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{{Short description|Chukotkan language of Kamchatka, Russia}}
{{more citations needed|date=April 2021}} {{more citations needed|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox language {{Infobox language
| name = Alyutor | name = Alyutor
| nativename = {{IPA|nəməlʔu}} | nativename = {{lang|alr| алуталг’у}} <br> {{tlit|alr|alutalg'u}}
| states = ] | states = ]
| region = ] | region = ]
| ethnicity = ] | ethnicity = ]
| speakers = 25, 5% of ethnic population | speakers = 25
| date = 2010 census | date = 2010 census
| ref = e18 | ref = e18
| familycolor = Paleosiberian | familycolor = Paleosiberian
| fam1 = ] | fam1 = ]
| fam2 = ] | fam2 = ]
| dia1 = Alutor | dia1 = Alutor
| dia2 = Palana Koryak | dia2 = {{ill|Palana language|ru|Паланский язык|lt=Palana}} Koryak
|script= ] | script = ]
| iso3 = alr | iso3 = alr
| notice = IPA | notice = IPA
| glotto = alut1245 | glotto = alut1245
| glottorefname = Alutor | glottorefname = Alutor
| map = Chukotko-Kamchatkan map.svg
| mapcaption = Pre-contact distribution of Alyutor (light purple) and other ]
| map2 = Lang Status 40-SE.svg
| mapcaption2 = {{center|{{small|Alutor is classified as Severely Endangered by the ] ]}}}}
| nation = ], ], ] (])
}} }}


'''Alyutor''' or '''Alutor''' is a ] of ] that belongs to the Chukotkan branch of the ]. '''Alyutor''' or '''Alutor''' is a ] of ] that belongs to the Chukotkan branch of the ], by the ]. It is moribund, as only 25 speakers were reported in the ].


==Sociolinguistic situation == ==Sociolinguistic situation ==
The Alutor are the indigenous inhabitants of the northern part of the ]. The language is unwritten and moribund; in the 1970s residents of the chief Alutor village of Vyvenka under the age of 25 did not know the language. In recent years the Vyvenka village school has started teaching the language. Until 1958 the language was considered the "village" (settled) dialect of the ], but it is not intelligible with traditionally nomadic varieties of Koryak. The autonym {{IPA|}} means "villager". The Alutor are the indigenous inhabitants of the northern part of the ]. The language is unwritten and moribund; in the 1970s residents of the chief Alutor village of Vyvenka under the age of 25 did not know the language. In recent years the Vyvenka village school has started teaching the language. Until 1958 the language was considered the "village" (settled) dialect of the ], but it is not intelligible with traditionally nomadic varieties of Koryak. The autonym {{IPA|}} means "villager".

==Orthography==
{| style="font-family:Arial Unicode MS; font-size:1.4em; border-color:#000000; border-width:1px; border-style:solid; border-collapse:collapse; background-color:#F8F8EF"
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | А а
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Б б
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | В в
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | В’ в’
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Г г
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Г’ г’
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ғ ғ
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Д д
|-
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Е е
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ә ә
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ё ё
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ж ж
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | З з
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | И и
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Й й
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | К к
|-
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ӄ ӄ
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Л л
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | М м
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Н н
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ӈ ӈ
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | О о
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | П п
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Р р
|-
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | С с
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Т т
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | У у
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ф ф
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Х х
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ц ц
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ч ч
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ш ш
|-
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Щ щ
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ъ ъ
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ы ы
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ь ь
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Э э
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ю ю
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Я я
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |
|}

==Typology==
Alutor is a ] language.

{{interlinear|lang=alr|indent=3
|ŋan(.ina) ulʲlʲaʔu.tku{{=}}ʔuttə-k na-n.illitə-tkə-ni-na…
|that+3PL walk.into.woods.masked{{=}}stick-LOC LOW.A-hang-IPF-3.SG.A+3P-3PL.P
|'Those things on a stick, which wear masks, hung ... '{{Dubious|date=January 2010}} }}

The morphology is ], with extensive prefixes and suffixes.

