Nenets language
Quick Summary
The Nenets language is a Samoyedic language, part of the Uralic language family, spoken by the Nenets people in northwestern Russia. The name "Nenets" means "man".1
There are two main groups of Nenets speakers:
* Tundra Nenets: This is the larger group, with over 25,000 speakers. Their language is spoken across a vast territory from the White Sea to the Taymyr Peninsula.1
* Forest Nenets: This is a smaller group, with about 1,500 speakers. Their language is considered seriously endangered, as few children are learning it.1
While the Tundra Nenets language has more speakers, children in some areas are not learning it, indicating a potential risk to its future vitality. The Nenets people traditionally rely on reindeer herding, fishing, and hunting.1
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- Samoyedic languages
…North Samoyedic subgroup consists of Nenets (Yurak), Enets (Yenisey), and Nganasan (Tavgi). The South Samoyedic subgroup comprises Selkup and the practically extinct Kamas language. None of these languages was written before 1930, and they are currently used only occasionally for educational purposes in some elementary schools.
Read More…North Samoyedic subgroup consists of Nenets (Yurak), Enets (Yenisey), and Nganasan (Tavgi). The South Samoyedic subgroup comprises Selkup and the practically extinct Kamas language. None of these languages was written before 1930, and they are currently used only occasionally for educational purposes in some elementary schools.
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Uralic languagesSamoyedicNenets, with the largest number of speakers of all the Samoyed languages, has grown substantially in size over the past century, from some 9,200 speakers in 1897 to about 22,000 in 2010. Two distinct groups of Nenets differ in dialect as well as in cultural…
Read MoreNenets, with the largest number of speakers of all the Samoyed languages, has grown substantially in size over the past century, from some 9,200 speakers in 1897 to about 22,000 in 2010. Two distinct groups of Nenets differ in dialect as well as in cultural…
Read More- Uralic languagesWord order
, Nenets t́iky pevśumd’o-m saravna t′eńe-vaʔ ‘we well remember that evening’ (literally, ‘that evening-[accusative] well remember-we’); Mari joltaš-em-blak lum tol-mə-m buč-aš tüŋal-ət ‘my friends begin to wait for the coming of snow’ (literally, ‘friend-my-[plural] snow coming-[accusative] wait-to begin-they’); Yukaghir met Tolstoj-wiejuol-knigleŋ juonumeŋ ‘I see a book…
Read More, Nenets t́iky pevśumd’o-m saravna t′eńe-vaʔ ‘we well remember that evening’ (literally, ‘that evening-[accusative] well remember-we’); Mari joltaš-em-blak lum tol-mə-m buč-aš tüŋal-ət ‘my friends begin to wait for the coming of snow’ (literally, ‘friend-my-[plural] snow coming-[accusative] wait-to begin-they’); Yukaghir met Tolstoj-wiejuol-knigleŋ juonumeŋ ‘I see a book…
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