The Uyğurs (Common Script: Uyğur; IPA /ujɣur/; Old Turkic: 𐰆𐰖𐰍𐰆𐰺‎; Middle Chinese: 回紇, 回鶻; Uyghur-Arabic Script: ئۇيغۇر; Cyrillic: Уйғур; Traditional Chinese: 維吾爾) were initially a Turkic tribe that transitioned into a tribal confederation following the collapse of the Xuŋa empire. At present, they remain an ethnic group in Uyğuristan (East Turkistan), Zhongguo (China).