Udi people

ethnic group
group=Udis
poptime= ca. 8,000 [ [http://www.sil.org/silesr/2005/silesr2005-014.pdf The Sociolinguistics Situation of the Udi in Azerbaijan] - John M. Clifton, Deborah A. Clifton, Peter Kirk, and Roar Ljøkjell] to 9,000cite news
title = Ethnic Groups in Georgia # 3 – Udis
publisher = The Georgian Times
date = 2008-04-17
url =http://www.geotimes.ge/index.php?m=home&newsid=9467
accessdate = 2008-04-17 ]
region1 = flagcountry|Azerbaijan
pop1 = 4,100
ref1 = [ [http://www.azstat.org/statinfo/demoqraphic/en/007.shtml#s7 "Population by ethnic groups"] "The State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan"]
region2 = flagcountry|Russia
pop2 = 3,721
ref2 = [ [http://www.demogr.mpg.de/cgi-bin/databases/cdb/cdb.php?ci=6&vi=1603&di=16&id=0 Ethnical composition of the Population of the Russian Federation] (2002)]
region3 = flagcountry|Georgia
pop3 = 203
ref3 =
region4 = flagcountry|Armenia
pop4 = 200
ref4 =cite news
title = Muslim Kurds and Christian Udis
publisher = Hetq Online
date = 2006-11-13
url =http://archive.hetq.am/eng/society/0611-udis.html
accessdate = 2006-11-13 ]
rels=Armenian Apostolic and Georgian Orthodox Christianity [http://www.eki.ee/books/redbook/udis.shtml The Red Book of Peoples: The Udis] ]
langs=Udi and Russian
related-c=Lezgins, Tabasarans, Avars, and other Northeast Caucasian peoplesThe Udis (also referred to as Udins or Udz) are an ethnic group native to the Caucasus. They live in Azerbaijan (the Qabala and Oguz rayons), Russia (the Rostov Oblast and the Krasnodar Krai), Georgia (the Kvareli district of the Kakheti province), and Armenia (the Tavush marz). Their total population is about 8,000 and they speak Udi, a Northeast Caucasian language. [An Ethnohistorical Dictionary of the Russian and Soviet Empires - Page 665 by James Stuart Olson, Lee Brigance Pappas, Nicholas Charles Pappas]

The Udis are considered to be the descendants of the people of Caucasian Albania. According to the classical authors, the Udis inhabited the area of the eastern Caucasus along the coast of the Caspian Sea, and a territory extending to the Kura River in the north, as well as the ancient province of Utik, which many historians believe was named after them. [http://www.eki.ee/books/redbook/udis.shtml The Red Book of Peoples: The Udis] ] The Caucasian Albanians were a Christian people whose alphabet is derived from Armenian and Georgian. [Endoclitics and the Origins of Udi Morphosyntax - Page 198 by Alice C. Harris] Even today, most Udis belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church. [ Dictionary of Languages: The Definitive Reference to More Than 400 Languages - Page 110 by Andrew Dalby] [http://www.eki.ee/books/redbook/udis.shtml The Red Book of Peoples: The Udis] ] Centuries of life in the sphere of Perso-Islamic culture made a relevant impact on the Udi culture and mentality. This trace is noticeable in Udi folk traditions and the material culture.

References