Alutiiq language

The Alutiiq language (also called Sugpiak, Sugpiaq,^[3] Sugcestun,^[4] Suk,^[4] Supik,^[3][4] Pacific Gulf Yupik, Gulf Yupik,^[4] Koniag-Chugach) is a close relative to the Central Alaskan Yup'ik language spoken in the western and southwestern Alaska, but is considered a distinct language.

The ethnonyms of the Sugpiaq-Alutiiq are a predicament.^[5] Aleut, Alutiiq, Sugpiaq, Russian, Pacific Eskimo, Unegkuhmiut, and Chugach Eskimo are among the terms that have been used to identify this group of Native people living on the Lower Kenai Peninsula of Alaska.

About 400 of the Alutiiq population of 3,000 still speak the Alutiiq language. Alutiiq communities are currently in the process of revitalizing their language. In 2010 the high school in Kodiak responded to requests from students and agreed to teach the Alutiiq language. The Kodiak dialect of the language was spoken by only about 50 persons, all of them elderly, and the dialect was in danger of being lost entirely.^[6] As of 2014, Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage is offering classes using the "Where Are Your Keys?" technique.^[7]

Dialects

It has two major dialects:

• Koniag Alutiiq: spoken on the upper part of the Alaska Peninsula and on Kodiak Island; it was also spoken on Afognak Island before that was deserted by the people in the wake of the 1964 Good Friday earthquake
• Chugach Alutiiq: spoken on the Kenai Peninsula and in Prince William Sound

Phonology

Consonants

1. ^ A /χʷ/ sound sometimes occurs, and is either written as ur, or occurs as a sound of a syllable-final rw; /ʁʷ/, and occurs as an allophone of /ʁʷ/ after consonants like /q/.
2. ^ w is an allophone of /ɣʷ/ syllable-finally and elsewhere.

Consonants may be geminated (e.g. kk; [kː]). Two consecutive identical consonants are pronounced either separately or as a geminate depending on dialect.^[8] More consonants /ɾ~r, lʲ, rʲ/ are found in loanwords.

Vowels

All vowels except /ə/ are considered full vowels and can be either short or long. /ə/ does not lengthen and does not occur in vowel clusters but may tend to be devoiced as [ə̥] next to other consonants.^[9]

Orthography

• a – ä
• c – t͡ʃ
• e – ə
• f – f
• g – x
• gw – [xʷ]
• hm – m̥
• hn – n̥
• hng – ŋ̊
• i – i
• k – k
• kw – [kʷ]
• l – l
• ll – ɬ
• m – m
• n – n
• ng – ŋ
• p – p
• q – q
• r – χ
• ʀ – r^[8]
• s – s
• t – t
• u – u
• w – w
• y – j

After voiceless consonants, the voiceless nasals are written without h-.

Other letters

• aa – [aː]
• ai – [ai]
• au – [au]
• ia – [ia]
• ii – [iː]
• iu – [iu]
• ua – [ua]
• ui – [ui]
• uu – [uː]^[10]

Vocabulary comparison

The comparison of number terms and month names in the two dialects:

References

1. ^ ((The Alaska Native Language Preservation & Advisory Council)) (2020). 2020 Biennial Report to the Governor and Legislature. Archived from the original on March 30, 2020. (archived 2024-03-30)
2. ^ "Alaska OKs Bill Making Native Languages Official". NPR.org
3. ^ "List of Alutiiq (Sugpiaq) language resources". uaf.edu. Archived 2013-02-17 at the Wayback Machine.
4. ^ Language in the USA, Cambridge University Press, 1981
5. ^ Medeia Csoba DeHass, What is in a Name?: The Predicament of Ethnonyms in the Sugpiaq-Alutiiq Region of Alaska Archived 2020-05-18 at the Wayback Machine. Arctic Anthropology. January 2012 49:3-17 (= "Aleut," "Alutiiq," "Sugpiaq," "Russian," "Pacific Eskimo," "Unegkuhmiut," and "Chugach Eskimo" are all different names that have been used to identify the group of Native people living on the Lower Kenai Peninsula of Alaska.)
6. ^ Kodiak High School Adding Alutiiq Language Class Archived 2021-05-05 at the Wayback Machine, Jacob Resneck KMXT/Alaska Public Radio Network 12-17-2010
7. ^ Friedman, Sam (2014-02-23). "They're speaking Alutiiq in Anchorage". Washington Times / AP. Retrieved 2014-05-03.
8. ^ Counceller, April G. L. & Leer, Jeff (2012). The Alutiiq orthography: Kodiak dialect. second ed. Kodiak, Alaska: Alutiiq Heritage Foundation. ISBN 978-1-929650-09-5. Archived 11 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine.
9. ^ Leer, Jeff (1985). Prosody in Alutiiq. Yupik Eskimo Prosodic Systems: Descriptive and Comparative Studies: Alaska Native Language Center.
10. ^ "Alutiiq language, alphabet, and pronunciation". Omniglot. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
11. ^ "Alutiiq Museum: Alutiiq Word of the Week Archives". Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
12. ^ "John E. Smelcer, Alutiiq Noun Dictionary and Pronunciation Guide, Common Nouns in Prince William Sound and Kenai Peninsula Region Alutiiq (Excluding Kodiak Island)"

Further reading

• Bass, Willard P.; Tennant, Edward A.; Anahonak, Carl (1973). Test of Oral Language Dominance Sugpiaq Aleut-English. Albuquerque: Southwest Research Association.
• Counceller, April Gale Laktonen; Leer, Jeff; Alokli, Nick (2006). Kodiak Alutiiq Conversational Phrasebook With Audio CD. Kodiak, Alaska: Alutiiq Museum & Archaeological Repository. ISBN 1-929650-02-7.
• Leer, Jeff; Anahonak, Carl; Moonin, Arthur; Tabios, Derenty (2003). Nanwalegmiut paluwigmiut-llu nupugnerit = Conversational Alutiiq dictionary : Kenai Peninsula Alutiiq. Fairbanks: Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
• Leer, Jeff & Zeedar, Nina (1990). Classroom Grammar of Koniag Alutiiq, Kodiak Island Dialect. Fairbanks: Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
• Leer, Jeff; Christiansen, Matrona; Lind, Doris; Phillips, Thomas; Phillips, Ralph (1996). A Short Dictionary of Alaska Peninsula Sugtestun & Alaska Peninsula Alutiiq Workbook. Fairbanks: Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks. ISBN 1-55500-060-6.
• Pratt Museum (2003). Qulianguat Kiputʹsluki = Bringing the Stories Back : Alutiiq Sugpiaq Remembrances of the Outer Coast of Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. Homer, AK: Pratt Museum.
• Russell, Priscilla N. (1991). English Bay and Port Graham Alutiiq Plantlore. Homer, AK: Pratt Museum, Homer Society of Natural History.
• Steffian, Amy F. & Pestrikof, Florence (1999). Alutiiq Word of the Week. Kodiak, AK: Alutiiq Museum & Archaeological Repository. ISBN 1-929650-00-0.
• Smelcer, John E. (November 2010). "Alutiiq Noun Dictionary". Archived 2012-03-16 at the Wayback Machine.

External links

• alutiiqmuseum.org Alutiiq Word of the Week
• alutiiqlanguage.org Learn the Alutiiq Language
• uaf.edu Alaska Native Languages – Alutiiq
• asna.ca Alutiiq Orthodox language texts Archived 2010-09-04 at the Wayback Machine