Chevak Cup’ik language
| Chevak Cup’ik | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cugtun | ||||
| Native to | United States | |||
| Region | Central Alaska (Chevak) | |||
| Language family |
Eskimo–Aleut
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| Writing system | Latin | |||
| Language codes | ||||
| ISO 639-3 | – | |||
| Linguist List | esu-hoo | |||
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Chevak Cup’ik or just Cup’ik (own name Cugtun), Hooper Bay–Chevak Cup’ik language is a language or dialect of Central Alaskan Yup'ik spoken in Central Alaska in the Chevak (own name Cev’aq) and Hooper Bay by Chevak Cup’ik people (own name Cup’it or Cev’allrarmuit). Actually, Cup’ik spoken in Chevak is closer to General Central Yup’ik than it is to Nunivak Cup’ig, therefore they should not be equated. The Cup'ik dialect is threatened. The Yup'ik letter c is pronounced as an English ch.
The Central Alaskan Yupik who in the village of Chevak call themselves Cup'ik (plural Cup'it). Those who live on Nunivak Island (Nuniwar in Nunivak Cup'ig, Nunivaaq in Central Yup'ik) call themselves Cup'ig (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.
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Education [edit]
The Cup’ik dialect is distinguished from Yup’ik by the change of "y" sounds into "ch" sounds, represented by the letter "c", and by some words that are completely different from Yup'ik words.
This unique identity has allowed them to form a single-site school district, the Kashunamiut School District, rather than joining a neighboring Yup’ik school district. English and Cup’ik bilingual education is done at this school. There is a tri-language system in Chevak; English, Cup’ik, and a mixture of the two languages.
Before 1950 formal education for students in Chevak took place in the Qaygiq[1] (semi-underground men's community house), and in the homes of the people.[2]
Classification [edit]
- Central Alaskan Yup'ik language
- Norton Sound dialect is spoken Norton Sound 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 Yugtun is spoken in Nelson Island, the Yukon, the Bristol Bay regions, and Kuskokwim. Themselves Yup’ik (Yukon) or Yupiaq (Kuskokwim).
- Egegik Yupik is spoken Egegik and Egegik Bay. Themselves Yup’ik
- Hooper Bay-Chevak Cup’ik is spoken Hooper Bay and Chevak areas. Themselves Cup’ik
- Nunivak Cup'ig language or dialect is spoken Nunivak Island. Themselves Cup’ig
- Norton Sound dialect is spoken Norton Sound region. Themselves Yup’ik
Vocabulary comparison [edit]
The comparison of some words in the two dialects.
| Yukon-Kuskokwim Yup’ik | Chevak Cup’ik | meaning |
| elicaraq (Y) / elitnauraq (K) | elicaraq skuularaq (Cup’ik English mixed language) |
student |
| elicarista (Y) / elitnaurista (K) | elicarta skuularta (Cup’ik English mixed language) |
teacher |
| yugnikek’ngaq | aiparnatugaq | friend |
| yuilquq | cuilquq | the wilderness; tundra |
| nuussiq | caviggaq | knife (not semi-lunar) |
| uluaq | kegginalek | semi-lunar woman's knife |
| canek | evek | a blade or stalk of grass |
| ellalluk | ivyuk | rain |
Phonology [edit]
There are 18 letters used in the Cup’ik alphabet: a c e g i k l m n p q r s t u v w y.[3]
These letters are not used in the Cup’ik alphabet: b d f h j o x z.
- Short vowels: a i u e
- Long vowels: aa ii uu
- Diphthongs: ai ui au iu ua ia
- Stops: p t c k q
- Voiced fricatives: v l y g r w
- Voiceless fricatives: vv ll ss gg rr ww
- Voiced nasals: m [m] n [n] ng [ŋ]
- Voiceless nasals: m [m̥] n [n̥] ng [ŋ̊]
Russian loanwords [edit]
The Russian loanwords used in Chevak Cup’ik date from the period of the Russian America (1733–1867).
- caarralaq (< Rus. сахар) 'sugar'
- caayuq (< Rus. чай) 'tea'
- caanik (< Rus. чайник) 'tea kettle'
- cap’akiq ( < Rus. сапоги) 'shoe'
- cass’aq (< Rus. часы) 'clock'
- culunaq (?< Rus. солонина 'salted meat') 'salted fish'
- kalantaassaq (< Rus. карандаш) 'pencil'
- kalmaaniq (< Rus. карман) 'pocket'
- kelipaq (< Rus. хлеб) 'bread'
- luussitaq (< Rus. лошадь) 'horse'
- mass’laq (< Rus. масло) 'butter; margarine'
- missuulleq (< Rus. мешок) 'burlap sack'
- muluk’uuq (< Rus. молоко) 'milk'
- mult’uuq (< Rus. молоток) 'hammer'
- pal’tuuk (< Rus. пальто) 'coat; jacket'
- pelatekaq (< Rus. палатка) 'tent'
- putuskaq (< Rus. подушка) 'pillow'
- spickaq : (< Rus. спичка) 'match'
- tiititsaaq / tiissitsaaq (< Rus. тысяча) 'thousand; one thousand dollars'
- yaassiik : (< Rus. ящик) 'box; cardboard box'
The names of days and months [edit]
- erneq day
- Agayuneq ('praying') Sunday
- Pekyun ('movement') Monday
- Aipirin ('next') Tuesday
- Pingayirin ('third') Wednesday
- Citamirin ('fourth') Thursday
- Tallimirin ('fifth') Friday
- Maqineq ('steambath') Saturday
- iraluq month
- Agayuulek ('icicles') January
- Nakrutlek ('accurate shooter') February
- Neqlelek ('white front geese') March
- Tunturalek ('reindeer') April
- Cupun ('breaking river ice') May
- Kaugun ('clubbing fish') June
- Essgun ('newly hatched eggs') July
- Putukuarun ('waddling ducks & geese') August
- Amiirairun ('shedding') September
- Cauyaun ('drumming') (in Chevak) / Ipukaqun (in Hooper Bay) October
- Kanruyauciq ('frost') November
- Angunquyugtuun ('big toe') December
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ Qaygiq (Men’s House) by Dr. John Pingayak
- ^ Alaskool: Guidebook for Integrating Cup'ik Culture and Curriculum
- ^ http://www.alaskool.org/projects/chevak/chevak/sound1.htm
External links [edit]
- Alaskool: Chevak Cup’ik Glossary
- Alaskool: Guidebook for Integrating Cup'ik Culture and Curriculum
- Kashunamiut School District
- On the Facebook: Cup'ik Word Of The Day - Chevak by Rebecca Nayamin (Kashunamiut School Cup’ik Language Teacher)
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