{{interlinear|lang=alr|indent=3
|qəlʲippə tətu-kki ɣeqə⟩masla⟨ta n-ə-mal-qin.
|bread+NOM+SG eat.with.something-CVB ASSOC{{circumfix|butter}}ASSOC good
|'Bread (eaten) with butter is excellent.'}}

The argument structure is ].

{{interlinear|lang=alr|indent=3
|ən-an(nə) ɣəmmə ina-ɣal-i.
|he-ERG me+ABS 1SG.P-walk.past-3SG.A
|'He walked past me.'}}

The ] is variable, and it is difficult to say which typology is basic. The verb-absolutive orders AVO and VAO are perhaps most common.

{{interlinear|lang=alr|indent=3
|tita·qa qutkinʲnʲaqu-nak maŋ.ki·ʔana ɣa⟩laʔu⟨lin ʔənnə-ʔən.
|once (name)-ERG+SG somewhere RES{{circumfix|see}}RES+3SG.P fish-ABS+SG
|'Once Qutkinnyaqu saw a fish somewhere.'}}

{{interlinear|lang=alr|indent=3
|ɣa⟩nvə⟨lin qutkinʲnʲaqu-nak təlɣə-lŋən ŋan.tiŋ.
|RES{{circumfix|poke}}RES+3SG.P (name)-ERG+SG finger-ABS+SG there
|'Qutkinnyaqu stuck his finger there.'}}


== Phonology == == Phonology ==
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|- |-
! ] ! ]
| {{IPAlink|i}} {{IPA|iː}} | {{IPAlink|i}} {{IPAlink|iː}}
| |
| {{IPAlink|u}} {{IPA|uː}} | {{IPAlink|u}} {{IPAlink|uː}}
|- |-
! ] ! ]
| {{IPAlink|e}} {{IPA|eː}} | {{IPAlink|e}} {{IPAlink|eː}}
| {{IPAlink|ə}} | {{IPAlink|ə}}
| {{IPAlink|o}} {{IPA|oː}} | {{IPAlink|o}} {{IPAlink|oː}}
|- |-
! ] ! ]
| |
| {{IPAlink|a}} {{IPA|aː}} | {{IPAlink|a}} {{IPAlink|aː}}
| |
|} |}


=== Consonants === === Consonants ===
There are 18 consonants in Alyutor.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Ocherk grammatiki aljutorskogo jazyka|last=Nagayama|first=Yukari|publisher=Osaka: Osaka Gakuin University.|year=2003}}</ref> There are 18 consonants in Alyutor.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nagayama |first=Yukari |title=Ocherk grammatiki aljutorskogo jazyka |publisher=Osaka: Osaka Gakuin University. |year=2003}}</ref>


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
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=== Stress === === Stress ===
Stress generally falls on the second syllable of polysyllabic words, and on the first syllable of disyllabic words, e.g.:
Stress is generally on the second syllable of the word. However, it cannot fall on an ] containing the vowel schwa or on the last syllable, so in two-syllable words stress is transferred to the first syllable, as long as that syllable is not open or contains the schwa. In cases where it is an open-syllable containing the schwa, a third syllable is added to the end of the word and the second syllable is stressed<ref>http://ufal.mff.cuni.cz/~nedoluzko/2018/docs/phonology_2018.pdf</ref> E.g {{IPA|/ˈmə.tan/}} -> {{IPA|/məˈtan.'''nə'''/}} 'mosquito'
*{{IPA|/ˈmi.məl/}} 'water', {{IPA|/ˈɣəl.ɣən/}} 'skin', {{IPA|/ˈta.wə.ja.tək/}} 'to feed', {{IPA|/qə.ˈla.vul/}} 'husband', {{IPA|/pə.ˈla.kəl.ŋən/}} ']'.


An ] containing schwa cannot be stressed. As a consequence, if a disyllabic term begins with such a syllable, the stress is shifted to the last syllable and thereafter a new, epenthetic syllable is added at the end, e.g.:
Examples: {{IPA|/ˈmi.məl/}} 'water', {{IPA|/qə.ˈla.vul/}} 'husband', {{IPA|/pə.ˈla.kəl.ŋən/}} 'a ] (boot)', {{IPA|/ˈta.wə.ja.tək/}} 'to feed' {{IPA|/ˈɣəl.ɣən/}} 'skin'.

