Koryak (/ˈkɔːriæk/ KOR-ee-ak) is a Chukotko-Kamchatkan language spoken by 1,665 people as of 2010[1] in the easternmost extremity of Siberia, mainly in Koryak Okrug. It is mostly spoken by Koryaks. Its close relative, the Chukchi language, is spoken by about three times that number. The language together with Chukchi, Alutor and Itelmen forms the Chukotko-Kamchatkan language family.[2] Its native name in Koryak is нымылан nymylan, but variants of the Russian "Koryak" name are most commonly used in English and other languages.

Koryak
чавʼчывэн; чавʼчываелыел
Koryak language in Koryak with transliteration
Native toRussia
RegionKoryak Okrug
Ethnicity7,485 Koryaks
Native speakers
1665, 21% of ethnic population (2010 census)[1]
Dialects
  • Chavchuven Koryak
Language codes
ISO 639-3kpy
Glottologkory1246
ELPKoryak
Pre-contact distribution of Koryak (purple) and other Chukotko-Kamchatkan languages
Koryak is classified as Severely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger

The Chukchi and Koryaks form a cultural unit with an economy based on reindeer herding and both have autonomy within the Russian Federation.

Phonology edit

Koryak vowels
Front Central Back
Close i u
Mid ɛ ə o
Open a
Koryak consonants
Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Uvular Pharyngeal
Plosive p t c k q
Fricative plain β ɣ ʕ
dental v
Affricate t͡ʃ
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Liquid l ʎ
Approximant (w) j

[w] may be an allophone of /β/.[3]

Koryak alphabet edit

А а Б б В в Вʼ вʼ Г г Гʼ гʼ Д д Е е
Ё ё Ж ж З з И и Й й К к Ӄ ӄ Л л
М м Н н Ӈ ӈ О о П п Р р С с Т т
У у Ф ф Х х Ц ц Ч ч Ш ш Щ щ Ъ ъ
Ы ы Ь ь Э э Ю ю Я я

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Population of the Russian Federation by Languages (in Russian)" (PDF). Федеральная служба государственной статистики (Federal Bureau of Government Statistics, in Russian). 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  2. ^ Concise encyclopedia of languages of the world. Brown, E. K., Ogilvie, Sarah. (1st ed.). Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. 2009. pp. 239–241. ISBN 9780080877754. OCLC 318247422.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. ^ Zhukova, 1972

Further reading edit

  • Bogoras, Waldemar, and Franz Boas. Koryak Texts. Leyden: E.J. Brill, 1917.
  • Comrie, Bernard. Inverse Verb Forms in Siberia Evidence from Chukchee, Koryak and Kamchadal. Amsterdam: Bibliotheek v.h. Inst. voor Algemene Taalwetenschap v.d. Univ. van Amsterdam], 1985.
  • Zhukova, A. N., 1972. Grammatika Korjakskogo Jazyka: Fonetika, Morfologia. Moscow: Akademia Nauk SSSR. 327pp. (In kyrill. Schrift).
  • Zhukova, A. N., and Tokusu Kurebito. Basic topical dictionary of the Koryak-Chukchi languages = Basovyĭ tematicheskiĭ slovarʹ kori︠a︡ksko-chukotskikh i︠a︡zykov. Tokyo, Japan: Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, 2004.
  • Campbell, George L. and Gareth King. "Compendium of the World's Languages". 2013.ISBN 4-87297-896-X

External links edit