Uilta

Until recently, Orok was the most common name of the language. The alternative designation, although more often used over the last two decades, does not yet have a definitive variant in Russian: in addition to the officially approved Uilta, there are also such versions as язык уильта, язык ульта, уильтинский язык, уйльтинский язык [language of Uilta, language of Ulta, Uilta language, Ulta language].

As for the use of Orok as self-designation, T. Petrova gave the following explanation in 1967: “Oroks call themselves Oroks only when communicating with the ethnic groups that already use this name”. It should be noted that the name of Orok was used not only by Russians, but also by other ethnic groups that live or used to live next to Uilta. For instance, the Uilta people were known as orokko (orohko) among Ainu. Ch. Taksami wrote that Nivkhs used the word орӈрку (that has the same origin) to “define a wide circle of Tungus people – Ulchi, Oroks, Orochs, etc.” In Uilta, this word sounds like orokko.