Khotanese

Khotanese is a Saka language spoken in the Khotan area of the Xinjiang region of China. It is closely related to Tumshuqese and is also thought to be related to the extinct Saka language of Kucha. Khotanese is thought to have been spoken from the 3rd century BCE to the 13th century CE. The Khotanese people were Buddhist and many of the Khotanese texts are Buddhist scriptures. Khotanese is written in an alphabet derived from the Aramaic alphabet. Khotanese texts have been found in Afghanistan, China, India, Japan, and Uzbekistan. The Khotanese language is endangered and there are few fluent speakers remaining. However, there is interest in preserving the language and there are efforts underway to revive it.