Nunivak Cup'ig language
Encyclopedia
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" on the Yup’ik alphabet is equivalent on 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) used for Nunivak Island Yup'ik dialect. But, the name Cup'ik (with k) 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. At that time (1975) Krauss indicated, "Some of the children speak the language". Krauss documented continued decline and downgraded the status to "Very few or none of the children speak the language" in 1982.
Today Cup'ig is spoken by elders in the village of Mekoryuk
.
The comparison of number names in the three dialects
loanword
s used in Nunivak Cup’ig 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...
at the 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...
by Nunivak Cup'ig people (own name Cup'it or Nuniwarmiut). The letter "c" on the Yup’ik alphabet is equivalent on the English alphabet "ch".
The Central Alaskan Yupik 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). Those who live 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). 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.
The Cup'ig dialect is threatened. This fact was documented by Dr. Michael E. Krauss of the Alaska Native Language Center
Alaska Native Language Center
The Alaska Native Language Center, established in 1972 in Fairbanks, Alaska, is a research center focusing on the research and documentation of the Alaska's Native languages. It publishes grammars, dictionaries, folklore collections and research materials, as well as hosting an extensive archive of...
at the University of Alaska and is illustrated on the map. At that time (1975) Krauss indicated, "Some of the children speak the language". Krauss documented continued decline and downgraded the status to "Very few or none of the children speak the language" in 1982.
Today Cup'ig is spoken by elders in the village of Mekoryuk
Mekoryuk, Alaska
Mekoryuk is a city in Bethel Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 210.-Geography:Mekoryuk is located at ....
.
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 language 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
The comparison of number names in the three dialects
| Yukon-Kuskokwim Yup’ik | Hooper Bay-Chevak Cup’ik | Nunivak Cup’ig | Meaning |
| atauciq | atauciq | ataucir | 1 |
| malruk | malruk | malzrug | 2 |
| pingayun | pingayun | pingayun | 3 |
| cetaman | citaman | cetaman | 4 |
| talliman | talliman | talliman | 5 |
| arvinglegen / arvinelgen | arvinelgen | arwinleg | 6 |
| malrunlegen / malrunelgen | malrunelgen | malzrunleg | 7 |
| pingayunlegen / pingayunelgen | pingayunelgen | pingayunleg | 8 |
| qulngunritaraan | qulngunritaraq | qulngunrita’ar | 9 |
| qula / qulen | qula | qula | 10 |
| qula atauciq | qula atauciq | qula-ataucir | 11 |
| qula malruk | qula malruk | qula-malzrug | 12 |
| qula pingayun | qula pingayun | qula-pingayun | 13 |
| akimiarunrita’ar | akimiarunritaraq | akimiarunrita’ar | 14 |
| akimiaq | akimiaq | akimiar | 15 |
| akimiaq atauciq | akimiaq atauciq | akimiar ataucir | 16 |
| akimiaq malruk | akimiaq malruk | akimiar malzrug | 17 |
| akimiaq pingayun | akimiaq pingayun | akimiar pingayun | 18 |
| yuinaunrita’ar | cuinaunritaraq | cuinaunrita’ar | 19 |
| yuinaq | cuinaq | cuinar | 20 |
| yuinaq qula / yuinaq qulen | cuinaq qula | cuinar-qula | 30 |
| yuinaak malruk / malruk ipiaq (Yukon) | malruk ipiaq | malzrug-ipiar | 40 |
| yuinaak malruk qula | malruk ipiaq qula | . | 50 |
| yuinaat pingayun / pingayun ipiaq | pingayun ipiaq | pingayun ipiar | 60 |
| yuinaat pingayun qula | pingayun ipiaq qula | . | 70 |
| yuinaat cetaman | citaman ipiaq | cetaman-ipiar | 80 |
| yuinaat cetaman qula | citaman ipiaq qula | talliman ipiar qula | 90 |
| yuinaat talliman | talliman ipiaq | talliman ipiar | 100 |
| tiissitsaaq | tiititsaaq / tiissitsaaq | tiisiss'ar | 1.000 |
| qulen tiissitsaat | . | . | 10.000 |
| yuinaat talliman tiissitsaaq | . | . | 100.000 |
| miilicaaq | . | . | 1.000.000 |
| tiissitsaaq miilicaaq | . | . | 1.000.000.000 |
Grammatical numbers
The grammatical numbers:| singular | dual | plural | meaning |
| qusngir | qusngig | qusngit | reindeer Reindeer The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size... |
| iqalluyagar | iqalluyagag | iqalluyagat | Dolly Varden Dolly Varden trout The Dolly Varden trout, Salvelinus malma malma, is a subspecies of anadromous fish in the salmon family, and is technically a char. Although many of the fish are anadromous, the fish also exists in landlocked waters.- Range :The subspecies S. m... |
| qay'ar | qay'ag | qay'at / qass'it | kayak Kayak A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler... |
| tuutangayag | tuutangayiigeg | tuutangayit | Canada goose Canada Goose The Canada Goose is a wild goose belonging to the genus Branta, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body.... |
| alpa | alpag | alpat | murre |
| qimugta | qimugteg | qimugtet | dog Dog The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in... |
Education
The Cup'ig people's school only Lower Kuskokwim School District, Nuniwarmiut School PK-12 in the village of Mekoryuk. English and Cup’ig bilingual education with 32 students is done at this school.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 RussianRussian 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 Nunivak Cup’ig date from the period of the Russian America (1733–1867).
- caarralar (< Rus. сахар) 'sugar'
- caayu (< Rus. чай) 'tea'
- cainig (< 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'
External links
- Nuniwarmiut Piciryarata Tamaryalkuti : Nunivak Island Cup'ig Language Preliminary Dictionary
- http://www.jstor.org/pss/40316565 Griffin, Dennis, A history of human settlement on Nunivak Island, Alaska: Insights from recent investigations at Nash Harbor village.