Dynamics of language contact in the circumpolar region

(2017-2021, with support of RSF grant No. 17-18-01649)

Main project website: http://circumpolar.iling-ran.ru/en/

Keywords: Circumpolar region, language contact, languages of Siberia and Far East, languages of Alaska, areal linguistics, sociolinguistics, historical linguistics, grammar, lexicon, phonology, traditional culture, oral history, linguistic maps

The central question of our project is ‘Are there any specific features of language contact in the circumpolar world?’.

A series of case studies devoted to specific contact areas in the North will guide us towards an answer. Besides, we are compiling a geographic database of all circumpolar languages that will be visualized with the help of dynamic maps, both online and printed. The database will provide a background for our case studies and will facilitate future linguistic research of the circumpolar world.

The case studies include the following traditionally multilingual linguistic areas:

1. Middle and Upper Taz and middle Yenisey region (Olga Kazakevich, Elena Klyachko): Northern Selkup, Southern Selkup, Ket, Evenki, Russian;
2. Tajmyr peninsula (Olesya Khanina, Valentin Gusev, Maria Amelina, Andrey Shluinsky, Olga Kazakevich, Elena Klyachko): Tundra Nenets, Tundra Enets, Forest Enets, Nganasan, Dolgan, Evenki, Russian-based pidgin Govorka, Russian;
3. Lower Kolyma region (Maria Pupynina): Yukaghir, Even, Chukchee, Yakut, Russian;
4. Kenai peninusula in Alaska (Andrej Kibrik, Mira Bergelson): Alutiiq, Dena’ina, Russian, English;
5. Interior Alaska (Andrej Kibrik, Mira Bergelson): Upper Kuskokwim, Dena’ina, Koyukon, Ingalik, Central Yup'ik, Russian, English.

Besides, we have an extra case study on the Lower Amur and Sakhalin region (Valentin Gusev, Natalia Stoynova, Olga Kazakevich, Elena Klyachko) where Tungusic languages Nanaj, Ulchi, Oroch, Negidal, and Evenki are spoken along Nivkh and Russian. We take this linguistic area to check the relative importance of cultural vs. geographical features. The former are common for language communities of this region and the circumpolar communities mentioned above, while the latter are quite different.