Чавчывэн йиԓыйиԓ
Koryak
Chukotko-Kamchatkan
Koryak (Чавчывэн йиԓыйиԓ Čavčyvėn yilyyil, "Chavchyven [reindeer-herder] talk") is a Chukotko-Kamchatkan language of Kamchatka, sister to Chukchi (ckt). Two main dialect groups exist: Chavchuven (the inland reindeer-herding standard, ~1,000 speakers) and Nymylan (Coastal Koryak, several closely related dialects, ~500 speakers). The Koryak homeland encompasses both the Sea of Okhotsk coast and the central Kamchatka Peninsula tundra. Linguistically, Koryak shares Chukotko-Kamchatkan typological hallmarks: highly agglutinative polysynthesis, ergative-absolutive alignment, and rich consonant inventory with ejectives. The Bering Land Bridge research and Koryak ethnography by Bogoras (Jesup North Pacific Expedition 1900-1902) established Koryak as a key Siberian indigenous language.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Koryak
Water
мимыԓ
/mimɯɫ/
Fire
пэӈӈын
/peŋːɯn/
Sun
тиӈытиӈ
/tiŋɯtiŋ/
Moon
йъаԓӄа
/jʔaɫqa/
Mother
элла
/elːa/
Father
элёӄ
/eljoq/
Eat
тыки
/tɯki/
Drink
кывикви
/kɯwikwi/
Love
льуңэвык
/lʲuŋewɯk/
Heart
ԓиӈыԓ
/ɫiŋɯɫ/
Tree
уттыут
/utːɯut/
House
яяӈа
/jajaŋa/
Dog
ӄэйуу
/qejuː/
Cat
ката
/kata/
Hand
миӈыԓгын
/miŋɯɫɣɯn/
Eye
ԓеԓет
/ɫeɫet/
Hello
эймэӄ
/ejmeq/
Thank you
ныӈэвыквын
/nɯŋewɯkwɯn/
One
ыннэн
/ɯnnen/
Good
тӏамгъав
/tʔamɣaw/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Chukotko-Kamchatkan languages
| Meaning | Koryak | Chukchi | Senoufo Supyire | Kabiye | Kalenjin | Ibibio | Scottish Gaelic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | мимыԓ /mimɯɫ/ | мимыԓ /mimɯɫ/ | lwɔ /lwɔ/ | lɩm /lɩm/ | beek /beːk/ | mmọñ /mːɔŋ/ | uisge /ɯʃkʲə/ |
| Fire | пэӈӈын /peŋːɯn/ | пэӈэн /peŋen/ | fyaa /fjaː/ | miŋ /miŋ/ | maat /maːt/ | ikañ /ikaŋ/ | teine /ˈtʲɛnʲə/ |
| Sun | тиӈытиӈ /tiŋɯtiŋ/ | тиркытир /tirkɯtir/ | kanha /kaɲa/ | wɩsɩ /wɩsɩ/ | asis /asis/ | utin /utin/ | grian /kɾʲiən/ |
| Moon | йъаԓӄа /jʔaɫqa/ | йъиԓгын /jʔiɫɣɯn/ | cuoꞌngo /tʃuoŋɡo/ | fenaɣ /fenaɣ/ | arawa /arawa/ | ọfiọñ /ɔfiɔŋ/ | gealach /kʲaɫəx/ |
| Mother | элла /elːa/ | ынньэв /ɯɲɲew/ | naa /naː/ | ɖoo /ɖoː/ | ee'yu /eːju/ | eka /eka/ | màthair /maːhəɾʲ/ |
| Father | элёӄ /eljoq/ | атԓёӄ /atɫjoq/ | saa /saː/ | caa /caː/ | kwanda /kwanda/ | ete /ete/ | athair /ahəɾʲ/ |
| Eat | тыки /tɯki/ | рынтыкэн /rɯntɯken/ | kanyi /kaɲi/ | tɔɔ /tɔː/ | am /am/ | dia /dia/ | ith /i/ |
| Drink | кывикви /kɯwikwi/ | рымԓыӄэн /rɯmɫɯqen/ | nyaha /ɲaha/ | ñɔɔ /ɲɔː/ | ee /eː/ | ñwọñ /ŋwɔŋ/ | òl /ɔːl/ |
| Love | льуңэвык /lʲuŋewɯk/ | ԓюнъювык /ɫjunʔjuwɯk/ | lyɛnɛ /ʎɛnɛ/ | sɔɔlɩm /sɔːlɩm/ | chamuga /tʃamuɡa/ | ima /ima/ | gaol /kɯːl/ |
| Heart | ԓиӈыԓ /ɫiŋɯɫ/ | ԓиӈыԓ /ɫiŋɯɫ/ | urɔ /uɾɔ/ | laŋɩyɛ /laŋɩjɛ/ | muguleldo /muɡuleldo/ | esit /esit/ | cridhe /kɾʲiə/ |
| Tree | уттыут /utːɯut/ | уттуут /utːuːt/ | kapyiŋi /kapjiŋi/ | tɩʋ /tɩʋ/ | keetit /keːtit/ | eto /eto/ | craobh /kɾɯːv/ |
| House | яяӈа /jajaŋa/ | яраӈы /jaraŋɯ/ | nyiŋkanaŋa /ɲiŋkanaŋa/ | ɖɩɣa /ɖɩɣa/ | gaa /ɡaː/ | ufọk /ufɔk/ | taigh /tʰɤj/ |
| Dog | ӄэйуу /qejuː/ | ыттъын /ɯtːʔɯn/ | fwo /fwo/ | hayʋ /hajʋ/ | ses /ses/ | ebua /ebua/ | cù /kuː/ |
| Cat | ката /kata/ | котйо /kotjo/ | baha /baha/ | takpaŋ /takpaŋ/ | paka /paka/ | ekpe /ekpe/ | cat /kʰat/ |
| Hand | миӈыԓгын /miŋɯɫɣɯn/ | мынгыԓгын /mɯnɣɯɫɣɯn/ | kya /kja/ | nesi /nesi/ | euondap /euondap/ | ubọk /ubɔk/ | làmh /ɫ̪aːv/ |
| Eye | ԓеԓет /ɫeɫet/ | ԓыԓет /ɫɯɫet/ | fyaha /fjaha/ | ɛsɩ /ɛsɩ/ | kosit /kosit/ | enyin /eɲin/ | sùil /suːl/ |
| Hello | эймэӄ /ejmeq/ | етти /jetːi/ | mɛ /mɛ/ | ndɩ na /ndɩ na/ | chamege /tʃameɡe/ | mesiere /mesiere/ | halò /haloː/ |
| Thank you | ныӈэвыквын /nɯŋewɯkwɯn/ | вэԓынкы /weɫɯnkɯ/ | fenge /feŋɡe/ | agɔndɩ /aɡɔndɩ/ | kongoi /koŋoi/ | sọsọñọ /sɔsɔŋɔ/ | tapadh leat /tʰapə lʲɛt/ |
| One | ыннэн /ɯnnen/ | ыннэн /ɯnnen/ | ni /ni/ | kʋyʋmaɣ /kʋjʋmaɣ/ | agenge /aɡeŋe/ | kiet /kiet/ | aon /ɯːn/ |
| Good | тӏамгъав /tʔamɣaw/ | таӈъэв /taŋʔew/ | nyaha /ɲaha/ | ɖeu /ɖeu/ | karaaran /karaːran/ | mfọn /mfɔn/ | math /ma/ |
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