*<nowiki>*</nowiki>{{IPA|/ˈmə.tan/}} -> {{IPA|/məˈtan.'''nə'''/}} 'mosquito'.

The final syllable of a word is never stressed.<ref>Nedoluzhko, Anja (2016). Variability of languages in time and space: Linguistic typology - phonology</ref>


=== Syllable structure === === Syllable structure ===
All Alyutor syllables begin with a single consonant. If the vowel is short, including a schwa, they may also close with a single consonant. Consonant cluster are not permitted in the word initial or word final positions. The schwa is used to brake disallowed clusters. All Alyutor syllables begin with a single consonant. If the vowel is short, including a schwa, they may also close with a single consonant. Consonant clusters are not permitted in the word initial or word final positions. The schwa is used to break up disallowed clusters.


Examples are {{IPA|/ˈvi.tak/}} 'to work', {{IPA|/ˈtil.mə.til/}} 'eagle', {{IPA|/ˈʔitʔən/}} 'parka'. Examples are {{IPA|/ˈvi.tak/}} 'to work', {{IPA|/ˈtil.mə.til/}} 'eagle', {{IPA|/ˈʔitʔən/}} 'parka'.


Alyutor word boundaries always coincide with syllable boundaries. Alyutor word boundaries always coincide with syllable boundaries.

==Orthography==
{{No sources section|date=September 2024}}
The Alutor language does not have an official orthography, but the newspaper ''Aborigen Kamchatki'' uses the following orthography:
{| style="font-family:Arial Unicode MS; font-size:1.4em; border-color:#000000; border-width:1px; border-style:solid; border-collapse:collapse; background-color:#F8F8EF"
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | А а
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Б б
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | В в
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Вʼ вʼ
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Г г
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Гʼ гʼ
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ғ ғ
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Д д
|-
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Е е
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ә ә
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ё ё
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ж ж
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | З з
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | И и
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Й й
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | К к
|-
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ӄ ӄ
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Л л
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | М м
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Н н
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ӈ ӈ
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | О о
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | П п
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Р р
|-
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | С с
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Т т
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | У у
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ф ф
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Х х
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ц ц
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ч ч
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ш ш
|-
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Щ щ
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ъ ъ
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ы ы
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ь ь
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Э э
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ю ю
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Я я
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |
|}

== Typology ==
Alutor is a ] language.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Grammatical Sketches from the Field: Alutor|last=Nagayama|first=Yukari|publisher=ILCAA: Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.|year=2010}}</ref>

{{interlinear|lang=alr|indent=3
|ɣəmmə t-ə-plak+tavamjat-ə-tkən
|I.ABS 1SG.S-E-boot+crumple-E-IMPERF
|'I soften boots '}}

The morphology is ], with extensive prefixes and suffixes.

{{interlinear|lang=alr|indent=3
|qəlʲippə tətu-kki ɣeqə⟩masla⟨ta n-ə-mal-qin.
|bread+NOM+SG eat.with.something-CVB ASSOC{{circumfix|butter}}ASSOC good
|'Bread (eaten) with butter is excellent.'}}

The argument structure is ].

{{interlinear|lang=alr|indent=3
|ən-an(nə) ɣəmmə ina-ɣal-i.
|he-ERG me+ABS 1SG.P-walk.past-3SG.A
|'He walked past me.'}}

The ] is variable, and it is difficult to say which typology is basic. The verb-absolutive orders AVO and VAO are perhaps most common.

{{interlinear|lang=alr|indent=3
|tita·qa qutkinʲnʲaqu-nak maŋ.ki·ʔana ɣa⟩laʔu⟨lin ʔənnə-ʔən.
|once (name)-ERG+SG somewhere RES{{circumfix|see}}RES+3SG.P fish-ABS+SG
|'Once Qutkinnyaqu saw a fish somewhere.'}}

{{interlinear|lang=alr|indent=3
|ɣa⟩nvə⟨lin qutkinʲnʲaqu-nak təlɣə-lŋən ŋan.tiŋ.
|RES{{circumfix|poke}}RES+3SG.P (name)-ERG+SG finger-ABS+SG there
|'Qutkinnyaqu stuck his finger there.'}}


== Morphology == == Morphology ==
Alyutor has the following parts of speech: nouns, adjectives, numerals, pronouns, verbs, participles, adverbs, postpositions, conjunctions, and "particles". Alyutor has the following parts of speech: nouns, adjectives, numerals, pronouns, verbs, participles, adverbs, postpositions, conjunctions, and particles.


