7 The Yukaghir language family
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Irina Nikolaeva
Abstract
This chapter surveys Kolyma Yukaghir and Tundra Yukaghir, two closely related living representatives of the Yukaghir family. Both languages are spoken in north-eastern Russia and are critically endangered. The chapter provides a sociolinguistic background and then describes the phonological structure of the two languages in comparison, as well as the main properties of their morphological systems and the syntax of both simple clauses and complex sentence constructions. It also outlines the profile of the lexicon, introduces extinct linguistic varieties of Yukaghir, and presents other basic information about language history. The chapter argues that the main structural features of Yukaghir are aligned with the typological profile of the Uralic and the mainland Altaic languages. They include (but are not limited to) the predominantly agglutinating suffixing morphology, head-final syntax, person/number subject indexing, possessive agreement, genitive-marked possessors, an aspect-dominated TAME system with a binary tense opposition, the nominative-accusative alignment and differential object marking in basic sentences, as well as nominalized verbal forms which head dependent clauses. The most peculiar typological characteristic of Yukaghir is the system of grammaticalized focus constructions that originate from biclausal clefts and follow the ergative/absolutive alignment in terms of the case marking of core arguments.
Abstract
This chapter surveys Kolyma Yukaghir and Tundra Yukaghir, two closely related living representatives of the Yukaghir family. Both languages are spoken in north-eastern Russia and are critically endangered. The chapter provides a sociolinguistic background and then describes the phonological structure of the two languages in comparison, as well as the main properties of their morphological systems and the syntax of both simple clauses and complex sentence constructions. It also outlines the profile of the lexicon, introduces extinct linguistic varieties of Yukaghir, and presents other basic information about language history. The chapter argues that the main structural features of Yukaghir are aligned with the typological profile of the Uralic and the mainland Altaic languages. They include (but are not limited to) the predominantly agglutinating suffixing morphology, head-final syntax, person/number subject indexing, possessive agreement, genitive-marked possessors, an aspect-dominated TAME system with a binary tense opposition, the nominative-accusative alignment and differential object marking in basic sentences, as well as nominalized verbal forms which head dependent clauses. The most peculiar typological characteristic of Yukaghir is the system of grammaticalized focus constructions that originate from biclausal clefts and follow the ergative/absolutive alignment in terms of the case marking of core arguments.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- 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
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- 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