| Paleo-Siberian | |
|---|---|
| (geographic) | |
| Geographic distribution | Siberia |
| Linguistic classification | Not a single family |
| Subdivisions | |
The Paleo-Siberian languages are several language isolates and small language families spoken in parts of Siberia. They are not known to have any genetic relationship to each other; their only common link is that they are held to have antedated the more dominant languages, particularly Tungusic and latterly Turkic languages, that have largely displaced them. Even more recently, Turkic (at least in Siberia) and especially Tungusic have been displaced in their turn by Russian.
Four small language families and isolates are usually considered to be Paleo-Siberian languages: [1]
On the basis of morphological, typological, and lexical evidence, Michael Fortescue suggests that Chukotko-Kamchatkan and Nivkh (Amuric) are related, forming a larger Chukotko-Kamchatkan–Amuric language family. Fortescue does not consider Yeniseian and Yukaghir to be genetically related to Chukotko-Kamchatkan–Amuric. [2]
The purpose of the existence of Paleo-Siberian itself lies in its practicability and remains a grouping of convenience for a variety of unclassifiable language isolates located in Northeast Eurasia. Some proposals for the relationship of languages located within the Paleo-Siberian group have been made by some scholars, including Edward Vajda, who suggests them to be related to the Na-Dené and Eskimo–Aleut families of Alaska and northern Canada. This would correlate with the widespread idea that North America's aboriginal peoples migrated from present-day Siberia and other regions of Asia when the two continents were joined during the last ice age.
Ket, or more precisely the now largely extinct Yeniseian family, has been linked to the Na-Dené languages of North America. [3] Dené–Yeniseian has been called "the first demonstration of a genealogical link between Old World and New World language families that meets the standards of traditional comparative-historical linguistics". [4] In the past, attempts to connect it to Sino-Tibetan, North Caucasian and Burushaski have been made.
Kim Bang-han proposed that placename glosses in the Samguk sagi reflect the original language of the Korean peninsula and a component in the formation of both Korean and Japanese. It is suggested that this language was related to Nivkh in some form. [5] [6] [7] Juha Janhunen suggests the possibility that similar consonant stop systems in Koreanic and Nivkh may be due to ancient contact. [8] Martine Robbeets suggests that Proto-Korean had a Nivkh substrate influence. Further parallel developments in their sound inventory (Old to Middle Korean and Proto-Nivkh to Nivkh) as well as commonalities in the syntax between Koreanic and Nivkh specifically have been observed. [9]
The Ob-Ugric and Samoyedic languages predate the spread of Turkic, Mongolic and Tungusic languages, but are part of the well established larger Uralic family, thus not Paleo-Siberian. Yukaghir has often been suggested as a more distant relative of Uralic as part of the Uralic-Yukaghir languages, as well as Eskimo-Aleut as part of the Uralo-Siberian languages. [10] However, these hypotheses are controversial and not universally accepted.
Below are selected basic vocabulary items in proto-languages reconstructed for Paleo-Siberian languages and language families. Proto-Yeniseian, Proto-Uralic, Proto-Ainu, Ainu, Proto-Korean and Proto-Japanese are also given for comparison.
