A global linguistic database : Query result

Number: 2001

Language: Ainu

Dialect: Sakhalin

Location: SE Russia (Sakhalin Island)

Population: 15 ((+)1994)

Classification: Eurasiatic

Dictionary: Hattori, Shirô, ed. 1964. An Ainu Dialect Dictionary. Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten.

Other Sources: Hattori, Shirô. 1967. "Personal Affixes in the Sakhalin Dialect of Ainu," Linguistics 29, 58-79.

Consonant system:

   p t k ʔ
    č
    s h
m n
    r

Stops: p t k ʔ

Affricates: č

Fricatives: s h

Nasals: m n

Vibrants: r

Glides: j w

Vowel system:

i u
e o
a

Front Vowels: i e

Central Vowels: a

Back Vowels: u o

Long Vowels: v̄ all

Syllable: CV(C)

Demonstratives: 3

Pronouns:

1 4ie
2 5
3 6
Politeness: 2 pol & 5 pol

Syntax: SOV AN GN DN NUM-N POSS-N D+A+N

Ergative:

Prep/Post: /POST

Number: 2002

Language: Gilyak

Alternate Name: Nivx, Nivkh

Location: SE Russia (Sakhalin Island)

Population: 2,800

Classification: Eurasiatic

Dictionary:

Saveleva, V.N. and C.M. Taksami. 1965. Russko-nivxskij slovar'. Moscow.

Grammar:

Panfilov, V.Z. 1962, 1965. Grammatika ivxskogo jazyka, 2 vols. Moscow.
Panfilov, V.Z. 1968. "Nivxskij jazyk," in JNS 5, 408-34.

Other Sources:

Jakobson, Roman. 1957. "Notes on Gilyak," in Studies Presented to Yuen Ren Chao on his Sixty-fifth Birthday, 255-81.
AL 7:1

Consonant system:

   p p^h t t^h k k^h q q^h
b d ɡ G
    č č^h
    ɡ̌
f s x χ h
v z ɣ ʁ
m n ñ ŋ
    l
    r ř(=r^ž)

Stops: p p^h b t t^h d k k^h ɡ q q^h G

Affricates: č č^h ɡ̌

Fricatives: f v s z x ɣ χ ʁ h

Nasals: m n ñ ŋ

Laterals: l

Vibrants: r ř(=r^ž)

Glides: j

Vowel system:

i u
e ǝ o
a

Front Vowels: i e

Central Vowels: ǝ a

Back Vowels: u o

Long Vowels: (v̄)

Syllable: (C)(C)V(C)(C)(C)

Stress: free, but often initial

Noun Number: s p

Demonstratives: 5: this, that, that further away, that absent, that way yonder

Pronouns:

1 4d 4ie
2* 5
3 6
Politeness: 2 fam & 2 respectful [2 respectful=5]

Syntax: SOV AN DN POSS-N D+A+N

Prep/Post: POST

Number: 2003

Language: Chukchi

Location: NE Russia (Chukchi Peninsula)

Population: 11,000

Classification: Chukchi-Kamchatkan: Northern

Dictionary: Moll, T.A. and P.I. Inenlikej. 1957. Chukotsko-russkij slovar'. Leningrad.

Grammar:

Skorik, P.J. 1961. Grammatika chukotskogo jazyka, Part I. Moscow.
Sokrik, P.J. 1968. "Chukotskij jazyk," in JNS 5, 248-70.

Other Sources:

Bogoras, W. 1922. "Chukchee," in Handbook of American Indian Lanugages, ed. by Franz Boas, Washington.
CTIL 1, 359.

Consonant system:

   p t k q ʔ
    t^s(used only by women) č
    ɣ
m n ŋ
    l
    r

Stops: p t k q ʔ

Affricates: t^s(used only by women) č

Fricatives: ɣ

Nasals: m n ŋ

Laterals: l

Vibrants: r

Modified Consonants: c̄ t k q m n ŋ

Glides: j w

Vowel system:

i u
e ǝ o
a

Front Vowels: i e

Central Vowels: ǝ a

Back Vowels: u o

Long Vowels: v̄ ?

Syllable: (C)(C)V(C)(C)

Stress: penult & final

Noun Number: s p

Demonstratives: 2

Pronouns:

1 4
2 5
3 6

Syntax: SVO(ERG)/SOV(NOM) AN GN DN NUM-N

Ergative: ERG

Noun Incorporation: NOUN INCORP

Prep/Post: /POST

Number: 2004

Language: Kerek

Location: NE Russia (Cape Navarin)

Population: 100

Classification: Chukchi-Kamchatkan: Northern: Koryak-Alyutor

Grammar: Skorik, P.J. 1968. "Kerekskij jazyk," in JNS 5, 310-33.

