Nunivak Cup'ig or just Cup'ig (own name Cugtun) is a language or separate dialect of Central Alaskan Yup'ik spoken in Central Alaska at the Nunivak Island by Nunivak Cup'ig people (own name Cup'it or Nuniwarmiut). The letter "c" in the Yup’ik alphabet is equivalent to the English alphabet "ch".
The Central Alaskan Yupik who live on Nunivak Island (Nuniwar in Nunivak Cup'ig, Nunivaaq in Central Yup'ik) call themselves Cup'ig (plural Cup'it). Those who live in the village of Chevak call themselves Cup'ik (plural Cup'it). The name Cup'ig (with g) is used for the Nunivak Island Yup'ik dialect and the name Cup'ik (with k) is used for Hooper Bay-Chevak Yup'ik dialect.
The Cup'ig dialect is threatened. This fact was documented by Dr. Michael E. Krauss of the Alaska Native Language Center at the University of Alaska and is illustrated on the map. In 1975, Krauss indicated, "Some of the children speak the language".Krauss, Michael E. (1975). Native peoples and languages of Alaska. [Map]. Fairbanks, AK: Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska. Krauss documented continued decline and downgraded the status to "Very few or none of the children speak the language"Krauss, Michael E. (1982). Native peoples and languages of Alaska. [Map]. Fairbanks, AK: Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska. in 1982.
Today Cup'ig is spoken by elders in the village of Mekoryuk.
Classification
Central Alaskan Yup'ik language Norton Sound dialect is spoken Norton Sound region. Themselves Yup’ik Unaliq subdialect by spoken Unalirmiut (= Atnegmiut, Kuuyuŋmiut, Eŋlutaleġmiut etc.) tribes. Kotlik subdialect by spoken Pastulirmiut tribe General Central Yup’ik dialect or Yugtun is spoken in Nelson Island, the Yukon, the Bristol Bay regions, and Kuskokwim. Themselves Yup’ik (Yukon) or Yupiaq (Kuskokwim). Egegik Yupik is spoken Egegik and Egegik Bay. Themselves Yup’ik Hooper Bay-Chevak Cup’ik is spoken Hooper Bay and Chevak areas. Themselves Cup’ik Nunivak Cup'ig language or dialect is spoken Nunivak Island. Themselves Cup’ig
The comparison of number names in the three dialects Yukon-KuskokwimYup’ikHow to count in Yup’ik Hooper Bay-ChevakCup’ikOn the Facebook: Cup'ik Word Of The Day - Chevak by Rebecca Nayamin (Cup’ik Language Orthographist) Nunivak Cup’igNuniwarmiut Piciryarata Tamaryalkuti, Nunivak Island Cup'ig Language Preliminary Dictionary Meaningatauciqatauciqataucir 1malrukmalrukmalzrug 2pingayunpingayunpingayun 3cetamancitamancetaman 4tallimantallimantalliman 5arvinglegen / arvinelgenarvinelgenarwinleg 6malrunlegen / malrunelgenmalrunelgenmalzrunleg 7pingayunlegen / pingayunelgenpingayunelgenpingayunleg 8qulngunritaraanqulngunritaraq qulngunrita’ar 9qula / qulenqulaqula 10qula atauciqqula atauciqqula-ataucir 11qula malrukqula malrukqula-malzrug 12qula pingayunqula pingayunqula-pingayun 13akimiarunrita’arakimiarunritaraq akimiarunrita’ar 14akimiaqakimiaqakimiar 15akimiaq atauciqakimiaq atauciqakimiar ataucir 16akimiaq malrukakimiaq malrukakimiar malzrug 17akimiaq pingayunakimiaq pingayunakimiar pingayun 18yuinaunrita’arcuinaunritaraq cuinaunrita’ar 19yuinaqcuinaq cuinar 20yuinaq qula / yuinaq qulen cuinaq qula cuinar-qula 30yuinaak malruk / malruk ipiaq (Yukon)malruk ipiaq malzrug-ipiar 40yuinaak malruk qulamalruk ipiaq qula .50yuinaat pingayun / pingayun ipiaq pingayun ipiaq pingayun ipiar 60yuinaat pingayun qulapingayun ipiaq qula .70yuinaat cetaman citaman ipiaq cetaman-ipiar 80yuinaat cetaman qulacitaman ipiaq qula talliman ipiar qula 90yuinaat tallimantalliman ipiaq talliman ipiar 100tiissitsaaq tiititsaaq / tiissitsaaq tiisiss'ar 1.000qulen tiissitsaat ..10.000yuinaat talliman tiissitsaaq..100.000miilicaaqciicitsaaq.1.000.000tiissitsaaq miilicaaq..1.000.000.000
Grammatical numbers The grammatical numbers:
singular dual plural meaningqusngir qusngig qusngit domestic reindeeriqalluyagar iqalluyagag iqalluyagat Dolly Vardenqay'ar qay'ag qay'at / qass'itkayak tuutangayag tuutangayiigeg tuutangayit Canada goose alpa alpag alpat murreqimugta qimugteg qimugtet dog
Education The Cup'ig peoples' only school, the Nuniwarmiut School (P/K-12th grade), lies within the Lower Kuskokwim School District, in the village of Mekoryuk. Built in 1984, the school provides English and Cup’ig bilingual education for 32 students.Mekoryuk Schools
Nuniwarmiut Piciryarata Tamaryalkuti, Inc. (literally, "Nunivak Cultural Programs") is a non-profit cultural heritage organization of the Cup'ig Eskimo village of Mekoryuk, its mission being to preserve Nunivak Island Cup'ig culture, traditions, and language. NPT was established in 1999.faqs.org: Nuniwarmiut Piciryarata Tamaryalicuti
Example phrases
Cangacit? – How are you? Canritua – I am fine Unuakukegci – Good morning Agayunerpakegcikici – Have a very Merry Christmas Allrakularakegciluci-llu – And have a Happy New Year Taqukat, maklit neqkanka – Seals, bearded seals is my food Quyana – Thanks Quyana niicugnillua – Thank you for listening to me. Quyana naqluki allnganka – Thank you for reading what I wrote.
Russian loanwords The Russian loanwords used in Nunivak Cup’ig date from the period of the Russian America (1733–1867).
caarralar (< Rus. сахар) 'sugar' caayu (< Rus. чай) 'tea' caanig (< Rus. чайник) 'tea kettle' cap’akir ( < Rus. сапоги) 'shoe' cass’ar (< Rus. часы) 'clock' culunar (?< Rus. солонина 'salted meat') 'salted fish' kelipar (< Rus. хлеб) 'bread' maslar (< Rus. масло) 'butter; margarine' miss’ug (< Rus. мешок) 'burlap bag' mulut’ug (< Rus. молоток) 'hammer' paltug (< Rus. пальто) 'coat; jacket' pelatekar (< Rus. палатка) 'tent' putuskar (< Rus. подушка) 'pillow' tiisiss’ar (< Rus. тысяча) 'thousand; one thousand dollars' yaassig : (< Rus. ящик) 'box; cardboard box'
See also Chevak Cup’ik language Alaska Native Language Center
References
External links On Facebook: Nunivak Cup'ig Language page. Nuniwarmiut Piciryarata Tamaryalkuti: Nunivak Island Cup'ig Language Preliminary Dictionary