| gloss | Proto-Yeniseian [11] | Proto-Uralic [12] | Proto-Eskimo [13] | Proto-Yukaghir [14] | Proto-Chukotko-Kamchatkan [15] | Proto-Nivkh [16] [17] | Proto-Korean [18] [19] | Proto-Ainu [20] | Ainu [17] | Proto-Japanese [21] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| head | *cɨʔɢ-; *kəŕga- | *ojwa | *nay(ə)quʀ | *joː | C *læwət | *d’oŋkr | *matuy | *pa; *sa | pa | *tumu-; *kàsìrà |
| hair | *cəŋe | *apte | *nuyaʀ | *manilə/*monilə | C *kəðwir | *ŋamrki | *kar(ák); tǝrǝk | *numa | *ká-Ci | |
| eye | *de-s | *śilmä | *əðə | *waŋ-/*woŋ-; *jöː- | *ləlæ | *n’(ə)ŋaɣ | *nún | *sik; *nuu | shik | *mà-n |
| ear | *ʔɔqtʌ ~ *ʔɔgde | *peljä | *ciɣun | *unemə | *vilu | *mla; *nor | *kúj | *kisAr | kisar | *mìmì |
| nose | *ʔolk-; *xaŋ | *nere (*nēre) | *qəqaʀ | *jöː- | *qiN(qiN); C *jeqa | *wiɣ | *kóh | *Etu | etu | *páná |
| tooth | *piŋe | *kəɣun | *toð-; *sal’qəriː | C *wannə | *ŋaɣzər | *ni(s) | *nii; *ima(=)k | nimaki | *pà | |
| tongue | *ʔej | *kele (*kēle) | I *uqaq(-) | *wonor | *jilə(jil) ? | *hilɣ | *hyet/*hita | *agu | parumbe | *sìtà |
| mouth | *χowe | *śuwe | *qanəʀ(-) | *aŋa | *rəkərNə(n) | *amɣ | *ip/*kút | *prAA= | par | *kútú-Ci |
| hand | *pʌg- | *käte | *aðɣa(ʀ), *aðɣaɣ | *ńuŋkən/*ńuŋen | *kæɣ(ə) | *damk | *són/tar | *tE(=)k | tek | *tà-Ci |
| foot | *kiʔs; *bul | *jalka | *itəɣaʀ | *noj-; *ar- | *kətka | *ŋazl | *pál | *urE; *kEma; *tikir | ure | *pànkì |
| breast | *təga | *poŋe | *əvyaŋ(ŋ)iʀ | *sis-; *mel- | *loloʀ(ə) | *məc(ɣ) | *cǝc | *tOO[C] | *ti/*titi | |
| meat | *ʔise | *pećä; *siwɜ-ĺɜ | *kəməɣ; *uvinəɣ | *čuː- | C *kinuNi; C *tərɣətər | *dur | *kòkí | *kam | kam | shishi |
| blood | *sur | *wire | *aðuɣ, *kanuɣ | *lep(k)-; *čeːmə | *mullə(mul) | cʰoχ; ŋær̥ | *pVhi | *kEm | kem | *tí |
| bone | *ʔaʔd | *luwe | I *caunəq | *am- | *qətʀəm | ŋɨɲf | *sùpyé | *ponE | pone | *pone |
| person | *keʔt; *pixe | *inše | (*inguɣ; *taʁu 'shamanic') | *köntə; *soromə | *qəlavol ?; *qəlik 'male'; C *ʀoraNvərr(at)əlʀən | *n’iɣvŋ | *sarʌm | *kur | (ainu) | *pítò̱ |
| name | *ʔiɢ | *nime | *atəʀ; *acciʀ- | *ńuː; *kirijə | C *nənnə | *qa(-) | *ìlh(kòt)tá/*na | *dEE | rei | *ná |
| dog | *čip ~ *čib | *pene | *qikmiʀ | *laːmə | *qətʀə(n) | *ɢanŋ | *kahi | *gita | seta | *ìnù |
| fish | *kala | *iqałuɣ | *an-/*wan-; *anjə ? | *ənnə | *co | *mǝlkòkí | *tiqEp | chep | *(d)íwó | |
| louse | *jog- ~ *jok 'nit' | *täje | *kumaɣ | *peme/*pime | *mə(l)məl | *dar, *hirk; *amrak | *ni | *ki | ki | *sìrámí |
| tree | *puwɜ | *uqviɣ; *napa(ʀ)aqtuʀ | *saː- | *ut(tə) | *d’iɣar | *nàmò̱k(ó) | *nii; *tiku= | ni | *kò̱- < *ko̱no̱r | |
| leaf | *jə̄pe | *lešte; *lȣ̈pɜ (*lepɜ) | *pəłu | *pöɣ- | *wətwət | *blaŋ(q), *d’omr | *nip | *hrA= | ham | *pá |
| flower | *ćȣrɜ (Mansi) | *polčičə | ɤŋvk | *kòcʌ́ | *Epuy | epuige | *páná | |||
| water | *xur | *wete | *imaqtəq- | *law- | *(m)iməl ? | *caʀ | *mǝí | *hdak=ka | wakka | *mí |
| fire | *boʔk | *tule | *ək(ə)nəʀ | *loč- | *jən ?; *milɣə(mil) | *tuɣ(u)r | *pɨr | *apE | abe | *pò-Ci |
| stone | *čɨʔs | *kiwe | *qaluʀ; *uyaʀaɣ | *söj-/*sej- | *ɣəv(ɣəv) | *baʀ | *tərək | *suma; *pOqina | shuma | *(d)ísò |