Consonant system:

    p t k q ʔ
    č̌
    h
    (ɣ)
m n ŋ
    l
    (r)

Stops: p t k q ʔ

Affricates: č

Fricatives: (ɣ) h

Nasals: m n ŋ

Laterals: l

Vibrants: (r)

Modified Consonants: c̄ all but ʔ h

Glides: j w

Vowel system:

    i u
    ǝ
    a

Front Vowels: i

Central Vowels: ǝ a

Back Vowels: u

Long Vowels: v̄ all

Syllable: (C)(C)(C)(C)V(C)(C)(C)

Noun Number: s d p

Demonstratives: 2

Pronouns:

1 4d 4
2 5d 5
3 6d 6

Syntax: SVO(ERG)/SOV(NOM) AN

Ergative: ERG

Noun Incorporation: NOUN INCORP

Prep/Post: /POST

Number: 2005

Language: Koryak

Location: E Russia (N Kamchatkan Peninsula)

Population: 6,000

Classification: Chukchi-Kamchatkan: Northern: Koryak-Alyutor

Dictionary: Korsakov, G.M. 1939. Nymykansko (korjaksko)-russkij slovar'. Moscow.

Grammar:

Zhukova, A.N. 1968. "Korjakskij jazyk," in JNS 5, 271-93.
Zhukova, A.N. 1972. Grammatika korjakskogo jazyka. Leningrad: Nauka.

Other Sources: CTIL 1, 363.

Consonant system:

    p t k q ʔ
    č̌
(f)
v ɣ ʁ
m n ŋ
    l

Stops: p t k q ʔ

Affricates: č

Fricatives: (f) v ɣ ʁ

Nasals: m n ŋ

Laterals: l

Modified Consonants:

c̄ all but v j ʁ
c^j t n l

Glides: j w

Vowel system:

    i u
   e (ǝ) o
    a

Front Vowels: i e

Central Vowels: (ǝ) a

Back Vowels: u o

Syllable: (C)(C)V(C)(C), but no CCVCC

Stress: tendency toward penult

Noun Number: s d p

Demonstratives: 3

Articles: def indef

Pronouns:

1 4d 4
2 5d 5
3 6d 6

Syntax: SOV AN GN DN NUM-N POSS-N

Ergative: ERG

Noun Incorporation: NOUN INCORP

Prep/Post: /POST

Number: 2006

Language: Alyutor

Location: E Russia (Kamchatkan Peninsula)

Population: 1,000

Classification: Chukchi-Kamchatkan: Northern: Koryak-Alyutor

Grammar: Zhukova, A.N. 1968. "Aljutorskij jazyk," in JNS 5, 294-309.

Other Sources: Mel'č̌uk, Igor A. and Elena N. Savvina. 1978. "Toward a Formal Model of Alutor Surface Syntax: Predicative and Completive Constructions," Linguistics, Special Issue, 5-39.

Consonant system:

   p t k q ʔ
    č
    s
v ɣ
m n ñ ŋ
    l ʎ
    r

Stops: p t k q ʔ

Affricates: č

Fricatives: v s ɣ

Nasals: m n ñ ŋ

Laterals: l ʎ

Vibrants: r

Modified Consonants: c̄ all but ʔ

Glides: j w

Vowel system:

    i u
    ǝ
    a

Front Vowels: i

Central Vowels: ǝ a

Back Vowels: u

Stress: mostly second, sometimes initial

Noun Number: s d p

Demonstratives: 3

Pronouns:

1 4d 4
2 5d 5
3 6d 6

Syntax: SVO AN

Ergative: ERG

Noun Incorporation: NOUN INCORP

Prep/Post: /POST

Number: 2007

Language: Kamchadal

Alternate Name: Itelmen

Location: E Russia (W Kamchatkan Peninsula)

Population: 400

Classification: Chukchi-Kamchatkan: Southern

Dictionary: Worth, Dean S. 1969. Dictionary of Western Kamchadal. UCPL 59.

Grammar: Volodin, A.P. and A.N. Zhukova. 1968. "Itel'menskij jazyk," in JNS 5, 334-51.

Other Sources: Worth, Dean Stoddard. 1961. Kamchadal Texts Collected by W. Jochelson. The Hague: Mouton.

