Pulik'la'
Yurok
Algic
Yurok (Pulik'la') is one of the two surviving members of the Algic family's "Ritwan" branch (the other being Wiyot, now extinct as L1 since 1962). The Algic family comprises Algonquian (~30 living languages of eastern/central North America), Wiyot, and Yurok — Yurok and Wiyot were spoken in northwestern California, vast distances from the main Algonquian homelands, posing one of the great puzzles of historical linguistics. Modern Yurok is an active language revitalization success story: tribal language programs, the Yurok Tribal Court (which conducts proceedings partly in Yurok), and the Hoopa Valley High School Yurok program produce ~50 young speakers. Linguistically, Yurok preserves classic Algic features (animate-inanimate noun gender, polysynthetic verbs) but shows considerable divergence from Algonquian.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Yurok
Water
paaʼ
/paːʔ/
Fire
meʼlonok
/meʔlonok/
Sun
woygey
/wojɡej/
Moon
wonewsleg
/wonewsleɡ/
Star
kes'oh
/kesʔoh/
Mother
kokos
/kokos/
Father
nopew
/nopew/
I
nek
/nek/
You
ke'l
/keʔl/
Name
'er'werhł
/ʔerʔwerɬ/
Eye
lekwsh
/lekwʃ/
Hand
mehl
/mehl/
Heart
skoʼol
/skoʔol/
Love
choʼomi
/tʃoʔomi/
Tree
kʼepoy
/kʼepoj/
House
kerwer
/kerwer/
Dog
chishʼah
/tʃiʃʔah/
Cat
putuy
/putuj/
Eat
kepoyi
/kepoji/
Drink
kewolepi
/kewolepi/
One
kohchew
/kohtʃew/
Two
na'amoy'
/naʔamoj/
Hello
aiy-yue-kwee
/aj-juːkweː/
Thank you
wokhlew
/wokʰlew/
Good
skuyahl
/skujahl/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Algic languages
| Meaning | Yurok | Bribri | Wixarika | Nawat | Maliseet-Passamaquoddy | Chol | Koyukon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | paaʼ /paːʔ/ | díʼ /diʔ/ | ha /ha/ | at /at/ | samaqan /samakʷan/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | too /toː/ |
| Fire | meʼlonok /meʔlonok/ | kö /kø/ | tai /tai/ | tit /tit/ | skwut /skʷut/ | kʼajk /kʼahk/ | konh /konh/ |
| Sun | woygey /wojɡej/ | siwa /siwa/ | tau /tau/ | tunal /tunal/ | kisuhs /kisuhs/ | kʼiñ /kʼiɲ/ | so /so/ |
| Moon | wonewsleg /wonewsleɡ/ | tulùr /tuluɾ/ | metsa /metsa/ | metsti /metsti/ | nipawset /nipawset/ | uw /uw/ | oolts'enh /ooltsʼenh/ |
| Star | kes'oh /kesʔoh/ | bák /bák/ | xurawe /ʃuˈrawe/ | sital /ˈsital/ | possesom /pəsːesɒm/ | ekʼ /ʔekʼ/ | so /sɔ/ |
| Mother | kokos /kokos/ | ami' /amiʔ/ | nana /nana/ | nan /nan/ | nikuwoss /nikuwoss/ | ñaʼ /ɲaʔ/ | enaa /enaː/ |
| Father | nopew /nopew/ | yámi' /jamiʔ/ | yawe /jawe/ | tat /tat/ | mihtaqs /mihtaqs/ | tat /tat/ | etaa /etaː/ |
