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
20 core words in Yurok
Water
paaʼ
/paːʔ/
Fire
meʼlonok
/meʔlonok/
Sun
woygey
/wojɡej/
Moon
tepoo
/tepoː/
Mother
nepuy
/nepuj/
Father
nopew
/nopew/
Eat
kepoyi
/kepoji/
Drink
kewolepi
/kewolepi/
Love
choʼomi
/tʃoʔomi/
Heart
skoʼol
/skoʔol/
Tree
kʼepoy
/kʼepoj/
House
kerwer
/kerwer/
Dog
chishʼah
/tʃiʃʔah/
Cat
putuy
/putuj/
Hand
mehl
/mehl/
Eye
lekwsh
/lekwʃ/
Hello
aiy-yue-kwee
/aj-juːkweː/
Thank you
wokhlew
/wokʰlew/
One
kohchew
/kohtʃew/
Good
skuyahl
/skujahl/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Algic languages
| Meaning | Yurok | Qʼeqchiʼ | Mixtepec Mixtec | Mixtec | Nawat | Metlatónoc Mixtec | Wixarika |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | paaʼ /paːʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ | ndute /nduteʔ/ | ndute /nduteʔ/ | at /at/ | ndute /nduteʔ/ | ha /ha/ |
| Fire | meʼlonok /meʔlonok/ | xam /ʃam/ | ñu'u /ɲuʔu/ | ñu'u /ɲuʔu/ | tit /tit/ | ñu'un /ɲuʔun/ | tai /tai/ |
| Sun | woygey /wojɡej/ | saqʼe /saqʼe/ | nikan /nikan/ | nikandii /nikandiː/ | tunal /tunal/ | nikandii /nikandiː/ | tau /tau/ |
| Moon | tepoo /tepoː/ | poo /poː/ | yoo /joː/ | yoo /joː/ | metsti /metsti/ | yoo /joː/ | metsa /metsa/ |
| Mother | nepuy /nepuj/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | na'án /naʔán/ | na'án /naʔán/ | nan /nan/ | na'án /naʔán/ | nana /nana/ |
| Father | nopew /nopew/ | yuwaʼ /juwaʔ/ | tatá /tatá/ | tatá /tatá/ | tat /tat/ | tatá /tatá/ | yawe /jawe/ |
| Eat | kepoyi /kepoji/ | taawaʼ /tawaʔ/ | kashi /kaʃi/ | kasi /kasi/ | takwa /takwa/ | kasi /kasi/ | kuye /kuje/ |
| Drink | kewolepi /kewolepi/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | kohó /koʔó/ | kohó /koʔó/ | ati /ati/ | kohó /koʔó/ | hi'eka /hiʔeka/ |
| Love | choʼomi /tʃoʔomi/ | rahok /rahok/ | kúu ini /kúu iniʔ/ | kúu ini /kúu iniʔ/ | nesa /nesa/ | kunduu ini /kundúː iniʔ/ | kanenki /kanenki/ |
| Heart | skoʼol /skoʔol/ | chʼoolej /tʃʼoːlej/ | ini /iniʔ/ | ini /iniʔ/ | yulu /julu/ | ini /iniʔ/ | iyari /ijari/ |
| Tree | kʼepoy /kʼepoj/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | yutu /jutu/ | yutu /jutu/ | kwawit /kʷawit/ | itun /itun/ | kiyé /kije/ |
| House | kerwer /kerwer/ | ochoch /otʃotʃ/ | veʔe /veʔe/ | ve'e /βeʔe/ | kal /kal/ | ve'e /βeʔe/ | ki /ki/ |
| Dog | chishʼah /tʃiʃʔah/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | ina /ina/ | tina /tina/ | chichi /tʃitʃi/ | tina /tina/ | tsïkï /tsɨkɨ/ |
| Cat | putuy /putuj/ | mes /mes/ | vilú /vilú/ | vilú /βilú/ | mishin /miʃin/ | vilu /βilu/ | mitsu /mitsu/ |
| Hand | mehl /mehl/ | ruqʼ /ruqʼ/ | ndo'ó /ndoʔó/ | ndo'ó /ndoʔó/ | mey /mei/ | nda'a /ndaʔa/ | mama /mama/ |
| Eye | lekwsh /lekwʃ/ | xnaqʼ ru /ʃnaqʼ ru/ | nduchi /ndutʃi/ | nduchi /ndutʃi/ | ish /iʃ/ | nduchi /ndutʃi/ | tukite /tukite/ |
| Hello | aiy-yue-kwee /aj-juːkweː/ | ma saʼ laachʼool /ma sa laːtʃʼoːl/ | nasáa /nasáː/ | nasáa /nasáː/ | ne pakua /ne pakwa/ | sa'a /saʔa/ | kekuanenki /kekwanenki/ |
| Thank you | wokhlew /wokʰlew/ | bantyox /bantjoʃ/ | tachu'un /tatʃuʔun/ | tachu'un /tatʃuʔun/ | padiush /padjuʃ/ | tatu'un /tatuʔun/ | pa'iwakaitsie /paʔiwakaitsje/ |
| One | kohchew /kohtʃew/ | jun /hun/ | in /iʔn/ | in /iʔn/ | se /se/ | i'in /iʔin/ | xevi /ʃevi/ |
| Good | skuyahl /skujahl/ | us /us/ | vaha /vahaʔ/ | vate /βate/ | kwahli /kʷahli/ | vaha /vahaʔ/ | waxa /waʃa/ |
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