Consonant system:

   p p^ʔt t^ʔ k k^ʔ q q^ʔ ʔ
    č č^ʔ
f s x χ
v z ɣ
m n ñ ŋ
    l ɬ ʎ
    r

Stops: p p^ʔt t^ʔ k k^ʔ q q^ʔ ʔ

Affricates: č č^ʔ

Fricatives: f v s z x ɣ χ

Nasals: m n ñ ŋ

Laterals: l ɬ ʎ

Vibrants: r

Modified Consonants: c̄ k č s z ɣ m n ñ l w

Glides: j w w̥

Vowel system:

i u
e o
a ɑ

Front Vowels: i e

Central Vowels: a

Back Vowels: u o ɑ

Long Vowels: v̄ ?

Syllable: (C)(C)(C)(C)V(C)(C)

Stress: penult (sometimes antepenult)

Noun Number: s p

Demonstratives: 2

Pronouns:

1 (4d) 4
2 (5d) 5
3 6

Syntax: SOV AN GN/NG DN NUM-N POSS-N/N-POSS

Ergative: ERG

Noun Incorporation: NOUN INCORP

Prep/Post: /POST

Comments: all bilingual in Russian

Number: 2008

Language: Aleut

Location: SW Alaska (Aleutian Islands)

Population: 600

Classification: Eskimo-Aleut: Aleut

Grammar:

GD: Geoghegan, Richard Henry. 1944. The Aleut Language. Washington, D,C.: Dept of the Interior.
Menovshchikov, G.A. 1968. "Aleutskij jazyk" in JNS 5, 386-406.

Consonant system:

   (p) t k q
(b)
    s x χ h
    ð ɣ ʁ
   m n ŋ
    l ɬ
    r
(in some dialects p > m, b > w)

Stops: (p) (b) t k q (in some dialects p > m, b > w)

Fricatives: ð s x ɣ χ ʁ h

Nasals: m n ŋ

Laterals: l ɬ

Vibrants: r

Glides: j w

Vowel system:

Front Vowels: i

Central Vowels: a

Back Vowels: u

Syllable: (C)(C)V(C)(C)

Noun Number: s d p

Demonstratives: >20, +e.g This, that near visible, that inside, that far visible, that invisible, that above, that outside, that far away, that underneath, that not far away, that going past, that invisible far in time or space, that above close, that lying nearby, that

Pronouns:

1 4d 4
2 5d 5
3 6d 6

Syntax: SOV NA GN DN NUM-N POSS-N/N-POSS

Ergative: ERG

Prep/Post: /POST

Number: 2009

Language: Proto-Eskimo

Location: Alaska

Classification: Eskimo-Aleut: Eskimo

Other Sources: Swadesh, Morris. 1952. "Unaaliq and Proto Eskimo IV: Diachronic Notes," IJAL 18, 166-71.

Consonant system:

p t k q

v s ɣ ʁ
m n ŋ
l ɬ

Stops: p t k q

Fricatives: v s ɣ ʁ

Nasals: m n ŋ

Laterals: l ɬ

Glides: j

Vowel system:

Front Vowels: i

Central Vowels: ǝ a

Back Vowels: u

Ergative:

Prep/Post:

Number: 2010

Language: Alaskan Inuit

Location: Alaska

Population: 65,000

Classification: Eskimo-Aleut: Eskimo: Inuit

Consonant system:

Ergative:

Prep/Post:

Number: 2011

Language: Canadian Inuit

Dialect: Labrador Inuttut

Location: E Canada (Labrador)

Population: 65,000

Classification: Eskimo-Aleut: Eskimo: Inuit

Grammar: Spalding, A.E. 1969. Salliq: An Eskimo Grammar. Ottawa: Education Branch, Dept. of Indian Affairs.

TextBooks: Webster, Donald H. 1968. Let's Learn Eskimo. Fairbanks: SIL.

Other Sources: Smith, L.R. 1975. "Labrador Inuttut Surface Phonology," IJAL 41, 97-105.

