Alutiiq language

The Alutiiq language (also called Sugpiak, Sugpiaq, Sugcestun,Language in the USA, Cambridge University Press, 1981 Suk, Supik, Pacific Gulf Yupik, Gulf Yupik, 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.

The ethnonyms of the Sugpiaq-Alutiiq are a predicament.Medeia Csoba DeHass, What is in a Name?: The Predicament of Ethnonyms in the Sugpiaq-Alutiiq Region of Alaska . Arctic Anthropology. January 2012 49:3-17 (= "Aleut," "Alutiiq," "Sugpiaq," "Russian," "Pacific Eskimo," "Unegkuhmiut," and "Chugach Eskimo" are all different names that have been used to identify the group of Native people living on the Lower Kenai Peninsula of Alaska.) 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.Kodiak High School Adding Alutiiq Language Class , Jacob Resneck KMXT/Alaska Public Radio Network 12-17-2010 As of 2014, Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage is offering classes using the "Where Are Your Keys?" technique.

Dialects 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

Phonology

Consonants LabialAlveolarPalatalVelarUvularplain lab.plain lab.Nasalvoiceless voiced Stop/Affricate Fricativevoiceless voiced lateral Approximant

Consonants may be geminated (e.g. kk; ). Two consecutive identical consonants are pronounced either separately or as a geminate depending on dialect. More consonants are found in loanwords.

Vowels Front Central Back Close Mid Open

All vowels except are considered full vowels and can be either short or long. does not lengthen and does not occur in vowel clusters but may tend to be devoiced as next to other consonants.

Orthography

a – c – e – f – g – gw – hm – hn – hng – i – k – kw – l – ll – m – n – ng – p – q – r – ʀ – s – t – u – w – y –

After voiceless consonants, the voiceless nasals are written without h-.

Other letters aa – ai – au – ia – ii – iu – ua – ui – uu –

Vocabulary comparison The comparison of number terms and month names in the two dialects:

English Koniag Alutiiq Chugach Alutiiq 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 Chugach Alutiiq 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 Chugach Alutiiq

References

Alutiiq language

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