=== Nouns === === Nouns ===
Line 223: Line 237:
There are three ]s: singular, dual and plural. There are three ]s: singular, dual and plural.


There are eleven cases: ], ], ], ] ], ], contractive, ], equative, ], and ]. There are eleven cases: ], ], ], ], ], ], contractive, ], equative, ], and ].


Number and case are expressed using a single affix. A suffix is used for all cases except the comitative and associative, which are expressed using ]es. There are two ]s, taught as three noun classes. The first class are nonhuman nouns of the first declension. Number is only distinguished in the absolutive case, though verbal agreement may distinguish number when these nouns are in the ergative. The second class are proper names and kin terms for elders. They are second declension, and distinguish number in the ergative, locative, and lative cases, as well as the absolutive. The third class are the other human nouns; they may be either first or second declension. Number and case are expressed using a single affix. A suffix is used for all cases except the comitative and associative, which are expressed using ]es. There are two ]s, taught as three noun classes. The first class are nonhuman nouns of the first declension. Number is only distinguished in the absolutive case, though verbal agreement may distinguish number when these nouns are in the ergative. The second class are proper names and kin terms for elders. They are second declension, and distinguish number in the ergative, locative, and lative cases, as well as the absolutive. The third class are the other human nouns; they may be either first or second declension.
Line 237: Line 251:
! singular || dual || plural ! singular || dual || plural
|- |-
| absolutive ! absolutive
| <center>(stem)</center> | {{center|(stem)}}
| <center>-t/-ti</center> | {{center|-t/-ti}}
| <center>-w/-wwi</center> | {{center|-w/-wwi}}
| <center>(stem)</center> | {{center|(stem)}}
| <center>-nti</center> | {{center|-nti}}
| <center>-w/-wwi</center> | {{center|-w/-wwi}}
|- |-
|ergative !ergative
|colspan=3 style="text-align:center;" | -a/-ta | colspan="3" style="text-align:center;" | -a/-ta
| <center>-ənak</center> | {{center|-ənak}}
|colspan=2 style="text-align:center;" | -ətək |colspan=2 style="text-align:center;" | -ətək
|- |-
|locative !locative
|colspan=3 style="text-align:center;" | -k/-ki | colspan="3" style="text-align:center;" | -k/-ki
| <center>-ənak</center> | {{center|-ənak}}
|colspan=2 style="text-align:center;" | -ətək |colspan=2 style="text-align:center;" | -ətək
|- |-
|dative !dative
|colspan=3 style="text-align:center;" | -ŋ | colspan="3" style="text-align:center;" | -ŋ
| <center>-ənaŋ</center> | {{center|-ənaŋ}}
|colspan=2 style="text-align:center;" | -ətək |colspan=2 style="text-align:center;" | -ətək
|- |-
!lative
|lative<br>{{Clarify|date=January 2010}}
|colspan=3 style="text-align:center;" | -kəŋ | colspan="3" style="text-align:center;" | -kəŋ
|colspan=3 style="text-align:center;" | — |colspan=3 style="text-align:center;" | —
|- |-
|prolative !prolative
|colspan=6 style="text-align:center;" | -jpəŋ/-ɣəpəŋ (-e ~ -i) | colspan="6" style="text-align:center;" | -jpəŋ/-ɣəpəŋ (-e ~ -i)
|- |-
|contactive !contactive
|colspan=6 style="text-align:center;" | -jit ~ -jita | colspan="6" style="text-align:center;" | -jit ~ -jita
|- |-
|causative !causative
|colspan=6 style="text-align:center;" | -kjit ~ -kjita | colspan="6" style="text-align:center;" | -kjit ~ -kjita
|- |-
|equative !equative
|colspan=3 style="text-align:center;" | -u/-nu | colspan="3" style="text-align:center;" | -u/-nu
|colspan=3 style="text-align:center;" | -u/-ənu |colspan=3 style="text-align:center;" | -u/-ənu
|- |-
|comitative !comitative
|colspan=3 | <center>ɣa{{circumfix|…}}a/-ta</center> | colspan="3" | {{center|ɣa{{circumfix|…}}a/-ta}}
|colspan=3 | <center>awən{{circumfix|…}}ma</center> |colspan=3 | {{center|awən{{circumfix|…}}ma}}
|- |-
|associative !associative
|colspan=3 | <center>ɣeqə{{circumfix|…}}a/-ta</center> | colspan="3" | {{center|ɣeqə{{circumfix|…}}a/-ta}}
|colspan=3 style="text-align:center;" | — |colspan=3 style="text-align:center;" | —
|} |}
Line 289: Line 303:
*The absolutive case is the citation form of a noun. It is used for the argument ("subject") of an intransitive clause and the object of a transitive clause, for "syntactic possessives",{{Clarify|date=January 2010}} and for the ]. *The absolutive case is the citation form of a noun. It is used for the argument ("subject") of an intransitive clause and the object of a transitive clause, for "syntactic possessives",{{Clarify|date=January 2010}} and for the ].
*The ergative is used for the agent ("subject") of a transitive verb, as an ], and as the argument of an ] clause. *The ergative is used for the agent ("subject") of a transitive verb, as an ], and as the argument of an ] clause.
*The locative is used for position and direction (] and ]s), as well as arguments which are "driven away" {{Clarify|date=January 2010}} *The locative is used for position and direction (] and ]s), as well as arguments which are "driven away",<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Case for Fewer Cases in Pre-Chukotko-Kamchatkan: Grammaticalization and Semantics in Internal Reconstructions|last=Wdzenczny|first=Dibella|publisher=Eastern Michigan University.|year=2011}}</ref> e.g.:
{{interlinear|lang=alr|indent=3
|ənnu ɣilŋatə-tkən ujatiki-k.
|he-ABS.SG drive-IMPERF sledge-LOC
|'he drove away the sledge.'}}
*The dative is used for recipients, benefactors, directional objects (]), and subjects of experiential verbs *The dative is used for recipients, benefactors, directional objects (]), and subjects of experiential verbs
*Lative is used for motion toward a goal *Lative is used for motion toward a goal
Line 296: Line 314:
* Contactive is used for objects that make contact * Contactive is used for objects that make contact
* Causative is used for noun phrases that cause or motivate an action * Causative is used for noun phrases that cause or motivate an action
* Comitative is used for ... {{Clarify|date=January 2010}} * Comitative is used for ... {{Clarify|date=January 2010}}. It is primarily used with high-animacy referents.
* Associative is used for ... {{Clarify|date=January 2010}}. It is only attested in the declension of nouns of the first declension, usually inanimate. * Associative is used for secondary or passive accompaniment. {{Clarify|date=January 2010}} It is only attested in the declension of nouns of the first declension, usually inanimate.


