Yakut | |
---|---|
Sakha | |
Саха тыла Saxa tıla | |
Native to | Russia |
Region | Sakha |
Ethnicity | 480,000 Yakuts (2010 census)[1] |
Native speakers
|
450,000 (2010 census)[1] |
Turkic
|
|
Cyrillic | |
Official status | |
Official language in
|
Sakha Republic (Russia) |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-2 | sah |
ISO 639-3 | sah |
Glottolog | yaku1245 [2] |
![]() Locations of Yakut (blue) and Dolgan (green)
|
|
Yakut, also known as Sakha, is a Turkic language with around 360,000 native speakers spoken in the Sakha Republic in the Russian Federation by the Yakuts.
Like all Turkic languages, Yakut is an agglutinative language and employs vowel harmony.
Contents
Classification
Yakut is a member of the Northern Turkic family of languages, which includes Shor, Tuvan, and Dolgan in addition to Yakut. Like Turkish, Yakut has vowel harmony, is agglutinative and has no grammatical gender. Word order is usually subject–object–verb. Yakut has been influenced by Tungusic and Mongolian languages.[3]
Geographic distribution
Yakut is spoken mainly in the Sakha Republic. It is also used by ethnic Yakut in Khabarovsk Region and a small diaspora in other parts of the Russian Federation, Turkey, and other parts of the world. Dolgan, a close relative of Yakut, considered by some[who?] a dialect, is spoken by Dolgans in Krasnoyarsk Region. Yakut is widely used as a lingua franca by other ethnic minorities in the Sakha Republic – more Dolgans, Evenks, Evens and Yukagirs speak Yakut than their own languages. About 8% of the people of other ethnicities than Yakut living in Sakha claimed knowledge of the Yakut language during the 2002 census.[4]
Phonology
One characteristic feature of Yakut is vowel harmony. For example, if the first vowel of a Yakut word is a front vowel, the second and other vowels of the same word are usually the same vowel or another front vowel: кэлин (kelin) "back": э (e) is open unrounded front, и (i) is close unrounded front. Yakut initial s- corresponds to initial h- in Dolgan and played an important operative rule in the development of proto-Yakut, ultimately resulting in initial Ø- < *h- < *s-. Ubrjatova (1985) suggests that the rule was either reintroduced through Evenki contact, or may be a substratal feature of the Yakut language itself. An example is shown in the word meaning 'not': Dolgan huoq and Yakut suox. This phonetic observation gave rise to two acknowledgements:[5]
- that the original phenomenon in proto-Yakut may have likewise been the result of substratal influence.
- that the change of *s > h (debuccalization) is, however, well known and is far from unusual, being characteristic of such languages as Greek in its development from Proto-Indo-European, as well as such Turkic languages as Bashkir, e.g. höt 'milk' < *süt.
Consonants
Bilabial | Dental | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Glottal | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | |||
Plosive | voiceless | p | t | c | k | ||
voiced | b | d | ɟ | ɡ | |||
Fricative | voiceless | s | x | h | |||
voiced | ɣ | ||||||
Approximant | plain | l | j | ||||
nasalized | ȷ̃ | ||||||
Flap | ɾ |
Vowels
Front | Back | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
unrounded | rounded | unrounded | rounded | ||
Close | short | i | y | ɯ | u |
long | iː | yː | ɯː | uː | |
Open | short | e | ø | a | o |
long | eː | øː | aː | oː | |
Diphthong | ie | yø | ɯa | uo |
Writing system
Yakut is written using the Cyrillic script: the modern Yakut alphabet, established in 1939 by the Soviet Union, consists of the usual Russian characters but with 5 additional letters: Ҕҕ, Ҥҥ, Өө, Һһ, Үү.
