Local name: ئۇيغۇرچە / Uyghurche
Language family: Turkic > Uyghuric (Southeastern Common Turkic)
Native speakers: ~ 8.8 millions (Ethnologue, 2000)
Script: A modified version of the Arabic alphabet
Official in: Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Province (western China)
Spoken mostly in: China, Kazakhstan

Uyghur developed from the classical Turkic literary language of Chagatay, and out of the major Turkic languages, its closest relative is Uzbek. Despite the position of the language area in the west of China, the culural influences have generally come from Central Asia and the Middle East, which can be recognized in the many Persian and Arabic loanwords. Nowadays, however, many speakers of Uyghur are fluent in Mandarin, as well.

Standard Uyghur: “Shimal shamili we quyash”
Speaker: Aynur Age at recording: 26 (2010) Geographical reference: Ürümqi, CN (Google Map) Transliteration scheme: Uyghur Latin Yéziqi (ULY)


شٮمال شامٮلی بٮله‌ن قۇیاش قایسٮمٮز تېخٮمۇ كۈچلۈك ده‌پ، مۇنازٮرلٮشٮۋاتقاندا قېلٮن جۇۋٮلٮق بٮر یولۇچی كېلٮپ قاپتۇ.
ئۇلار کٮم یولۇچٮنٮڭ جۇۋٮسٮنی ئاۋۋال سالدۇرالٮسا شۇ كۈچلۈك هېسابلانسۇن ده‌پ كېلٮشٮپتۇ.
شٮمال شامٮلی جېنٮنٮڭ بارٮچه‌ چٮقٮپتۇ، ئه‌مما ئۇ چٮققانسېری یولۇچی جۇۋٮسٮغا تېخٮمۇ مه‌هكه‌م ئۇرٮنپتۇ.
ئاخٮری شٮمال شامٮلی ۋاز كٮچٮشكه مه‌جبۇر بولۇپتۇ.
ئه‌مدی قۇیاش پارلٮغان ئٮکه‌ن، یولۇچی ده‌رهال جۇۋٮسٮنی سېلٮپ تاشلاپتۇ.
شۇنٮڭ بٮله‌ن شٮمال شامٮلی قۇیاشنٮڭ كۈچلۈكلٮكٮنی ئېتٮراپ قٮلٮشقا مه‌جبۇر بولۇپتۇ.

Shimal shamali bilen quyash qaysimiz téximu küchlük dep, mufazirlishiwanqanda qélin juwiliq bir yoluchi kélip qaptu.
Ular kim yoluchining juwisini awwal salduralsa shu küchlük hésablansun dep kélishiptu.
Shimal shamili jénining bariche chiqiptu, emma u chiqqanséri yoluchi juwisigha téximu mehkem orinptu.
Axiri shimal shamili waz kichishke mejbur boluptu.
Emmi quyash parlighan iken, yoluchi derhal juwisini sélip tashlaptu.
Shuning bilen shimal shamili quyashning küchlüklikini étirap qilishqa mejbur boluptu.