| earth | *baʔŋ | *maγe | *nuna, *nunałit- | *luk-; *öninč’ə | *nutæ ? 'land' | *miv | *nu(r)i | *tOy | toi | *tùtì 'land' |
| salt | *čəʔ | *salɜ (*sala) | *taʀ(ə)yuʀ | *davc(iŋ) | *sokom | *sippO | shippo | |||
| road | *qoʔt | *teje | *čuɣö; *jaw- | *rəʀet; *təlanvə 'way' | *d’iv | *kil | *truu | ru | *mítí < honorific prefix mi- + ti 'road' | |
| eat | *siɢ- | *sewe- (*seγe-) | *leɣ- | *nu- | *n’i- | *mǝk- | *EE | ibe | *kup- | |
| die | *qɔ- | *kola- | *tuqu(-) | *am-/*wam- | C *viʀ- | *mu | *cuk- | *day | rai | *sín- |
| I | *ʔadᶻ | *mȣ̈ | *uvaŋa; (*vi) | *mət | *kəm | *n’i | *na/uri | *ku= | kuani | *bàn[u] |
| you | *ʔaw ~ ʔu; *kʌ- ~ *ʔʌk- | *tȣ̈ | *əlpət, *əłvət | *tit | *kəð; *tur(i) | *ci | *ne | *E= | eani | *si/*so̱-; *na |
Notes: C = Proto-Chukotian; I = Proto-Inuit
| Chukotko-Kamchatkan |
|  | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yeniseian |
| |||||
| Yukaghir | ||||||
| Nivkh | ||||||
| Others | ||||||
Italics indicate extinct languages | ||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
Ural-Altaic, Uralo-Altaic, Uraltaic, or Turanic is a linguistic convergence zone and abandoned language-family proposal uniting the Uralic and the Altaic languages. It is generally now agreed that even the Altaic languages do not share a common descent: the similarities among Turkic, Mongolic and Tungusic are better explained by diffusion and borrowing. Just as Altaic, internal structure of the Uralic family also has been debated since the family was first proposed. Doubts about the validity of most or all of the proposed higher-order Uralic branchings are becoming more common. The term continues to be used for the central Eurasian typological, grammatical and lexical convergence zone.
Asia is home to hundreds of languages comprising several families and some unrelated isolates. The most spoken language families on the continent include Austroasiatic, Austronesian, Japonic, Dravidian, Indo-European, Afroasiatic, Turkic, Sino-Tibetan, Kra–Dai and Koreanic. Many languages of Asia, such as Chinese, Sanskrit, Arabic, Syloti or Tamil, have a long history as a written language.
The Eskaleut, Eskimo–Aleut or Inuit–Yupik–Unangan languages are a language family native to the northern portions of the North American continent, and a small part of northeastern Asia. Languages in the family are indigenous to parts of what are now the United States (Alaska); Canada including Nunavut, Northwest Territories, northern Quebec (Nunavik), and northern Labrador (Nunatsiavut); Greenland; and the Russian Far East. The language family is also known as Eskaleutian, Eskaleutic or Inuit–Yupik–Unangan.
Nivkh, or Gilyak, or Amuric, is a small language family, often portrayed as a language isolate, of two or three mutually unintelligible languages spoken by the Nivkh people in Russian Manchuria, in the basin of the Amgun, along the lower reaches of the Amur itself, and on the northern half of Sakhalin. "Gilyak" is the Russian rendering of terms derived from the Tungusic "Gileke" and Manchu-Chinese "Gilemi" for culturally similar peoples of the Amur River region, and was applied principally to the Nivkh in Western literature.
