The Alutiiq language (also called Sugpiak, Sugpiaq,[3] Sugcestun,[4] Suk,[4] Supik,[3][4] Pacific Gulf Yupik, Gulf Yupik,[4] Koniag-Chugach) is a close relative to the Central Alaskan Yup'ik language spoken in the western and southwestern Alaska, but is considered a distinct language. It has two major dialects:
- Koniag Alutiiq: spoken on the upper part of the Alaska Peninsula and on Kodiak Island; it was also spoken on Afognak Island before that was deserted by the people in the wake of the 1964 Good Friday earthquake.
- Chugach Alutiiq: spoken on the Kenai Peninsula and in Prince William Sound.
| Alutiiq | |
|---|---|
| Pacific Gulf Yupik | |
| Sugt’stun, Alutiit’stun | |
| Native to | United States |
| Region | coastal Alaska (Alaska Peninsula to Prince William Sound) |
| Ethnicity | 3,500 Alutiiq people (2010) |
Native speakers | 80 (2020)[1] |
Early forms | Proto-Eskimo–Aleut
|
| Latin | |
| Official status | |
Official language in | Alaska[2] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | ems |
| Glottolog | paci1278 |
| ELP | Alutiiq |
 Pacific Gulf Yupik is classified as Critically Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger | |
The ethnonyms of the Sugpiaq-Alutiiq are a predicament.[5] Aleut, Alutiiq, Sugpiaq, Russian, Pacific Eskimo, Unegkuhmiut, and Chugach Eskimo are among the terms that have been used to identify this group of Native people living on the Lower Kenai Peninsula of Alaska.
About 400 of the Alutiiq population of 3,000 still speak the Alutiiq language. Alutiiq communities are currently in the process of revitalizing their language. In 2010 the high school in Kodiak responded to requests from students and agreed to teach the Alutiiq language. The Kodiak dialect of the language was spoken by only about 50 persons, all of them elderly, and the dialect was in danger of being lost entirely.[6] As of 2014, Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage is offering classes using the "Where Are Your Keys?" technique.[7]
Phonology
Consonants
| Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Uvular | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| plain | lab. | plain | lab. | |||||
| Nasal | voiceless | m̥ | n̥ | ŋ̊ | ||||
| voiced | m | n | ŋ | |||||
| Stop/Affricate | p | t | t͡ʃ | k | kʷ | q | ||
| Fricative | voiceless | f | s | x | xʷ | χ | χʷ[a] | |
| voiced | ɣ | ɣʷ | ʁ | ʁʷ | ||||
| lateral | ɬ | |||||||
| Approximant | l | j | w[b] | |||||
Consonants may be double and have geminated sounds (e.g. kk; [kː]). More consonants /ɾ~r, lʲ, rʲ/ can only be found in loanwords.
Vowels
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i | u | |
| Mid | ə | ||
| Open | a |
All vowels except for /ə/, are considered as full vowels, distinguished with vowel length. /ə/ does not lengthen, nor occurs into vowel clusters, but may tend to be devoiced as /ə̥/ next to other consonants.[8]
Orthography
- a - [ä]
- c - [t͡ʃ]
- e - [ə]
- f - [f]
- g - [x]
- gw - [xʷ]
- hm - [m̥]
- hn - [n̥]
- hng - [ŋ̊]
- i - [i]
- k - [k]
- kw - [kʷ]
- l - [l]
- ll - [ɬ]
- m - [m]
- n - [n]
- ng - [ŋ]
- p - [p]
- q - [q]
- r - [χ]
- ʀ - [r][9]
- s - [s]
- t - [t]
- u - [u]
- w - [w]
- y - [j]
After voiceless consonants, the voiceless nasals are written without h-.
Other letters
- aa - [aː]
- ai - [ai]
- au - [au]
- ia - [ia]
- ii - [iː]
- iu - [iu]
- ua - [ua]
- ui - [ui]
- uu - [uː][10]
Vocabulary comparison
The comparison of number terms and month names in the two dialects:
| English | Koniag Alutiiq[11] | Chugach Alutiiq[12] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nanwalek & Port Graham | Chenega | |||
| 1 | allringuq / allriluq | allringuq | all'inguq | |
| 2 | mal'uk | malruk / mall'uk | atel'ek | |
| 3 | pingayun | pinga'an | ||
| 4 | staaman | |||
| 5 | talliman | |||
| 6 | arwilgen | arwinlen | ||
| 7 | mallrungin | mallruungin | maquungwin | |
| 8 | inglulgen | inglulen | ||
| 9 | qulnguyan | qulnguan | ||
| 10 | qulen | |||
| English | Koniag Alutiiq[11] | Chugach Alutiiq[12] | ||
| January | Cuqllirpaaq Iraluq | |||
| February | Nanicqaaq Iraluq | Yaʼalungia'aq | ||
| March | Kaignasqaq Iraluq | Ya'alullraaq | ||
| April | Uqna'isurt'sqaaq Iraluq | Saqulegciq | ||
| May | Nikllit Iraluat | Maniit Ya'allua | ||
| June | Naut'staat Iraluat | Iqallugciq | ||
| July | Amartut Iraluat | . | . | |
| August | Alaganat Iraluat | Uksuam Ya'allua | ||
| September | Qakiiyat Iraluat | Alusastuam Ya'allua | ||
| October | Kakegllum Iralua | . | ||
| November | Quyawim Iralua | Kapkaanam Ya'allua | ||
| December | Qanim Iralua | . | ||
| English | Koniag Alutiiq[11] | Chugach Alutiiq[12] | ||
References
Further reading
- Bass, Willard P.; Tennant, Edward A.; Anahonak, Carl (1973). Test of Oral Language Dominance Sugpiaq Aleut-English. Albuquerque: Southwest Research Association.
- Counceller, April Gale Laktonen; Leer, Jeff; Alokli, Nick (2006). Kodiak Alutiiq Conversational Phrasebook With Audio CD. Kodiak, Alaska: Alutiiq Museum & Archaeological Repository. ISBN 1-929650-02-7.
- Leer, Jeff; Anahonak, Carl; Moonin, Arthur; Tabios, Derenty (2003). Nanwalegmiut paluwigmiut-llu nupugnerit = Conversational Alutiiq dictionary : Kenai Peninsula Alutiiq. Fairbanks: Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
- Leer, Jeff; Zeedar, Nina (1990). Classroom Grammar of Koniag Alutiiq, Kodiak Island Dialect. Fairbanks: Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
- Leer, Jeff; Christiansen, Matrona; Lind, Doris; Phillips, Thomas; Phillips, Ralph (1996). A Short Dictionary of Alaska Peninsula Sugtestun & Alaska Peninsula Alutiiq Workbook. Fairbanks: Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks. ISBN 1-55500-060-6.
- Pratt Museum (2003). Qulianguat Kiputʹsluki = Bringing the Stories Back : Alutiiq Sugpiaq Remembrances of the Outer Coast of Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. Homer, AK: Pratt Museum.
- Russell, Priscilla N. (1991). English Bay and Port Graham Alutiiq Plantlore. Homer, AK: Pratt Museum, Homer Society of Natural History.
- Steffian, Amy F.; Pestrikof, Florence (1999). Alutiiq Word of the Week. Kodiak, AK: Alutiiq Museum & Archaeological Repository. ISBN 1-929650-00-0.
- Smelcer, John E. (November 2010). "Alutiiq Noun Dictionary" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-16.