Alutiiq language

The Alutiiq language is spoken by the Alutiiq people, also known as Sugpiaq. It is closely related to the Central Alaskan Yup'ik language but is its own special language. Many names have been used for these Native people living on the Lower Kenai Peninsula of Alaska, including Aleut, Sugpiaq, and Chugach Eskimo.

Today, only about 400 of the 3,000 Alutiiq people still speak the language. But the communities are working hard to bring their language back. In 2010, a high school in Kodiak began teaching the Alutiiq language because students asked for it. At that time, only about 50 older people could still speak the Kodiak version, and it was in danger of disappearing. By 2014, Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage started classes using a fun method called "Where Are Your Keys?" to help people learn.

Dialects

The Alutiiq language has two main dialects.

The first is called Koniag Alutiiq. People spoke this dialect on the upper part of the Alaska Peninsula and on Kodiak Island. They also used to speak it on Afognak Island, but people left after a big earthquake in 1964.

The second dialect is Chugach Alutiiq. This was spoken on the Kenai Peninsula and in Prince William Sound.

Phonology

Consonants

In the Alutiiq language, some sounds can be said twice in a row, like "kk." These double sounds can be spoken in two ways depending on where you live. There are also some extra sounds that come from words borrowed from other languages.

Vowels

Most vowel sounds in Alutiiq can be short or long, but one special sound, /ə/, never gets longer. This sound also doesn’t appear with other vowels next to it and might become very soft when next to other consonant sounds.

Orthography

The Alutiiq language uses special symbols to show different sounds. For example, the letter "a" sounds like in "ä", and "c" sounds like in "t͡ʃ". Some letters are put together to show special sounds, like "gw" or "kw".

After letters that do not have sound, special nasal sounds are written without adding an "h". There are also other special combinations of letters that make unique sounds in this language.

Vocabulary comparison

The Alutiiq language has two main dialects. This section shows how numbers and month names differ between them.