Burushaski (Brushaski, Burushaki, Burucaki, Burushki, Burucaski, Biltum, Khajuna, Kunjut)

55,000 to 60,000 (1981). Hunza-Nagar area and Yasin area in Gilgit District, Northern Areas. Scattered speakers also in Gilgit, Kashmir, and various cities. Only a few in India. Language Isolate. Dialects: NAGAR (NAGIR), HUNZA, YASIN (WERCHIKWAR). People are called Burusho. Nagar and Hunza dialects have 91% to 94% lexical similarity. Werchikwar has 67% to 72% lexical similarity with Hunza, 66% to 71% with Nagar, and may be a separate language. It is geographically separated from the others. Werchikwar speakers are somewhat bilingual in Khowar. Knowledge of Urdu is limited among women and some others. 20% literate. Typology: SOV. Ismaili Muslim, Shi'a Muslim (Nagar).