==== Grammatical person ==== ==== Grammatical person ====
Line 319: Line 337:
|} |}


* …ʡopta am-ʡujamtawilʔ-ə-muru "yes we the people" * ...ʡopta am-ʡujamtawilʔ-ə-muru "yes we the people"
* japlə=q ʡujamtawilʔ-iɣəm "and I'm a man" * japlə=q ʡujamtawilʔ-iɣəm "and I'm a man"


Line 387: Line 405:


==== Monopersonal conjugation ==== ==== Monopersonal conjugation ====
Monopersonal verbs{{Clarify|date=January 2010}} include two conjugations, one with the third-person singular in ''ɣa-...-lin,'' and the other in ''n-...-qin. Monopersonal verbs{{Clarify|date=January 2010}} include two conjugations, one with the third-person singular in ''ɣa-...-lin,'' and the other in ''n-...-qin''.


==== Impersonal conjugation ==== ==== Impersonal conjugation ====
For impersonal forms of conjugation include verbal predicate (formed with the circumfix a…ka) and imperative (formed by circumfix ɣa…a/ta). Non-finite forms Impersonal forms include the verbal predicate{{Clarify|date=January 2010}} with the circumfix ''a…ka,'' and the imperative in ''ɣa…a/ta.'' For impersonal forms of conjugation include verbal predicate (formed with the circumfix a...ka) and imperative (formed by circumfix ɣa...a/ta). Non-finite forms Impersonal forms include the verbal predicate{{Clarify|date=January 2010}} with the circumfix ''a…ka,'' and the imperative in ''ɣa…a/ta.''