| I | nek /nek/ | yeʼ /jeʔ/ | nee /neː/ | naja /ˈnaha/ | nil /nil/ | joñoñ /hoɲoɲ/ | see /siː/ |
| You | ke'l /keʔl/ | beʼ /beʔ/ | eekɨ /ˈeːkɨ/ | taja /ˈtaha/ | kil /kil/ | jatyet /hatʲet/ | nee /niː/ |
| Name | 'er'werhł /ʔerʔwerɬ/ | kie /kie/ | tewa /ˈtewa/ | tukay /ˈtukaj/ | wisuwon /wisəwɒn/ | kʼabaʼ /kʼaɓaʔ/ | -zaakkʼeʼ /zàːkʼeʔ/ |
| Eye | lekwsh /lekwʃ/ | wö' /wøʔ/ | tukite /tukite/ | ish /iʃ/ | ʼskinekekutu /skinekekutu/ | wut /wut/ | nełtonh /neɬtonh/ |
| Hand | mehl /mehl/ | kjö /kjø/ | mama /mama/ | mey /mei/ | lukikʼn /lukikən/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | ela /ela/ |
| Heart | skoʼol /skoʔol/ | sû' /suʔ/ | iyari /ijari/ | yulu /julu/ | utʼine /utinə/ | pusʼikʼal /pusʼikʼal/ | -dzaaya' /tsæːjəʔ/ |
| Love | choʼomi /tʃoʔomi/ | shkö /ʃkø/ | kanenki /kanenki/ | tasujta /tasuhta/ | kosi /kosi/ | kʼuxbiñ /kʼuʃbiɲ/ | k'oonejee /kʼooneʒeː/ |
| Tree | kʼepoy /kʼepoj/ | kál /kal/ | kiyé /kije/ | kwawit /kʷawit/ | ʼsupi /supi/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | k'eyh /kʼejh/ |
| House | kerwer /kerwer/ | huʼ /huʔ/ | ki /ki/ | kal /kal/ | wikkihtit /wikːihtit/ | otyot /otjot/ | kkun /kːun/ |
| Dog | chishʼah /tʃiʃʔah/ | tchö' /tʃøʔ/ | tsïkï /tsɨkɨ/ | chichi /tʃitʃi/ | ʼmuʼs /muʔs/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | łeek /ɬeːk/ |
| Cat | putuy /putuj/ | mishi /miʃi/ | mitsu /mitsu/ | mishin /miʃin/ | mihtukomuhs /mihtukomuhs/ | mis /mis/ | dotonh /dotonh/ |
| Eat | kepoyi /kepoji/ | dö' /døʔ/ | kuye /kuje/ | takwa /takwa/ | mititi /mititi/ | kʼux /kʼuʃ/ | ghen /ɣen/ |
| Drink | kewolepi /kewolepi/ | yök /jøk/ | hi'eka /hiʔeka/ | ati /ati/ | mun /mun/ | ucʼ /utsʼ/ | don /don/ |
| One | kohchew /kohtʃew/ | ètöm /etøm/ | xevi /ʃevi/ | se /se/ | pesokul /pesokul/ | juñ /huɲ/ | łeek'eyh /ɬeːkʼejh/ |
| Two | na'amoy' /naʔamoj/ | bö́l /bɵ́l/ | huta /huˈta/ | ume /ˈume/ | nis /nis/ | chaʼ /tʃaʔ/ | netaakkʼa /netàːkʼʌ/ |
| Hello | aiy-yue-kwee /aj-juːkweː/ | iri' /iɾiʔ/ | kekuanenki /kekwanenki/ | ne pakua /ne pakwa/ | kʼulasuwiyat /kulasuwijat/ | kabʼ /kaɓ/ | enaa basee' /enaː baseːʔ/ |
| Thank you | wokhlew /wokʰlew/ | wëʼs /wəʔs/ | pa'iwakaitsie /paʔiwakaitsje/ | padiush /padjuʃ/ | woliwon /woliwon/ | wokox /wokoʃ/ | baasee' /baːseːʔ/ |
| Good | skuyahl /skujahl/ | bua /bua/ | waxa /waʃa/ | kwahli /kʷahli/ | woli /woli/ | utsat /utsat/ | nezoonh /nezoːnh/ |
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