3 The Tungusic language family
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Sofia Oskolskaya
Abstract
The Tungusic languages form a small family spread widely across eastern Siberia, the Russian Far East, and northern regions of China. The family’s structural features are typical for the area of Northern Asia: vowel harmony, grammatical categories expressed with suffixes, grammaticalized number, person, case systems, numerous categories expressed on a verb, head-final syntax. Tungusic classification is still debatable. There is a consensus only regarding four branches (Ewenic, Udiheic, Nanaic, Jurchenic); however, the chronology of splits from Proto-Tungusic remains unclear. The daughter languages differ in many ways. Ewenic, the most northern branch, has the most complex morphology, including more numerous case and verbal paradigms. The Jurchenic branch exhibits the simplest grammatical structure. Languages of the Udiheic and Nanaic branches occupy the middle of a continuum between Ewenic and Jurchenic languages. Hezhe and Kili are regarded as mixed languages which share features from more than one branch due to language contact. Contact-induced phenomena are attested in all other languages, as well. For example, the genitive case marker in the Tungusic languages of China could have arisen due to contact with Mongolic languages; the Negidal repetitive verbal suffix was preserved under the influence of the neighbouring Nanaic languages.
Abstract
The Tungusic languages form a small family spread widely across eastern Siberia, the Russian Far East, and northern regions of China. The family’s structural features are typical for the area of Northern Asia: vowel harmony, grammatical categories expressed with suffixes, grammaticalized number, person, case systems, numerous categories expressed on a verb, head-final syntax. Tungusic classification is still debatable. There is a consensus only regarding four branches (Ewenic, Udiheic, Nanaic, Jurchenic); however, the chronology of splits from Proto-Tungusic remains unclear. The daughter languages differ in many ways. Ewenic, the most northern branch, has the most complex morphology, including more numerous case and verbal paradigms. The Jurchenic branch exhibits the simplest grammatical structure. Languages of the Udiheic and Nanaic branches occupy the middle of a continuum between Ewenic and Jurchenic languages. Hezhe and Kili are regarded as mixed languages which share features from more than one branch due to language contact. Contact-induced phenomena are attested in all other languages, as well. For example, the genitive case marker in the Tungusic languages of China could have arisen due to contact with Mongolic languages; the Negidal repetitive verbal suffix was preserved under the influence of the neighbouring Nanaic languages.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Table of contents V
- List of Contributors IX
- Introduction XI
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I Major language groups of Inner Eurasia
- 1 The Turkic language family 1
- 2 The Mongolic language family 75
- 3 The Tungusic language family 123
- 4 The Samoyed languages 167
- 5 Khanty dialects 253
- 6 Mansi dialects 281
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II Microfamilies of Siberia and Asia’s North Pacific Rim
- 7 The Yukaghir language family 307
- 8 The Yeniseian language family 365
- 9 The Amuric language family 481
- 10 The Ainuic language family 541
- 11 The Chukotko-Kamchatkan Languages 633
- 12 The Eskaleut language family 669
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Table of contents V
- List of Contributors IX
- Introduction XI
-
I Major language groups of Inner Eurasia
- 1 The Turkic language family 1
- 2 The Mongolic language family 75
- 3 The Tungusic language family 123
- 4 The Samoyed languages 167
- 5 Khanty dialects 253
- 6 Mansi dialects 281
-
II Microfamilies of Siberia and Asia’s North Pacific Rim
- 7 The Yukaghir language family 307
- 8 The Yeniseian language family 365
- 9 The Amuric language family 481
- 10 The Ainuic language family 541
- 11 The Chukotko-Kamchatkan Languages 633
- 12 The Eskaleut language family 669