==== Non-finite forms ==== ==== Non-finite forms ====
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Chukotkan language of Kamchatka, Russia
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Alyutor language" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (April 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Alyutor
алуталг’у
alutalg'u
Native toRussia
RegionKamchatka
EthnicityAlyutors
Native speakers25 (2010 census)
Language familyChukotko-Kamchatkan
Dialects
Writing systemCyrillic script
Official status
Official language inTigilsky District, Karaginsky District, Kamchatka (Russia)
Language codes
ISO 639-3alr
Glottologalut1245
ELPAlutor
Pre-contact distribution of Alyutor (light purple) and other Chukotko-Kamchatkan languages
Alutor is classified as Severely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger
This article contains IPA phonetic symbols. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Unicode characters. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA.

Alyutor or Alutor is a language of Russia that belongs to the Chukotkan branch of the Chukotko-Kamchatkan languages, by the Alyutors. It is moribund, as only 25 speakers were reported in the 2010 Russian census.

Sociolinguistic situation

The Alutor are the indigenous inhabitants of the northern part of the Kamchatka Peninsula. The language is unwritten and moribund; in the 1970s residents of the chief Alutor village of Vyvenka under the age of 25 did not know the language. In recent years the Vyvenka village school has started teaching the language. Until 1958 the language was considered the "village" (settled) dialect of the Koryak language, but it is not intelligible with traditionally nomadic varieties of Koryak. The autonym means "villager".

Phonology

Vowels

Alyutor has six vowels, five of which may be long or short. The schwa /ə/ cannot be long.

Front Central Back
Close i u
Mid e ə o
Open a

Consonants

There are 18 consonants in Alyutor.

Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Uvular Pharyngeal Glottal
plain palatalized
Nasal m n ŋ
Plosive p t k q ʔ
Fricative v s ɣ ʕ
Approximant w l j
Trill r

Stress

Stress generally falls on the second syllable of polysyllabic words, and on the first syllable of disyllabic words, e.g.:

  • /ˈmi.məl/ 'water', /ˈɣəl.ɣən/ 'skin', /ˈta.wə.ja.tək/ 'to feed', /qə.ˈla.vul/ 'husband', /pə.ˈla.kəl.ŋən/ 'mukluk'.

An open syllable containing schwa cannot be stressed. As a consequence, if a disyllabic term begins with such a syllable, the stress is shifted to the last syllable and thereafter a new, epenthetic syllable is added at the end, e.g.:

  • */ˈmə.tan/ -> /məˈtan./ 'mosquito'.

The final syllable of a word is never stressed.

Syllable structure

All Alyutor syllables begin with a single consonant. If the vowel is short, including a schwa, they may also close with a single consonant. Consonant clusters are not permitted in the word initial or word final positions. The schwa is used to break up disallowed clusters.

Examples are /ˈvi.tak/ 'to work', /ˈtil.mə.til/ 'eagle', /ˈʔitʔən/ 'parka'.

Alyutor word boundaries always coincide with syllable boundaries.

Orthography

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The Alutor language does not have an official orthography, but the newspaper Aborigen Kamchatki uses the following orthography:

А а Б б В в Вʼ вʼ Г г Гʼ гʼ Ғ ғ Д д
Е е Ә ә 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

Typology

Alutor is a polysynthetic language.

ɣəmmə

I.ABS

t-ə-plak+tavamjat-ə-tkən

1SG.S-E-boot+crumple-E-IMPERF

ɣəmmə t-ə-plak+tavamjat-ə-tkən

I.ABS 1SG.S-E-boot+crumple-E-IMPERF

'I soften boots '

The morphology is agglutinative, with extensive prefixes and suffixes.

qəlʲippə

bread+NOM+SG

tətu-kki

eat.with.something-CVB

ɣeqə⟩masla⟨ta

ASSOC⟩butter⟨ASSOC

n-ə-mal-qin.

good

qəlʲippə tətu-kki ɣeqə⟩masla⟨ta n-ə-mal-qin.

bread+NOM+SG eat.with.something-CVB ASSOC⟩butter⟨ASSOC good

'Bread (eaten) with butter is excellent.'

