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CONTENTS

Introduction
Foreword
Language Groups
Tribes and Dialects
Order the book

The Peoples
of the Red Book

Abazians (Abaza)
Abkhaz
Aguls
Akhvakhs
Aleuts
Altaics
Aliutors
Andis
Archis
Asiatic Eskimos
Bagulals
Baraba Tatars
Bartangs
Bats
Bezhtas
Botlikhs
Budukhs
Central Asian Jews
Chamalals
Chukchis
Chulym Tatars
Crimean Jews
Crimean Tatars
Didos
Dolgans
Enets
Evens
Evenks
Georgian Jews
Godoberis
Hinukhs
Hunzibs
Ingrians
Ishkashmis
Itelmens
Izhorians
Kamas
Karaims
Karatas
Karelians
Kereks
Kets
Khakass
Khants
Khinalugs
Khufis
Khvarshis
Kola Lapps
Koryaks
Kryz
Kurds
Lithuanian Tatars
Livonians
Mansis
Mountain Jews
Nanais
Negidals
Nenets
Nganasans
Nivkhs
Nogays
Orochis
Oroks
Oroshoris
Peoples of the Pamirs
Roshanis
Rutuls
Selkups
Shors
Shughnis
Tabasarans
Talysh
Tats (Tatians)
Tindis
Tofalars
Trukhmens (Turkhmens)
Tsakhurs
Udeghes
Udis
Ulchis
Veps
Votes
Wakhs
Yaghnabis
Yazgulamis
Yukaghirs

map

THE KHUFIS

The self-designation is hufídzh.

Habitat. The Khufis live in the Khufi valley (the Khufi qishlaq) in the Pamir mountains and in Paskhufi (in translation: Lower Khufi) on the banks of Pyandzh (i.e. on the upper reaches of the River Amu Darya).

Population. 1,000 Khufis were registered in 1939 but at present their number is not known.

Language. The Khufi language is one of the Iranian languages of the Indo-European language group, belonging to the northern group of the Pamir languages. The Roshani language is the closest related language to Khufi and some authors consider Khufi to be a dialect of Roshani. The divergences in their vocabularies are rare and inessential; the basic differences lie in the phonetics. Of importance is, however, that the Khufis consider themselves a separate people.

Khufi textual publications are scarce and the first dates from 1953 only (V. Sokolova's research Очерки по фонетике иранских языков II, Moscow -- Leningrad 1953, pp. 154--157, 164--175).

Origin. Other mountain tribes have fused with the Khufis throughout centuries. It is known, for instance, that ten families from the Rog village of Badakhshan, Afghanistan, once fled to the Khufis. According to their own folk tales the ancestors of the Khufis originate from Sarykol. First they inhabited Lower Khufi and the valley of Khufi was used only as a summer pasture. However, as the crops grew well in the upper region, they gradually resettled.

Ethnic culture. Khufi culture is characterized by its utmost conservatism as, living high in the mountains, they have been separated from the rest of the world. It must be stated, however, that like the rest of the Pamir peoples the Khufis have also looked for jobs in the larger cities of Central Asia.

REFERENCES

  1. М. С. Андреев, Таджики долины Хуф 1, Сталинабад 1963
  2. В. С. Соколова, Рушанские и хуфские тексты и словарь, Москва -- Ленинград 1969

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khinalugs | khufis | khvarshis