Ingush language
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Ingush language is a language spoken by approximately 230,315 people (1989) across a region covering Ingushetia, Chechnya, Uzbekistan and Russia.
Classification
Ingush and Chechen, together with Bats, constitute the Nakh language branch of the Northeast Caucasian language family which is closely related to the farmers of the Fertile Crecent 8000 BC. (source: Science, May, 2000)
Geographic distribution
Ingush is spoken by about 415,000 people (2005) across a region covering Ingushetia, Chechnya, Uzbekistan and Russia.
Official status
Ingush is the official language of Ingushetia, a federal subject of Russia.
Writing system
Ingush became a written language with an Arabic-based writing system at the beginning of the 20th century. After the October revolution it first used a Latin alphabet which was later replaced by Cyrillic letters.
History
During Stalinist Russia Ingush-speakers were deported to Kazakhstan and Siberia. Much of their population and rights were lost in that time period.