The argument structure is ergative.

ən-an(nə)

he-ERG

ɣəmmə

me+ABS

ina-ɣal-i.

1SG.P-walk.past-3SG.A

ən-an(nə) ɣəmmə ina-ɣal-i.

he-ERG me+ABS 1SG.P-walk.past-3SG.A

'He walked past me.'

The word order is variable, and it is difficult to say which typology is basic. The verb-absolutive orders AVO and VAO are perhaps most common.

tita·qa

once

qutkinʲnʲaqu-nak

(name)-ERG+SG

maŋ.ki·ʔana

somewhere

ɣa⟩laʔu⟨lin

RES⟩see⟨RES+3SG.P

ʔənnə-ʔən.

fish-ABS+SG

tita·qa qutkinʲnʲaqu-nak maŋ.ki·ʔana ɣa⟩laʔu⟨lin ʔənnə-ʔən.

once (name)-ERG+SG somewhere RES⟩see⟨RES+3SG.P fish-ABS+SG

'Once Qutkinnyaqu saw a fish somewhere.'

ɣa⟩nvə⟨lin

RES⟩poke⟨RES+3SG.P

qutkinʲnʲaqu-nak

(name)-ERG+SG

təlɣə-lŋən

finger-ABS+SG

ŋan.tiŋ.

there

ɣa⟩nvə⟨lin qutkinʲnʲaqu-nak təlɣə-lŋən ŋan.tiŋ.

RES⟩poke⟨RES+3SG.P (name)-ERG+SG finger-ABS+SG there

'Qutkinnyaqu stuck his finger there.'

Morphology

Alyutor has the following parts of speech: nouns, adjectives, numerals, pronouns, verbs, participles, adverbs, postpositions, conjunctions, and particles.

Nouns

Nouns are inflected for number, case, definiteness, and grammatical person.

There are three grammatical numbers: singular, dual and plural.

There are eleven cases: absolutive, ergative, locative, dative, lative, prolative, contractive, causative, equative, comitative, and associative.

Number and case are expressed using a single affix. A suffix is used for all cases except the comitative and associative, which are expressed using circumfixes. There are two declensions, taught as three noun classes. The first class are nonhuman nouns of the first declension. Number is only distinguished in the absolutive case, though verbal agreement may distinguish number when these nouns are in the ergative. The second class are proper names and kin terms for elders. They are second declension, and distinguish number in the ergative, locative, and lative cases, as well as the absolutive. The third class are the other human nouns; they may be either first or second declension.

1st declension 2nd declension
singular dual plural singular dual plural
absolutive (stem) -t/-ti -w/-wwi (stem) -nti -w/-wwi
ergative -a/-ta -ənak -ətək
locative -k/-ki -ənak -ətək
dative -ənaŋ -ətək
lative -kəŋ
prolative -jpəŋ/-ɣəpəŋ (-e ~ -i)
contactive -jit ~ -jita
causative -kjit ~ -kjita
equative -u/-nu -u/-ənu
comitative ɣa⟩…⟨a/-ta awən⟩…⟨ma
associative ɣeqə⟩…⟨a/-ta

Case roles

  • The absolutive case is the citation form of a noun. It is used for the argument ("subject") of an intransitive clause and the object of a transitive clause, for "syntactic possessives", and for the vocative.
  • The ergative is used for the agent ("subject") of a transitive verb, as an instrumental case, and as the argument of an antipassive clause.
  • The locative is used for position and direction (essive and lative cases), as well as arguments which are "driven away", e.g.:

ənnu

he-ABS.SG

ɣilŋatə-tkən

drive-IMPERF

ujatiki-k.

sledge-LOC

ənnu ɣilŋatə-tkən ujatiki-k.

he-ABS.SG drive-IMPERF sledge-LOC

'he drove away the sledge.'

