Naukan Yupik language[3] or Naukan Siberian Yupik language (Naukan Yupik: Нывуӄаӷмистун; Nuvuqaghmiistun) is a critically endangered Eskimo language spoken by c. 70 Naukan persons (нывуӄаӷмит) on the Chukotka peninsula. It is one of the four Yupik languages, along with Central Siberian Yupik, Central Alaskan Yup'ik and Pacific Gulf Yupik.

Naukan Yupik
Нывуӄаӷмистун
Nuvuqaghmiistun
Native to Russian Federation
RegionBering Strait region (or Chukchi Peninsula)
Ethnicity450 Naukan people (2010)[1]
Native speakers
60, 13% of ethnic population (2010)[2]
Eskaleut
Early forms
Cyrillic
Official status
Official language in
 Russia
Language codes
ISO 639-3ynk
Glottolognauk1242
ELPNaukan Yupik
Naukan Yupik settlements (magenta dots)
East Cape Yupik is classified as Critically Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger

Linguistically, it is intermediate between Central Siberian Yupik and Central Alaskan Yup'ik.[4]

Morphology edit

Chart example of the oblique case:

Case singular dual plural
Locative mi ˠni ni
Abl. / Instr. məˠ ˠnəˠ nəˠ
Allative mun ˠnun nun
Vialis kun ˠkun təkun
Aequalis tun ˠtun tətun

The non-possessed endings in the chart may cause a base-final 'weak' ʀ to drop with compensatory gemination in Inu. Initial m reflects the singular relative marker. The forms with initial n (k or t) are combined to produce possessed oblique with the corresponding absolutive endings in the 3rd person case but with variants of the relative endings for the other persons.

In proto-Eskimo, the ŋ is often dropped within morphemes except when next to ə. ŋ is also dropped under productive velar dropping (the dropping of ɣ,ʀ, and ŋ between single vowels), and "ana" goes to "ii" in these areas.

Numerals edit

ataasiq 1 aghvinelek 6 atghanelek 11 akimiaq ataasimeng 16
maalghut 2 maalghugneng aghvinelek 7 maalghugneng atghanelek 12 akimiaq maalghugneng 17
pingayut 3 pingayuneng aghvinelek 8 pingayuneng atghanelek 13 akimiaq pingayuneng 18
sitamat 4 qulngughutngilnguq 9 akimiaghutngilnguq 14 yuinaghutngilnguq 19
tallimat 5 qulmeng 10 akimiaq 15 yuinaq 20

Notes edit

  1. ^ Naukan Yupik at Ethnologue (19th ed., 2016)  
  2. ^ Naukan Yupik at Ethnologue (23rd ed., 2020)  
  3. ^ Jacobson 2005
  4. ^ Jacobson 2005, p. 150

References edit

  • Jacobson, Steven A. (2005), "History of the Naukan Yupik Eskimo dictionary with implications for a future Siberian Yupik dictionary" (PDF), Études/Inuit/Studies, 29 (1–2)
  • Fortescue, M. D.; Jacobson, S. A.; Kaplan, L. D. (1994), Comparative Eskimo dictionary: With Aleut cognates, Fairbanks: Alaska Native Language Center