Consonant system:

   p t k
    s χ (h)
v ɣ
m n ŋ
    l ɬ
    (ɹ̣)

Stops: p t k

Fricatives: v s ɣ χ (h)

Nasals: m n ŋ

Laterals: l ɬ

Vibrants: (ɹ̣)

Modified Consonants: c̄ all but v s ɣ

Glides: j

Vowel system:

I ʋ
ɐ

Front Vowels: I

Central Vowels: ɐ

Back Vowels: ʋ

Long Vowels: ī ā ū

Noun Number: s d p

Pronouns:

1 4d 4
2 5d 5
3 6d 6

Syntax: SOV GN N-POSS

Ergative:

Prep/Post: /POST

Number: 2012

Language: Greenlandic

Dialect: West Greenlandic

Location: W Greenland

Population: 65,000

Classification: Eskimo-Aleut: Eskimo: Inuit

Other Sources:

Mase, Hideo and Jørgen Rischel,1972. "A Study of Consonant Quantity in West Greenlandic," IJDL 1:2, 138-95.
WALS

Consonant system:

   p t k q
    s š
    ɣ ʁ
m n ŋ
    l

Stops: p t k q

Fricatives: s š ɣ ʁ

Nasals: m n ŋ

Laterals: l

Modified Consonants: c̄ all but j

Glides: j w

Vowel system:

i u
a

Front Vowels: i

Central Vowels: a

Back Vowels: u

Long Vowels: v̄ all

Diphthongs: ai only

Syllable: CV(C)

Syntax: SOV

Ergative:

Prep/Post:

Number: 2013

Language: Alutiiq

Alternate Name: Pacific Gulf Yupik

Location: Alaska (Kodiak Island)

Population: 2,000

Classification: Eskimo-Aleut: Eskimo: Yupik: Alaskan

Consonant system:

Ergative:

Prep/Post:

Number: 2014

Language: Central Yupik

Dialect: Yuk

Location: W Alaska

Population: 14,500

Classification: Eskimo-Aleut: Eskimo: Yupik: Alaskan

Other Sources:

Miyaoka, Osahito. 1971. "On Syllable Modification and Quantity in Yuk," IJAL 37, 219-26.
Swedish, Morris. 1951-2. "Unaaliq and Proto Eskimo I-III," IJAL 17, 66-70; 18, 25-34, & 69-76.

Consonant system:

p t k q
č
f v š ž x ɣ χ ʁ
m n ŋ
l ɬ

Stops: p t k q

Affricates: č

Fricatives: f v š ž x ɣ χ ʁ

Nasals: m n ŋ

Laterals: l ɬ

Modified Consonants: c̄

Glides: j w

Vowel system:

Front Vowels: i

Central Vowels: ǝ a

Back Vowels: u

Long Vowels: i a u

Noun Number: s d p

Pronouns:

1 4d 4
2 5d 5
3 6d 6

Syntax: SOV NUM-N N-POSS

Ergative:

Prep/Post: /POST

Number: 2015

Language: Sirenik

Location: NE Russia (Siberia)

Population: 10

Classification: Eskimo-Aleut: Eskimo: Yupik: Siberian

Consonant system:

Ergative:

Prep/Post:

Number: 2016

Language: Chaplino

Dialect: St. Lawrence Island

Location: W Alaska (St. Lawrence Island)

Population: 1,700

Classification: Eskimo-Aleut: Eskimo: Yupik: Siberian

Other Sources: Krauss, Michael E. 1976. "Eskimo-Aleut," in NLA 1, 191.

Consonant system:

p t k kʷ q qʷ

f v s z x ɣ xʷ ɣʷ χ ʁ χʷ ʁʷ (h)
m m̥ n n̥ ŋ ŋ̥ ŋʷ ŋ̥ʷ
l ɬ
r r̥

Stops: p t k kʷ q qʷ

Fricatives: f v s z x ɣ xʷ ɣʷ χ ʁ χʷ ʁʷ (h)

Nasals: m m̥ n n̥ ŋ ŋ̥ ŋʷ ŋ̥ʷ

Laterals: l ɬ

Vibrants: r r̥

Glides: j

Vowel system:

Front Vowels: i

Central Vowels: ǝ a

Back Vowels:

u

Long Vowels: i a u

Ergative:

Prep/Post:

Number: 2017

Language: Chaplino

Dialect: Siberian

Location: NE Russia (Siberia)

Population: 1,700

Classification: Eskimo-Aleut: Eskimo: Yupik: Siberian

Grammar:

Menovshchikov, G.A. 1954. Eskimossko-russkij slovar'. Leningrad.
Menovshehikov, G.A. 1962,1967. Grammatika jazyka aziatskix eskimosov, 2 vols. Moscow.
Menovshchikov, G.A. 1968. "Eskimosskij jazyk," in JNS 5, 366-85.

Consonant system:

p t k q

f v s z š x ɣ χ ʁ
m n n̥ ŋ
l ɬ
r

Stops: p t k q

Fricatives: f v s z š x ɣ χ ʁ

Nasals: m n n̥ ŋ

Laterals: l ɬ

Vibrants: r

Glides: j

Vowel system:

Front Vowels: i

Central Vowels: ɨ a

Back Vowels: u

Long Vowels: v̄

Noun Number: s d p

Demonstratives: 20: see the St. Lawrence Island dialect.