Сахалыы сурук-бичигэ Saqalıı suruk-biçige (Yakut alphabet)
Letter | Name | IPA | Note | Turkic Latin translit.[citation needed] |
---|---|---|---|---|
А а | а | /a/ | A a | |
Б б | бэ | /b/ | B b | |
В в | вэ | /v/ | found only in Russian loanwords [6] | V v |
Г г | гэ | /ɡ/ | G g | |
Ҕ ҕ | ҕэ | /ʁ/ | Ğ ğ | |
Д д | дэ | /d/ | D d | |
Дь дь | дьэ | /ɟ/ | C c | |
Е е | е | /e, je/ | found only in Russian loanwords | Ye ye or e |
Ё ё | ё | /jo/ | found only in Russian loanwords | Yo yo |
Ж ж | жэ | /ʒ/ | found only in Russian loanwords | J j |
З з | зэ | /z/ | found only in Russian loanwords | Z z |
И и | и | /i/ | İ i | |
Й й | ый | /j, ȷ̃/ | Nasalization of the glide is not indicated in the orthography | Y y or Ỹ ỹ |
К к | кы | /k/ | K k | |
Л л | эл | /l/ | L l | |
М м | эм | /m/ | M m | |
Н н | эн | /n/ | N n | |
Ҥ ҥ | ҥэ | /ŋ/ | Ñ ñ | |
Нь нь | ньэ | /ɲ/ | Ny ny | |
О о | о | /o/ | O o | |
Ө ө | ө | /ø/ | Ö ö | |
П п | пэ | /p/ | P p | |
Р р | эр | /ɾ/ | R r | |
С с | эс | /s/ | S s | |
Һ һ | һэ | /h/ | H h | |
Т т | тэ | /t/ | T t | |
У у | у | /u/ | U u | |
Ү ү | ү | /y/ | Ü ü | |
Ф ф | эф | /f/ | found only in Russian loanwords | F f |
Х х | хэ | /q~x/ | Q q (X x) | |
Ц ц | цэ | /ts/ | found only in Russian loanwords | Ts ts |
Ч ч | че | /c/ | Ç ç | |
Ш ш | ша | /ʃ/ | found only in Russian loanwords | Ş ş |
Щ щ | ща | /ɕː/ | found only in Russian loanwords | Şş şş |
Ъ ъ | кытаанах бэлиэ | /◌./ | found only in Russian loanwords | " |
Ы ы | ы | /ɯ/ | I ı | |
Ь ь | сымнатар бэлиэ | /◌ʲ/ | natively in дь and нь (see above); otherwise only in Russian loanwords | ' |
Э э | э | /e/ | E e | |
Ю ю | ю | /ju/ | found only in Russian loanwords | Yu yu |
Я я | я | /ja/ | found only in Russian loanwords | Ya ya |
Grammar
Syntax
The typical word order can be summarized as subject adverb – object – verb; possessor – possessed; noun – adjective.
Nouns
Nouns have plural and singular forms. The plural is formed with the suffix /-LAr/, which may surface as [-лар (-lar)], [-лэр (-ler)], [-лөр (-lör)], [-лор (-lor)], [-тар (-tar)], [-тэр (-ter)], [-төр (-tör)], [-тор (-tor)], [-дар (-dar)], [-дэр (-der)], [-дөр (-dör)], [-дор (-dor)], [-нар (-nar)], [-нэр (-ner)], [-нөр (-nör)], or [-нор (-nor)], depending on the preceding consonants and vowels. The plural is used only when referring to a number of things collectively, not when specifying an amount. Nouns have no gender.
Pronouns
Personal pronouns in Yakut distinguish between first, second, and third persons and singular and plural number.
Singular | Plural | ||
---|---|---|---|
1st | мин (min) | биһиги (bihigi) | |
2nd | эн (en) | эһиги (ehigi) | |
3rd | human | кини (kini) | кинилэр (kiniler) |
non-human | ол (ol) | олор (olor) |
Although nouns have no gender, the pronoun system distinguishes between human and non-human in the third person, using кини (kini, 'he/she') to refer to human beings and ол (ol, 'it') to refer to all other things.[7]
Questions
Question words in Yakut remain in-situ; they do not move to the front of the sentence. Sample question words include: туох (tuox) "what", ким (kim) "who", хайдах (xaydax) "how", хас (xas) "how much", ханна (xanna) "where", and ханнык (xannık) "which".
Vocabulary
Yakut (Cyrillic) | Yakut (Latin) | Turkish | English | Mongolian (Cyrillic)
/Mongolian (Latin) |
аччык | aççık | açlık | hunger | |
aac | ass | aç | hungry | |
аат | aat | ad | name | |
балык | balık | balık | fish | |
балыксыт | balıksıt | balıkçı | fisherman | |
yy | uu | su | water | ус /us |
тимир | timir | demir | iron | төмөр /tömör |
күөл | küöl | göl | lake | нуур /nuur |
атах | atax | ayak | foot | |
мурун | murun | burun | nose | |
баттах | battax | saç | hair | үс /üs |
илии | ilii | el | hand | |
күн | kün | gün | day, sun | |
муус | muus | buz | ice | мөс /mös |
ыт | ıt | it | dog | |
сүрэх | sürex | yürek | heart | зүрх /zürkh |
сарсын | sarsın | yarın | tomorrow | |
бүгүн | bügün | bugün | today | |
былыт | bılıt | bulut | cloud | |
хаар | xaar | kar | snow | |
хаан | xaan | kan | blood | |
эт | et | et | meat | |
тиис | tiis | diş | tooth | |
ат | at | at | horse | |
таас | taas | taş | stone | |
үүт | üüt | süt | milk | сүү /süü |
ынах | ınax | inek | cow | үнээ /ünee |
хара | xara | kara | black | хар /khar |
сыттык | sıttık | yastık | pillow | |
быһах | bıhax | bıçak | knife | |
бытык | bıtık | bıyık | mustache | |
кыс, кыһын | kıs, kıhın | kış, kışın | winter | |
туус | tuus | tuz | salt | |
тыл | tıl | dil | tongue, language | хэл /khel |
cаха тылa | saxa tıla | saha dili, sahaca | Yakut language | |
кыыс | kııs | kız | girl, daughter | |
уол | uol | oğul, oğlan | son, boy | |
үөрэтээччи | üöreteeççi | öğretici, öğretmen | teacher | |
үөрэнээччи | üöreneeççi | öğrenci | student | |
уһун | uhun | uzun | long, tall | |
кулгаах | kulgaax | kulak | ear | |
сыл | sıl | yıl | year | жил /jil |
киһи | kihi | kişi | human, man | хүн /hün |
суол | suol | yol | road, way | |
асчыт | asçıt | aşçı | cook | |
тараах | taraax | tarak | comb | |
орто | orto | orta | middle | |
күн ортото | kün ortoto | gün ortası | midday, noon | |
күл | kül | gülmek | to laugh | |
өл | öl | ölmek | to die | |
ис | is | içmek | to drink | |
бил | bil | bilmek | to know | |
көр | kör | görmek | to see | хар /khar |
үөрэн | üören | öğrenmek | to learn | |
үөрэт | üöret | öğretmek | to teach | |
ытыр | ıtır | ısırmak | to bite | |
хас | xas | kazmak | to dig | |
тик | tik | dikiş dikmek, dikmek | to sew | |
кэл | kel | gelmek | to come | |
салаа | salaa | yalamak | to lick | |
тараа | taraa | taramak | to comb | |
биэр | bier | vermek | to give | |
бул | bul | bulmak | to find | |
диэ | die | demek | to say | |
киир | kiir | girmek | to enter | |
иһит | ihit | işitmek | to hear | |
ас | as | açmak | to open | |
тут | tut | tutmak | to hold |
Numbers
In this table, the Yakut numbers are written in Latin transcription (see Writing system).
