Yup'ik language

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Specifically, a polysynthetic language of western Alaska (also known as Yup'igcetun "(speaking) like a genuine person (a Yup'ik)"); generally, a catch-all term for several regional dialects of the same language in Russia and Alaska.

The little bits on phonology and orthography are based on Central Yup'ik, the most widely spoken dialect of Yup'ik and the dialect taught at UAA and in schools.

Contents

Example sentence

Ellallirpakaan iralurrluni cayuumiirutua.
[Ka:.KiX.pa.ka:n i.Ra:.luX.Ku.n1 ca.yu:.mi:.Ro.toa]
I'm getting depressed because it keeps raining all month.
(from Yup'ik Phrase and Conversation Lessons by Anna Jacobson, published in 2002 by the Alaska Native Language Center of Fairbanks, Alaska)

Phonology

Stops: p t c k q
Fricatives: f v K l s z j x x_w G G_w X X_w R R_w
Nasals: m_0 m n_0 n N_0 N
Vowels: i 1 a u

Notes

In Yup'ik, there are no approximants per se; [l] and [j] are more fricative than their approximant counterparts (according to the descriptions given in all my sources, /l/ is more like [K\] and /j/ tends towards [j\]).
Perhaps later, if requested, I'll cover this more in-depth.

Orthography

Stops: /p t c k q/
Fricatives: /vv v ll l ss s y gg w g ug) rr urr) r ur)/
Nasals: /m' m n' n n'g ng/
Vowels: /i e a u/

Please note that this is not the order in which sounds are presented in Yup'ik grammars and textbooks; I'll get to that as soon as I find out how to tablefy things. Later, I should also give a few pointers on how this orthography works.

Notes

The right parentheses beside ug), urr), and ur) represent a bridge over both letters and the apostrophes in m', n', and n'g represent an acute over the letter preceding the apostrophe.

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