Pronouns:

1 4d 4
2 5d 5
3 6d 6

Syntax: SOV AN GN DN NUM-N POSS-N/N-POSS

Ergative: ERG

Prep/Post: /POST

Number: 2018

Language: Naukan

Location: NE Russia (Siberia)

Population: 1,700

Classification: Eskimo-Aleut: Eskimo: Yupik: Siberian

Grammar: GD: Menovshchikov, G.A. 1975. Jazyk naukanskix eskimosov. Leningrad: Nauka.

Consonant system:

p t k q

v s x ɣ χ
m n ŋ
l ɬ
r

Stops: p t k q

Fricatives: v s x ɣ χ

Nasals: m n ŋ

Laterals: l ɬ

Vibrants: r

Glides: j w

Vowel system:

Front Vowels: i

Central Vowels: ɨ a

Back Vowels: u

Long Vowels: v̄

Diphthongs: ʋi au ei iu eu ea ...

Syllable: (C)V(C)

Noun Number: s d p

Demonstratives: 20: (1) this close, (2) that in front, (3) this nearby, (4) that in the water, (5) that behind above, (6) that below, (7) that above, (8) that invisible, (9) that outside, (10) that outside close by, (11) that inside, (12) that invisible far away, (13) that behind not far, (14) that unknown, (15) that way above, (16) that on the mountain, (17) that far away, (18) that going past, (19) that drawing near, (20) that to the side

Syntax: SOV AN GN DN NUM-N POSS-N/N-POSS

Ergative: ERG

Prep/Post: /POST

Comments: Spoken in Siberia and on St. Lawrence Island, this the only language native to bother hemispheres. The Russian and American groups have, however, been isolated from each other since the inception of the Cold War in 1947.

Number: 2019

Language: Elamite

Dialect: Achaemenid

Location: SW Iran

Population: extinct (c. 1,000 A.D.)

Classification: Elamo-Dravidian

Other Sources:

McAlpin, David W. 1981. Proto-Elamo-Dravidian: The Evidence and its Implications. Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society.
Blazek, Václav. 2002. "Elam: A Bridge between the Ancient Near East and Dravidian India?," Mother Tongue 7, 123-46.
Starostin, George. 2002. "On the Genetic Affiliation of the Elamite Language," Mother Tongue 7, 147-70.

Consonant system:

p t k

s z š
m n
l
r

Stops: p t k

Fricatives: s z š

Nasals: m n

Laterals: l

Vibrants: r

Modified Consonants: c̄

Glides: j (w)

Vowel system:

Front Vowels: i (e)

Central Vowels: a

Back Vowels: u

Noun Number: s p (normally used only with humans)

Demonstratives: 2

Articles: def

Pronouns:

1 4
2 5
3 6

Syntax: SOV NA NG ND N-NUM N-POSS N+A+D

Prep/Post: POST

Comments: McAlpin (1981), following earlier scholars, proposed that the extinct Elamite language was most closely related to the Dravidian family. Without denying this connection Blazek (2002) points out striking similarities with Afro-Asiatic. Starostin (2002) rejects a close connection with Dravidian and regards Elamite as in some sense intermediate between Nostratic and Afro-Asiatic. The precise position of Elamite is not yet clear.

Number: 2020

Language: Proto-Dravidian

Location: India

Classification: Dravidian

Other Sources:

Emeneau, M. B. 1970. Dravidian Comparative Phonology: A Sketch. Annamalainagar: Annamalai Univ.
Pfeiffer, Martin. 1972. Elements of Kurux Historical Phonology. Leiden: E. J. Brill.
Zvelebil, Kamil V. 1974. "Dravidian Languages," EB 5, 989-92.

Consonant system:

p t̪ t ṭ k
č
v
m n ṇ ñ
l ḷ
ɾ ɹ̣

Stops: p t̪ t ṭ k

Affricates: č

Fricatives: v

Nasals: m n ṇ ñ

Laterals: l ḷ

Vibrants: ɾ ɹ̣

Modified Consonants: c̄

Glides: j

Vowel system:

Front Vowels: i e

Central Vowels: a

Back Vowels: u o

Long Vowels: v̄ all

Stress: initial

Noun Number: s p

Gender: sing: masc, non-masc; pl: hum, non-hum

Syntax: SOV