Nunivak Cup'ig or just Cup'ig (own name Cugtun) is a language or separate[1] dialect of Central Alaskan Yup'ik spoken in Central Alaska at the Nunivak Island by Nunivak Cup'ig people (own name Cup'it or Nuniwarmiut). The letter "c" in the Yup’ik alphabet is equivalent to the English alphabet "ch".
The Central Alaskan Yupik who live on Nunivak Island (Nuniwar in Nunivak Cup'ig, Nunivaaq in Central Yup'ik) call themselves Cup'ig (plural Cup'it). Those who live in the village of Chevak call themselves Cup'ik (plural Cup'it). The name Cup'ig (with g) is used for the Nunivak Island Yup'ik dialect and the name Cup'ik (with k) is used for Hooper Bay-Chevak Yup'ik dialect.
The Cup'ig dialect is threatened. This fact was documented by Dr. Michael E. Krauss of the Alaska Native Language Center at the University of Alaska and is illustrated on the map. In 1975, Krauss indicated, "Some of the children speak the language".[2] Krauss documented continued decline and downgraded the status to "Very few or none of the children speak the language"[3] in 1982.
Today Cup'ig is spoken by elders in the village of Mekoryuk.[4]
Nunivak Cup'ig language or dialect is spoken Nunivak Island. Themselves Cup’ig
The comparison of number names in the three dialects
Grammatical numbers
The grammatical numbers:
Education
The Cup'ig peoples' only school, the Nuniwarmiut School (P/K-12th grade), lies within the Lower Kuskokwim School District, in the village of Mekoryuk. Built in 1984,[10] the school provides English and Cup’ig bilingual education for 32 students.[11]
Nuniwarmiut Piciryarata Tamaryalkuti, Inc. (literally, "Nunivak Cultural Programs") is a non-profit cultural heritage organization of the Cup'ig Eskimo village of Mekoryuk, its mission being to preserve Nunivak Island Cup'ig culture, traditions, and language. NPT was established in 1999.[12]
Example phrases
Cangacit? - How are you?
Canritua - I am fine
Unuakukegci - Good morning
Agayunerpakegcikici - Have a very Merry Christmas
Allrakularakegciluci-llu - And have a Happy New Year
Taqukat, maklit neqkanka - Seals, bearded seals is my food
Quyana - Thanks
Quyana niicugnillua - Thank you for listening to me.
Quyana naqluki allnganka - Thank you for reading what I wrote.
^Jacobson, Steven (2006). "The participial oblique, a verb mood found only in Nunivak Central Alaskan Yup'ik and in Siberian Yupik". Études/Inuit/Studies. 30 (1): 135–156. doi:10.7202/016154ar.
^Krauss, Michael E. (1975). Native peoples and languages of Alaska. [Map]. Fairbanks, AK: Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska.
^Krauss, Michael E. (1982). Native peoples and languages of Alaska. [Map]. Fairbanks, AK: Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska.
^"Lower Kuskokwim School District". Archived from the original on 2011-03-04. Retrieved 2011-03-08.
^Lipka, Jerry (1994). "Culturally Negotiated Schooling: Toward a Yup'ik Mathematics". Journal of American Indian Education. 33 (3): 14–30. JSTOR 24398325.
^How to count in Yup’ik
^Reed, Irene; Miyaoka, Osahito; Jacobson, Steven; Afcan, Paschal; Krauss, Michael (1977). Yup'ik Eskimo Grammar. Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska. ISBN 978-0-933769-26-7.[page needed]
^On the Facebook: Cup'ik Word Of The Day - Chevak[unreliable source?] by Rebecca Nayamin (Cup’ik Language Orthographist)
^Nuniwarmiut Piciryarata Tamaryalkuti, Nunivak Island Cup'ig Language Preliminary Dictionary Archived 2012-08-05 at the Wayback Machine
^"Nuniwarmiut Schools". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2014-11-20.
^Mekoryuk Schools
^faqs.org: Nuniwarmiut Piciryarata Tamaryalicuti
External links
On the Facebook: Nunivak Cup'ig Language page.
Nuniwarmiut Piciryarata Tamaryalkuti : Nunivak Island Cup'ig Language Preliminary Dictionary
Griffin, Dennis (2002). "A History of Human Settlement on Nunivak Island, Alaska: Insights from Recent Investigations at Nash Harbor Village". Arctic Anthropology. 39 (1/2): 51–68. JSTOR 40316565.