Gabriela Tiessen (2010)

Vulnerable

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
6,000-9,000
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
6,000-9,000
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
"According to the population figures compiled from information from the Statistics Department of the GBAP and officials in the Yazgulom Valley, in 2003 there were 6,061 people living in the [Yazgulom] valley... Exact numbers for Yazghulami living in other parts of the country are not available. However, one estimate puts the total at 9,000, with just over 6,000 of those living in the Yazgulom Valley."

DATE OF INFO: 2003-2004

DOMAINS OF USE

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

"Yazghulami is the main language used between Yazghulami speakers, regardless of age, and sometimes even in official contexts. [...] Children generally do not know Tajik before they begin school."

SPEAKER ATTITUDE

Positive

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

Tajik

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

"Attitudes are generally positive towards both languages [Tajik and Yazghulami]; each is seen as being beneficial in particular domains. [...] The vernacular is valued and used in the lives of Yazghulami residents. It shows no signs of being replaced by Tajik. Nonetheless, residents also value Tajik for certain domains. Both languages, then, have a place in Yazghulami society."

Scripts (Writing system)

Latin-based

More on Orthography

"Although Yazghulami is not used for writing, a Yazghulami alphabet has been recently developed by linguists in Russia and Tajikistan. Several scholars, including linguist Irina Mozulyova and Yazghulami poet Ismoil Rakhimi, worked on five possible variants: two in Latin script, two in Cyrillic script, and one in Arabic script. In the end they produced a proposed first grade reader using one of the Latin alphabets. It should be noted that some symbols from the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), as well as some Cyrillic letters were included in this alphabet (Mozulyova 1996)."

PLACES: Tajikistan

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: "The traditional homeland of the Yazghulami is the Yazgulom River Valley, located in the Vanj administrative region within the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province (GBAP) in Tajikistan. This narrow valley runs northeast to southwest for 100 kilometres, and is located between two high mountain ranges, the Vanj Mountains to the north and the Yazgulom Mountains to the south."

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
4,000
Native speakers worldwide

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
4,000
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
5,710
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Speaker number data: (UBS 1994)

PLACES: Tajikistan;

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
6,000
Native speakers worldwide

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
2,000
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Only small children and old women are monolingual.

DATE OF INFO: 1940

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY
More on Orthography: The Yazgulamis have no written language.

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: The Yazgulami language is spoken in the Pamirs, in the valley of the River Yazgulami, the right tributary of the River Pyandzh.

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
<4,000
Native speakers worldwide

PLACES: Tajikistan

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Gorno-Badakhshan, along Yazgulyam river.

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.																			38.5,71.5
	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	5,710	4,000		1000-9999	Speaker number data: (UBS 1994)						Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					Tajikistan;
		2010	Language Access and Tajik Language Proficiency among the Yazghulami of Tajikistan						SIL International		http://www.sil.org/resources/publications/entry/9099	Daniel Paul and Elisabeth Abbess and Katja Müller and Calvin Tiessen and Gabriela Tiessen	Daniel Paul, Elisabeth Abbess, Katja Müller, Calvin Tiessen and Gabriela Tiessen. 2010. "Language Access and Tajik Language Proficiency Among the Yazghulami of Tajikistan." Online: http://www.sil.org/resources/publications/entry/9099.		6,000-9,000	6,000-9,000	2003-2004	1000-9999	"According to the population figures compiled from information from the Statistics Department of the GBAP and officials in the Yazgulom Valley, in 2003 there were 6,061 people living in the [Yazgulom] valley... Exact numbers for Yazghulami living in other parts of the country are not available. However, one estimate puts the total at 9,000, with just over 6,000 of those living in the Yazgulom Valley."	Official/government business, education, radio, television, travel outside of Yazgulom Valley	Tajik	Positive	"Attitudes are generally positive towards both languages [Tajik and Yazghulami]; each is seen as being beneficial in particular domains. [...] The vernacular is valued and used in the lives of Yazghulami residents. It shows no signs of being replaced by Tajik. Nonetheless, residents also value Tajik for certain domains. Both languages, then, have a place in Yazghulami society."	All	Vulnerable (100 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	10	"Yazghulami is the main language used between Yazghulami speakers, regardless of age, and sometimes even in official contexts. [...] Children generally do not know Tajik before they begin school."	12	10	Tajikistan	"The traditional homeland of the Yazghulami is the Yazgulom River Valley, located in the Vanj administrative region within the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province (GBAP) in Tajikistan. This narrow valley runs northeast to southwest for 100 kilometres, and is located between two high mountain ranges, the Vanj Mountains to the north and the Yazgulom Mountains to the south."	38.222156, 71.511836
		2007	South Asia and the Middle East	Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages	289-348	Christopher Mosely	London and NewYork: Routledge			4		George Van Driem	Driem, George Van. 2007. "South Asia and the Middle East." In Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages, edited by Christopher Mosely. 289-348. London and NewYork: Routledge.			<4,000		1000-9999							Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					Tajikistan	Gorno-Badakhshan, along Yazgulyam river.
	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		6,000		1000-9999							Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)							38.1982,71.4276
			World Oral Literature Project								http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.			4,000		1000-9999							Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)
9985-936922		1993	The Red Book of the Peoples of the Russian Empire			Andrew Humphreys and Krista Mits					http://www.eki.ee/books/redbook		"The Red Book of the Peoples of the Russian Empire." edited by Andrew Humphreys and Krista Mits. Online: http://www.eki.ee/books/redbook.			2,000	1940	1000-9999	Only small children and old women are monolingual.	schools, radio broadcasts, books, folk songs and private correspondence.	Tadzhik				Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)						The Yazgulami language is spoken in the Pamirs, in the valley of the River Yazgulami, the right tributary of the River Pyandzh.

Yazgulyami

Language metadata

Language information by source

Vulnerable

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

6,000-9,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

4,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

4,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

6,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

<4,000

Discussion

Yazgulyami

Language metadata

Language information by source

Vulnerable

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

6,000-9,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

4,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

4,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

6,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

<4,000

Discussion

Suggest information or improvement

Download language data

Sources of information

Compare Sources