Chevak Cup’ik language
Encyclopedia
Chevak Cup’ik or just Cup’ik (own name Cugtun), Hooper Bay–Chevak Cup’ik language is a language or dialect of Central Alaskan Yup'ik
spoken in Central Alaska
in the Chevak
(own name Cev’aq) and Hooper Bay
by Chevak Cup’ik people (own name Cup’it or Cev’allrarmuit). Actually, Cup’ik spoken in Chevak is closer to General Central Yup’ik
than it is to Nunivak Cup’ig
, therefore they should not be equated. The Cup'ik dialect is threatened. The Yup'ik letter c is pronounced as an English ch.
The Central Alaskan Yupik who in the village of Chevak
call themselves Cup'ik (plural Cup'it). Those who live on Nunivak Island
(Nuniwar in Nunivak Cup'ig, Nunivaaq in Central Yup'ik
) call themselves Cup'ig (plural Cup'it). The name Cup'ig (with g) used for Nunivak Island Yup'ik dialect. But, the name Cup'ik (with k) used for Hooper Bay-Chevak Yup'ik dialect.
This unique identity has allowed them to form a single-site school district
, the Kashunamiut School District
, rather than joining a neighboring Yup’ik school district. English and Cup’ik bilingual education is done at this school. There is a tri-language system in Chevak; English
, Cup’ik, and a mixture of the two languages.
Before 1950 formal education for students in Chevak took place in the Qaygiq (semi-underground men's community house; Qasgi or Qasgiq in Central Alaskan Yup'ik
; Kiiyar in Nunivak Cup’ig
; Qargi in Iñupiaq
), and in the homes of the people.
These letters are not used in the Cup’ik alphabet: b d f h j o x z.
Vowel
s:
Consonant
s:
The Russian
loanword
s used in Chevak Cup’ik date from the period of the Russian America (1733–1867).
Central Alaskan Yup'ik language
Central Alaskan Yup'ik or just Yup'ik is a Yupik language of the Eskimo language family, in turn a member of the Eskimo–Aleut language group, spoken in western and southwestern Alaska. Both in ethnic population and in number of speakers, Central Alaskan Yup'ik is the largest of the languages...
spoken in Central Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
in the Chevak
Chevak, Alaska
Chevak is a city in Wade Hampton Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 765....
(own name Cev’aq) and Hooper Bay
Hooper Bay, Alaska
Hooper Bay or Naparyarmiut is a city in Wade Hampton Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 1,014. The Boards of Canada EP Hooper Bay was named after the city....
by Chevak Cup’ik people (own name Cup’it or Cev’allrarmuit). Actually, Cup’ik spoken in Chevak is closer to General Central Yup’ik
Yugtun
Yugtun is a dialect of Central Alaskan Yup'ik spoken in Central Alaska. A syllabic script, now referred to as the Yugtun script, was invented in the early 1900s by Uyaquk to write the language....
than it is to Nunivak Cup’ig
Nunivak Cup'ig language
Nunivak Cup'ig or just Cup'ig is a language or separate dialect of Central Alaskan Yup'ik spoken in Central Alaska at the Nunivak Island by Nunivak Cup'ig people...
, therefore they should not be equated. The Cup'ik dialect is threatened. The Yup'ik letter c is pronounced as an English ch.
The Central Alaskan Yupik who in the village of Chevak
Chevak, Alaska
Chevak is a city in Wade Hampton Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 765....
call themselves Cup'ik (plural Cup'it). Those who live on Nunivak Island
Nunivak Island
Nunivak Island , the second largest island in the Bering Sea, is a permafrost-covered volcanic island lying about 30 miles offshore from the delta of the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers in the state of Alaska, at about 60° North latitude...
(Nuniwar in Nunivak Cup'ig, Nunivaaq in Central Yup'ik
Central Alaskan Yup'ik language
Central Alaskan Yup'ik or just Yup'ik is a Yupik language of the Eskimo language family, in turn a member of the Eskimo–Aleut language group, spoken in western and southwestern Alaska. Both in ethnic population and in number of speakers, Central Alaskan Yup'ik is the largest of the languages...
) call themselves Cup'ig (plural Cup'it). The name Cup'ig (with g) used for Nunivak Island Yup'ik dialect. But, the name Cup'ik (with k) used for Hooper Bay-Chevak Yup'ik dialect.
Education
The Cup’ik dialect is distinguished from Yup’ik by the change of "y" sounds into "ch" sounds, represented by the letter "c", and by some words that are completely different from Yup'ik words.This unique identity has allowed them to form a single-site school district
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
, the Kashunamiut School District
Kashunamiut School District
The Kashunamiut School District is a school district within the village of Chevak. The school district is composed of a single school which teaches grades Kindergarten to High School. The schools mascot is a "comet". The district served approximately 200 students in the 2008-09 academic year and...
