Page Type: languageChukchi | Ethnologue

CKT ISO 639-3

Chukchi

Ԓыгъоравэтԓьэн йиԓыйиԓ‎ (Ḷygʺoravėtḷʹėn jiḷyjiḷ) Autonym

A language of Russian Federation

ISO 639
ckt
Alternate Names
Chukcha, Chukchee, Chukot, Lygoravetlen
Autonym
Ԓыгъоравэтԓьэн йиԓыйиԓ‎ (Ḷygʺoravėtḷʹėn jiḷyjiḷ)
Population
5,100 (2010 census). Ethnic population: 15,900 (2010 census).
Location:
Chukotka autonomous district, Kamchatka krai, and Sakha (Yakutia) republic.
Language Status
6b (Threatened).
Classification
Chukotko-Kamchatkan, Northern, Chukot
Dialects
Uellanskij, Pevekskij, Enmylinskij, Nunligranskij, Xatyrskij, Chaun, Enurmin, Yanrakinot. Closely related to Alutor [alr], Kerek [krk] and Koryak [kpy]. Itelmen [itl] is more distantly related. Chukchi may be mutually intelligible with some varieties of Koryak (1988 B. Comrie). Literary dialect and gender dialects also exist. Gender differences largely phonological. Women’s dialect largely ignored in language development.
Typology
SOV/SVO; postpositions; no articles; case-marking (8 cases); verb affixes mark person, number, object; ergativity; 14 consonant and 6 vowel phonemes; non-tonal; vowel harmony.
Language Use
60% of the population. Few domains but extensive use in reindeer herding brigades. Some young people, all adults. Very few children speak it (Salminen 2007). Positive attitudes. Also use Even [eve]. Also use Northern Yukaghir [ykg]. Also use Russian [rus]. Less than 50 speakers of Russian with varying proficiency, but nomadic groups resist Russian language and culture. Also use Yakut [sah]. Used as L2 by Kerek [krk], Northern Yukaghir [ykg].
Language Development
Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. Bible portions: 2004–2020.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Chukchi
Writing
Cyrillic script [Cyrl].
Other Comments
School at Anadyr. Chukchi in Magadan area are nomadic. Traditional religion.

Also Spoken in

Map

Location: Chukotka autonomous district, Kamchatka krai, and Sakha (Yakutia) republic.