Old Turkic | Turkish | Yakut | English |
bir | bir | biir | one |
eki | iki | ikki | two |
üç | üç | üs | three |
tört | dört | tüört | four |
beş | beş | bies | five |
altı | altı | alta | six |
yeti | yedi | sette | seven |
sekiz | sekiz | ağis | eight |
tokuz | dokuz | toğus | nine |
on | on | uon | ten |
Literature
The first printing in Yakut was a part of a book by Nicolaas Witsen published in 1692 in Amsterdam.
In 2005, Marianne Beerle-Moor, director of the Institute for Bible Translation, Russia/CIS, was awarded the “Civil Valour” Order for the translation of the New Testament into Yakut.[8]
Oral traditions
The Yakut have a tradition of oral epic in their language called "Olonkho", traditionally performed by skilled performers. Only a very few older performers of this Olonkho tradition are still alive. They have begun a program to teach young people to sing this in their language and revive it, though in a modified form.[9]
See also
- Yakuts
- Dolgan language
- Semyon Novgorodov – the inventor of the first IPA-based Yakut alphabet
References
- ^ a b Yakut at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
- ^ Nordhoff, Sebastian; Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2013). "Yakut". Glottolog. Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
- ^ Forsyth, James (1994). A History of the Peoples of Siberia: Russia's North Asian Colony 1581-1990. Cambridge University Press. p. 56. ISBN 9780521477710.
Their language...Turkic in its vocabulary and grammar, shows the influence of both Tungus and Mongolian
- ^ Russian Census 2002. 6. Владение языками (кроме русского) населением отдельных национальностей по республикам, автономной области и автономным округам Российской Федерации (Knowledge of languages other than Russian by the population of republics, autonomous oblast and autonomous districts) (Russian)
- ^ Ubrjatova, E. I. 1960 Opyt sravnitel'nogo izuc˙enija fonetic˙eskix osobennostej naselenija nekotoryx rajonov Jakutskoj ASSR. Moscow. 1985. Jazyk noril'skix dolgan. Novosibirsk: "Nauka" SO. In Turkic Languages 2 (2): 1-32. Historical Aspects of Yakut (Saxa) Phonology. Gregory D. S. Anderson. University of Chicago.
- ^ Krueger, John R. (1962). Yakut Manual. Bloomington: Indiana U Press.
- ^ Kirişçioğlu, M. Fatih (1999). Saha (Yakut) Türkçesi Grameri. Ankara: Türk Dil Kurumu. ISBN 975-16-0587-3.
- ^ "about". Institute for Bible Translation, Russia/CIS. Retrieved 5 Nov 2011.
- ^ Robin Harris. 2012. Sitting "under the mouth": decline and revitalization in the Skha epic tradition "Olonkho". Doctoral dissertation, University of Georgia.
External links
- Yakut Vocabulary List (from the World Loanword Database)
- Yakut thematic vocabulary lists
- [1]
- Comparison of Yakut and Mongolian vocabulary
- Yakut texts with Russian translations – heroic poetry, fairy tales, legends, proverbs, etc.
- Sakhalyy suruk – Yakut Unicode fonts and Keyboard Layouts for PC
- Sakhatyla.ru – On-line Yakut–Russian, Russian–Yakut dictionary
- Yakut–English Dictionary
- Sakha Open World – mp3's of Sakha Radio
Content in Yakut
- Sakha Open World – Орто Дойду – A platform to promote the Yakut Language on the web; News, Lyrics, Music, Fonts, Forum, VideoNews (in Yakut, Unicode)
- Baayaga village website – news and stories about and by the people of Baayaga (in Yakut)
- Kyym.ru – site of Yakut newspaper
|
|
|