  • The dative is used for recipients, benefactors, directional objects (allative case), and subjects of experiential verbs
  • Lative is used for motion toward a goal
  • Prolative is used for movement along and movement from (perlative and elative cases)
  • Equative is used with the meanings 'like X', 'as X', usually with verbs like 'to become', 'to turn into', 'to work as,' etc.
  • Contactive is used for objects that make contact
  • Causative is used for noun phrases that cause or motivate an action
  • Comitative is used for ... . It is primarily used with high-animacy referents.
  • Associative is used for secondary or passive accompaniment. It is only attested in the declension of nouns of the first declension, usually inanimate.

Grammatical person

Grammatical first and second person suffixes on nouns are used to equate a noun with participants in the discourse. They only appear in the absolutive, with an intervening j on nouns ending in a vowel and an i on nouns ending in a consonant.

singular dual plural
1st person -j-ɣəm -muri -muru
2nd person -j-ɣət -turi -turu
  • ...ʡopta am-ʡujamtawilʔ-ə-muru "yes we the people"
  • japlə=q ʡujamtawilʔ-iɣəm "and I'm a man"

Numerals

Alyutor has simple numerals for the numbers one to five, ten, and twenty. All other numbers are compounds based on these numerals.

ənnan one
ŋitaq two
ŋəruqqə three
ŋəraqqə four
məlləŋin five
ənnanməlləŋ(in) six (one-five)
ŋitaqməlləŋ(in) seven (two-five)
ŋəruqməlləŋ(in) eight (three-five)
ŋəraqməlləŋ(in) nine (four-five)
mənɣətkin ten
mənɣətək ənnan eleven
qəlikkə twenty (a score)
qəlikək ənnan twenty one
ŋəraqmənɣətkin forty (four tens)
ŋəraqmənɣətkin ŋəraqqə forty four
ŋitaqməlləŋin mənɣətkin seventy (seven tens)
mənɣətək mənɣətkin hundred (ten tens)

Verbs

There are finite (conjugated) and non-finite verbs. There are several conjugations.

Polypersonal conjugation

Finite verbs agree in person and number with their nuclear arguments; agreement is through both prefixes and suffixes. Transitive verbs agree with both arguments (ergative and absolutive), whereas intransitive verbs agree with their sole (absolutive) argument.

Verbs distinguish two aspects, perfective, the bare stem, and imperfective, using the suffix -tkə / -tkəni. There are five moods, indicative, imperative, optative, potential (marked by the circumfix ta…(ŋ)), and conjunctive (prefix ʔ-/a-).

Monopersonal conjugation

Monopersonal verbs include two conjugations, one with the third-person singular in ɣa-...-lin, and the other in n-...-qin.

Impersonal conjugation

For impersonal forms of conjugation include verbal predicate (formed with the circumfix a...ka) and imperative (formed by circumfix ɣa...a/ta). Non-finite forms Impersonal forms include the verbal predicate with the circumfix a…ka, and the imperative in ɣa…a/ta.

Non-finite forms

These include the infinitive, supine, gerunds, and participles.

References

  1. Alyutor at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Nagayama, Yukari (2003). Ocherk grammatiki aljutorskogo jazyka. Osaka: Osaka Gakuin University.
  3. Nedoluzhko, Anja (2016). Variability of languages in time and space: Linguistic typology - phonology
  4. Nagayama, Yukari (2010). Grammatical Sketches from the Field: Alutor. ILCAA: Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
  5. Wdzenczny, Dibella (2011). The Case for Fewer Cases in Pre-Chukotko-Kamchatkan: Grammaticalization and Semantics in Internal Reconstructions. Eastern Michigan University.

Bibliography

  • Kibrik, A.E., S.V. Kodzasov, I.A. Murav'eva. 2000. Jazyk i fol'klor aljutorcev. Moscow: IMLI RAN Nasledie. ISBN 5-9208-0035-6
  • Nagayama, Yukari. 2003. Ocherk grammatiki aljutorskogo jazyka (ELPR Publication Series A2-038). Osaka: Osaka Gakuin University.

External links

Paleo-Siberian languages
Chukotko-Kamchatkan
Chukotkan
Kamchatkan
Yeniseian
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Yukaghir
Nivkh
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Italics indicate extinct languages
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