Evenki (also known as Ewenki, Ewenke, Owenke, Solon, Suolun) is the largest member of the northern group of Tungusic languages, a group which also includes Even, Negidal, and (the more closely related) Oroqen language. It is spoken by Evenks in Russia, Mongolia, and People's Republic of China.
Description
In certain areas the influences of the Yakut and the Buryat languages are particularly strong. The influence of Russian in general is overwhelming (in 1979, 75.2 % of the Evenkis spoke Russian, rising to 92.7% in 2002). The Evenki language varies considerably among its dialects which are divided into three large groups: the northern, the southern and the eastern dialects. These are further divided into minor dialects. The written language for Evenkis in the then USSR, based on the Latin alphabet, was created in 1931, and since 1937 it has been based on Cyrillic alphabet.[2] In China, Evenki is written in the Mongolian script. [1] University of Chicago linguist Lenore Grenoble, who has spent years studying the language, states that Evenki is one of Siberia's endangered languages.[3]
Orthography
Russia
The Cyrillic script is used by Evenks living in Russia.
| А а |
Б б |
В в |
Г г |
Д д |
Е е |
Ё ё |
Ж ж |
| З з |
И и |
Й й |
К к |
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 |
Bibliography
- Myreeva, A.N. (2004) (in Russian). Evenkis. Evenki-Russian Dictionary. 30,000 words.. Novosibirsk: Nauka.
Notes
- ^ Gordon, 2005 (Altaic)
- ^ Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd edition, Entry on Evenki language
- ^ Pulitzer Center Project on Professor Lenore Grenoble
References
- Ethnologue entry for Evenki
- Bulatova, Nadezhda & Grenoble, Lenore. 1999. Evenki, Lincom Europa, Munich, ISBN 3895862223
- Nedjalkov, Igor. 1997. Evenki, Routledge, London, ISBN 0415026407
- Chaoke, D.O.; Toshiro Tsumumugari, S. Kazama (1991). ソロン語基本例文集 [Solon Basic Sentences]. Sapporo: Faculty of Letters, Hokkaido University.
- Matsumoto Ryou (July 2006). On the Dialects of the Evenki Language (Tungus). http://www.gengo.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/enshu_abstr06e.html.
- Cincius, V.I.. The Solon language (Солонский язык). http://languageserver.uni-graz.at/ls/art?id=771.
External links
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