, rather than joining a neighboring Yup’ik school district. English and Cup’ik bilingual education is done at this school. There is a tri-language system in Chevak; English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Cup’ik, and a mixture of the two languages.
Before 1950 formal education for students in Chevak took place in the Qaygiq (semi-underground men's community house; Qasgi or Qasgiq in Central Alaskan Yup'ik
Central Alaskan Yup'ik language
Central Alaskan Yup'ik or just Yup'ik is a Yupik language of the Eskimo language family, in turn a member of the Eskimo–Aleut language group, spoken in western and southwestern Alaska. Both in ethnic population and in number of speakers, Central Alaskan Yup'ik is the largest of the languages...
; Kiiyar in Nunivak Cup’ig
Nunivak Cup'ig language
Nunivak Cup'ig or just Cup'ig is a language or separate dialect of Central Alaskan Yup'ik spoken in Central Alaska at the Nunivak Island by Nunivak Cup'ig people...
; Qargi in Iñupiaq
Inupiat language
The Inupiat language, also known as Inupiatun, Inupiaq, Iñupiaq, Inyupiaq, Inyupiat, Inyupeat, Inyupik, and Inupik, is a group of dialects of the Inuit language, spoken in northern and northwestern Alaska. The Iñupiaq language is a member of the Eskimo languages group. There are roughly 2,100...
), and in the homes of the people.
Classification
- Central Alaskan Yup'ik languageCentral Alaskan Yup'ik languageCentral Alaskan Yup'ik or just Yup'ik is a Yupik language of the Eskimo language family, in turn a member of the Eskimo–Aleut language group, spoken in western and southwestern Alaska. Both in ethnic population and in number of speakers, Central Alaskan Yup'ik is the largest of the languages...
- Norton Sound dialect is spoken Norton SoundNorton SoundNorton Sound is an inlet of the Bering Sea on the western coast of the U.S. state of Alaska, south of the Seward Peninsula. It is about 240 km long and 200 km wide. The Yukon River delta forms a portion of the south shore and water from the Yukon influences this body of water...
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 YugtunYugtunYugtun is a dialect of Central Alaskan Yup'ik spoken in Central Alaska. A syllabic script, now referred to as the Yugtun script, was invented in the early 1900s by Uyaquk to write the language....
is spoken in Nelson IslandNelson IslandNelson Island may refer to:*Nelson Island *Nelson Island *Nelson Island *Nelson Island, Trinidad and Tobago*Nelson Island *Nelson's Island, an island in Abu Qir Bay, Egypt...
, the YukonYukon RiverThe Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. The source of the river is located in British Columbia, Canada. The next portion lies in, and gives its name to Yukon Territory. The lower half of the river lies in the U.S. state of Alaska. The river is long and empties into...
, the Bristol BayBristol BayBristol Bay is the eastern-most arm of the Bering Sea, at 57° to 59° North 157° to 162° West in Southwest Alaska. Bristol Bay is 400 km long and 290 km, wide at its mouth...
regions, and KuskokwimKuskokwim RiverThe Kuskokwim River or Kusko River is a river, long, in Southwest Alaska in the United States. It is the ninth largest river in the United States by average discharge volume at its mouth and seventeenth largest by basin drainage area.The river provides the principal drainage for an area of the...
. Themselves Yup’ik (Yukon) or Yupiaq (Kuskokwim). - Egegik Yupik is spoken EgegikEgegik, AlaskaEgegik is a city in Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 116.-Geography:...
. Themselves Yup’ik - Hooper Bay-Chevak Cup’ik is spoken Hooper BayHooper Bay, AlaskaHooper Bay or Naparyarmiut is a city in Wade Hampton Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 1,014. The Boards of Canada EP Hooper Bay was named after the city....
and ChevakChevak, AlaskaChevak is a city in Wade Hampton Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 765....
areas. Themselves Cup’ik - Nunivak Cup'ig languageNunivak Cup'ig languageNunivak Cup'ig or just Cup'ig is a language or separate dialect of Central Alaskan Yup'ik spoken in Central Alaska at the Nunivak Island by Nunivak Cup'ig people...
or dialect is spoken Nunivak IslandNunivak IslandNunivak Island , the second largest island in the Bering Sea, is a permafrost-covered volcanic island lying about 30 miles offshore from the delta of the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers in the state of Alaska, at about 60° North latitude...
