Koryak language

Koryak
нымылан Nymylan
Native to	Russia
Region	Koryak Okrug
Ethnicity	8,000 Koryaks (2010 census)
Native speakers	1,700 (2010 census)
Language family	Chukotko-Kamchatkan Chukotkan Koryak
Dialects	Chavchuven Koryak
Language codes
ISO 639-3	kpy
Glottolog	kory1246
ELP	Koryak

Koryak is a Chukotko-Kamchatkan language spoken by about 1,700 people in the easternmost extremity of Siberia, mainly in Koryak Okrug. It is mostly spoken by Koryaks. Its close relative, the Chukchi language, is spoken by about three times that number. The language together with Chukchi, Kerek, Alutor and Itelmen forms the Chukotko-Kamchatkan language family. Its name in Koryak is нымылан Nymylan, but the Russian name is more common.

The Chukchi and Koryaks form a cultural unit with an economy based on reindeer herding and both have autonomy within the Russian Federation.

Koryak alphabet

А а	Б б	В в	В' в'	Г г	Г' г'	Д д	Е е
Ё ё	Ж ж	З з	И и	Й й	К к	Ӄ ӄ	Л л
М м	Н н	Ӈ ӈ	О о	П п	Р р	С с	Т т
У у	Ф ф	Х х	Ц ц	Ч ч	Ш ш	Щ щ	Ъ ъ
Ы ы	Ь ь	Э э	Ю ю	Я я

Further reading

• Bogoras, Waldemar, and Franz Boas. Koryak Texts. Leyden: E.J. Brill, 1917.
• Comrie, Bernard. Inverse Verb Forms in Siberia Evidence from Chukchee, Koryak and Kamchadal. Amsterdam: Bibliotheek v.h. Inst. voor Algemene Taalwetenschap v.d. Univ. van Amsterdam], 1985.
• Zhukova, A. N., and Tokusu Kurebito. Basic topical dictionary of the Koryak-Chukchi languages = Basovyĭ tematicheskiĭ slovarʹ kori︠a︡ksko-chukotskikh i︠a︡zykov. Tokyo, Japan: Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, 2004. ISBN 4-87297-896-X

External links

• Endangered Languages of Siberia - The Koryak language