The Chukotko-Kamchatkan or Chukchi–Kamchatkan languages are a language family of extreme northeastern Siberia. Its speakers traditionally were indigenous hunter-gatherers and reindeer-herders. Chukotko-Kamchatkan is endangered. The Kamchatkan branch is moribund, represented only by Western Itelmen, with only 4 or 5 elderly speakers left. The Chukotkan branch had close to 7,000 speakers left, with a reported total ethnic population of 25,000.
The Yeniseian languages are a family of languages that are spoken by the Yeniseian people in the Yenisei River region of central Siberia. As part of the proposed Dené–Yeniseian language family, the Yeniseian languages have been argued to be part of "the first demonstration of a genealogical link between Old World and New World language families that meets the standards of traditional comparative-historical linguistics". The only surviving language of the group today is Ket.
The Nivkh, or Gilyak, are an Indigenous ethnic group inhabiting the northern half of Sakhalin Island and the lower Amur River and coast on the adjacent Russian mainland. Historically, they may have inhabited parts of Manchuria.
Eurasiatic is a hypothetical and controversial language macrofamily proposal that would include many language families historically spoken in northern, western, and southern Eurasia.
Uralo-Siberian is a hypothetical language family consisting of Uralic, Yukaghir, and Eskaleut. It was proposed in 1998 by Michael Fortescue, an expert in Eskaleut and Chukotko-Kamchatkan, in his book Language Relations across Bering Strait. Some have attempted to include Nivkh in Uralo-Siberian. Until 2011, it also included Chukotko-Kamchatkan. However, after 2011 Fortescue only included Uralic, Yukaghir and Eskaleut in the theory, although he argued that Uralo-Siberian languages have influenced Chukotko-Kamchatkan.
Geographically, Siberia includes the Russian Urals, Siberian, and Far Eastern Federal Districts.
Borean is a hypothetical linguistic macrofamily that encompasses almost all language families worldwide except those native to the Americas, Africa, Oceania, and the Andaman Islands. Its supporters propose that the various languages spoken in Eurasia and adjacent regions have a genealogical relationship, and ultimately descend from languages spoken during the Upper Paleolithic in the millennia following the Last Glacial Maximum. The name Borean is based on the Greek βορέας, and means "northern". This reflects the fact that the group is held to include most language families native to the northern hemisphere. Two distinct models of Borean exist: that of Harold C. Fleming and that of Sergei Starostin.
Uralic–Yukaghir, also known as Uralo-Yukaghir, is a proposed language family composed of Uralic and Yukaghir.
Chukotkan is a dialect cluster that forms one branch of the Chukotko-Kamchatkan language family. It is spoken in two autonomous regions at the extreme northeast of Russia, bounded on the east by the Pacific and on the north by the Arctic.
Siberia is a vast region spanning the northern part of the Asian continent and forming the Asiatic portion of Russia. As a result of the Russian conquest of Siberia and of the subsequent population movements during the Soviet era (1917–1991), the modern-day demographics of Siberia is dominated by ethnic Russians (Siberiaks) and other Slavs. However, there remains a slowly increasing number of Indigenous groups, accounting for about 5% of the total Siberian population, some of which are closely genetically related to Indigenous peoples of the Americas.
Michael David Fortescue is a British-born linguist specializing in Arctic and native North American languages, including Kalaallisut, Inuktun, Chukchi and Nitinaht.
Siberian languages may refer to any languages spoken in Siberia, including:
The Eskimo–Uralic hypothesis posits that the Uralic and Eskimo–Aleut language families belong to a common macrofamily. It is not generally accepted by linguists because the similarities can also be merely areal features, common to unrelated language families. In 1818, the Danish linguist Rasmus Rask grouped together the languages of Greenlandic and Finnish. The Eskimo–Uralic hypothesis was put forward by Knut Bergsland in 1959. Ante Aikio stated that it's possible that there exists some connection between the two families, but exact conclusions can't be drawn and the similarities could exist by loaning.
The Chukotko-Kamchatko-Amuric or Chukotko-Kamchatkan-Amuric languages form a hypothetical language family including Nivkh and Chukotko-Kamchatkan. A relationship between these two language groups was proposed by Michael Fortescue in a 2011 paper. He theorized that their common ancestor might have been spoken around 4000 years ago. However Glottolog says that the evidence is insufficient to conclude a genealogical relationship between Nivkh and Chukotko-Kamchatkan.