. Themselves Cup’ig
- Norton Sound dialect is spoken Norton Sound
Vocabulary comparison
The comparison of some words in the two dialects.| Yukon-Kuskokwim Yup’ik | Chevak Cup’ik | meaning |
| elicaraq (Y) / elitnauraq (K) | elicaraq skuularaq (Cup’ik English mixed language) |
student |
| elicarista (Y) / elitnaurista (K) | elicarta skuularta (Cup’ik English mixed language) |
teacher |
| yugnikek’ngaq | aiparnatugaq | friend |
| yuilquq | cuilquq | the wilderness; tundra |
| nuussiq | caviggaq | knife (not semi-lunar) |
| uluaq | kegginalek | semi-lunar woman's knife |
| canek | evek | a blade or stalk of grass |
| ellalluk | ivyuk | rain |
Phonology
There are 18 letters used in the Cup’ik alphabet: a c e g i k l m n p q r s t u v w y.These letters are not used in the Cup’ik alphabet: b d f h j o x z.
Vowel
Vowel
In phonetics, a vowel is a sound in spoken language, such as English ah! or oh! , pronounced with an open vocal tract so that there is no build-up of air pressure at any point above the glottis. This contrasts with consonants, such as English sh! , where there is a constriction or closure at some...
s:
- Short vowels: a i u e
- Long vowels: aa ii uu
- Diphthongs: ai ui au iu ua ia
Consonant
Consonant
In articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the vocal tract. Examples are , pronounced with the lips; , pronounced with the front of the tongue; , pronounced with the back of the tongue; , pronounced in the throat; and ,...
s:
- Stops: p t c k q
- Voiced fricatives: v l y g r w
- Voiceless fricatives: vv ll ss gg rr ww
- Voiced nasals: m [m] n [n] ng [ŋ]
- Voiceless nasals: m [m̥] n [n̥] ng [ŋ̊]
Russian loanwords
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
loanword
Loanword
A loanword is a word borrowed from a donor language and incorporated into a recipient language. By contrast, a calque or loan translation is a related concept where the meaning or idiom is borrowed rather than the lexical item itself. The word loanword is itself a calque of the German Lehnwort,...
s used in Chevak Cup’ik date from the period of the Russian America (1733–1867).
- caarralaq (< Rus. сахар) 'sugar'
- caayuq (< Rus. чай) 'tea'
- caanik (< Rus. чайник) 'tea kettle'
- cap’akiq ( < Rus. сапоги) 'shoe'
- cass’aq (< Rus. часы) 'clock'
- culunaq (?< Rus. солонина 'salted meat') 'salted fish'
- kalantaassaq (< Rus. карандаш) 'pencil'
- kalmaaniq (< Rus. карман) 'pocket'
- kelipaq (< Rus. хлеб) 'bread'
- luussitaq (< Rus. лошадь) 'horse'
- mass’laq (< Rus. масло) 'butter; margarine'
- missuulleq (< Rus. мешок) 'burlap sack'
- muluk’uuq (< Rus. молоко) 'milk'
- mult’uuq (< Rus. молоток) 'hammer'
- pal’tuuk (< Rus. пальто) 'coat; jacket'
- pelatekaq (< Rus. палатка) 'tent'
- putuskaq (< Rus. подушка) 'pillow'
- spickaq : (< Rus. спичка) 'match'
- tiititsaaq / tiissitsaaq (< Rus. тысяча) 'thousand; one thousand dollars'
- yaassiik : (< Rus. ящик) 'box; cardboard box'
The names of days and months
- erneq day
- Agayuneq ('praying') Sunday
- Pekyun ('movement') Monday
- Aipirin ('next') Tuesday
- Pingayirin ('third') Wednesday
- Citamirin ('fourth') Thursday
- Tallimirin ('fifth') Friday
- Maqineq ('steambath') Saturday
- iraluq month
- Agayuulek ('icicles') January
- Nakrutlek ('accurate shooter') February
- Neqlelek ('white front geese') March
- Tunturalek ('reindeer') April
- Cupun ('breaking river ice') May
- Kaugun ('clubbing fish') June
- Essgun ('newly hatched eggs') July
- Putukuarun ('waddling ducks & geese') August
- Amiirairun ('shedding') September
- Cauyaun ('drumming') (in Chevak) / Ipukaqun (in Hooper Bay) October
- Kanruyauciq ('frost') November
- Angunquyugtuun ('big toe') December
External links
- Alaskool: Chevak Cup’ik Glossary
- Alaskool: Guidebook for Integrating Cup'ik Culture and Curriculum
- Kashunamiut School District
- On the Facebook: Cup'ik Word Of The Day - Chevak by Rebecca Nayamin (Kashunamiut School Cup’ik Language Teacher)