Kerek language
Encyclopedia
Kerek was a language of Russia
that belongs to the northern branch of the Chukotko-Kamchatkan languages
. On historical linguistic grounds it is most closely related to Koryak
(both languages have a merger of the proto-Chuktotian phonemes /*ð/ and /*r/ with /*j/). The next closest relative is Chukchi (/*ð/ and /*r/ are merged, but not /*j/).
In 1997 there were still two speakers remaining, but now the language is extinct. Over the 20th century many members of the Kerek ethnic group
shifted
to Chukchi
, the language of the majority ethnic group in the area, but now most Chukchis
and Kereks
speak Russian
.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
that belongs to the northern branch of the Chukotko-Kamchatkan languages
Chukotko-Kamchatkan languages
The Chukotko-Kamchatkan or Chukchi–Kamchatkan languages are a language family of extreme northeastern Siberia. Its speakers are indigenous hunter-gatherers and reindeer-herders....
. On historical linguistic grounds it is most closely related to Koryak
Koryak language
Koryak is a Chukotko-Kamchatkan language spoken by circa 3,000 people in the easternmost extremity of Siberia, mainly in Koryak Okrug. It is mostly a language spoken by Koryaks. Its close relative, the Chukchi language, is spoken by about twice that number. The language together with Chukchi,...
(both languages have a merger of the proto-Chuktotian phonemes /*ð/ and /*r/ with /*j/). The next closest relative is Chukchi (/*ð/ and /*r/ are merged, but not /*j/).
In 1997 there were still two speakers remaining, but now the language is extinct. Over the 20th century many members of the Kerek ethnic group
Kereks
Kereks are an ethnic group of people in Russia. According to the 2002 census, there were only 8 people registered as ethnic Kereks in Russia. According to the 1897 census there were 102 Kerek. During the twentieth century, Kereks were almost completely assimilated into the Chukchi.-Language:Their...
shifted
Language shift
Language shift, sometimes referred to as language transfer or language replacement or assimilation, is the progressive process whereby a speech community of a language shifts to speaking another language. The rate of assimilation is the percentage of individuals with a given mother tongue who speak...
to Chukchi
Chukchi language
The Chukchi language is a Palaeosiberian language spoken by Chukchi people in the easternmost extremity of Siberia, mainly in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug...
, the language of the majority ethnic group in the area, but now most Chukchis
Chukchi people
The Chukchi, or Chukchee , ) are an indigenous people inhabiting the Chukchi Peninsula and the shores of the Chukchi Sea and the Bering Sea region of the Arctic Ocean within the Russian Federation. They speak the Chukchi language...
and Kereks
Kereks
Kereks are an ethnic group of people in Russia. According to the 2002 census, there were only 8 people registered as ethnic Kereks in Russia. According to the 1897 census there were 102 Kerek. During the twentieth century, Kereks were almost completely assimilated into the Chukchi.-Language:Their...
speak Russian
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...
.