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Aleut Language (Unangan, Unangax, Aleutian)

Language: Aleut is an Eskimo-Aleut language spoken along the Aleutian Island chain of Alaska and islands off the coast of Siberia. Fewer than 200 people in Alaska still speak the Aleut language today, most of them elders. However, some Aleut communities have begun working to teach the language to their children again. Aleut is a highly polysynthetic agglutinative language, using long words with many suffixes. It has predominantly SOV word order.

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Names: The name Aleut came from the Russians, who were the first Europeans to encounter the Aleut people. The origin of this name is uncertain-- it probably came from a word in the Siberian tribal language Chukchi, which is aliuit, but it could also have been a Russian corruption of the Aleut word for "community," allíthuh. Many Aleut people do call themselves by this name today, but the more traditional tribal name is Unangax (singular) or Unangan (plural,) which means "coast people." Their language is known as Unangam Tunuu (Unangan language.) It has two main dialects: Eastern Aleut (also known as Unalaskan or Pribilof Aleut) and Western Aleut (also known as Atkan, Attuan, or Qaxun.) A third dialect, Bering Aleut (also known as Siberian Aleut or Russian Aleut) was once spoken in the Commander Islands off the coast of Russia, but the last speaker of the Russian dialect passed away recently. The Russian Aleuts also developed a Russian-Aleut creole in the 1800's, known as Mednyj Aleut or Copper Island Aleut, which is no longer spoken today. Spelling variants of these names include Alyoot, Aliyutas, Aleuts, Aleutian, Aleutiana, Aleutians; Unanga, Unanghan, Unangas, Unangax̂, Unangany, Unanas, Anangax, Angagin; Medny, Mednovsky; and Atka. The name "Aleut" is sometimes also used by Americans and Russians to refer to the Alutiiq, a neighboring group further to the north whose language is related but distinct.

Aleut Language

Aleut language samples and resources.

Aleut Culture and History

Information and links about the Aleut tribe past and present.

Aleut Indians Fact Sheet

Our answers to common questions about the lifestyle of Aleut Indian people.

Aleut Legends

Introduction to Aleut mythology and story telling.

Aleut Language Resources

Our Aleut Language Materials

Aleut Vocabulary:
List of vocabulary words in two dialects of the Aleut language.

Aleut Pronunciation Guide:
How to pronounce Western Aleut words and phrases.

Aleut Animal Words:
Illustrated glossary of animal words in the Aleut language.

Aleut Colors:
Worksheet showing color words in the Aleut language.

Aleut Body Parts:
Online and printable worksheets showing parts of the body in the Aleut language.

Aleut Numbers:
Worksheet showing how to count in the Aleut language.

Aleut Dictionaries and Language Books for Sale
Our organization earns a commission from any book bought through these links

Aleut Dictionary: Unangam Tunudgusii:
English-Aleut dictionary for sale.

Aleut Tales and Narratives:
Excellent bilingual collection of traditional Aleut stories and oral history.

Aleut Grammar: Unangam Tunuganaan Achixaasix:
Book on the Aleut language.

Comparative Eskimo Dictionary with Aleut Cognates (Alaska Native Language Center Research Paper No 9):
Yupik/Aleut/Inuit dictionary for sale.

Native Dictionaries:
Aleut and other American Indian dictionaries and language materials for sale.

Aleut Language Lessons and Linguistic Descriptions

Alaska Native Languages:
Map showing the region of Alaska where Aleut is spoken.

Introduction to Atkan Aleut:
Online Aleut language lessons from the Alaska Native Knowledge Network.

Aleut Alphabet:
Introduction to Aleut spelling and pronunciation.

Unangam Tunuu: What is he doing?

Unangam Tunuu: What do you hear?:
Lanugage learning videos showing the pronunciation and grammar or Unangax verbs.

Aleut Language

Aleut Description

Aleut Linguistics

Aleut Grammar

Aleut Phonology:
Aleut Syntax

Aleut Pronunciation

Aleut Orthography

Aleut Numbers

Aleut Bibliography:
Digitized Unangan language texts from the Rosetta Project.

Unangam Tunuu (Aleut):
Overview of the Aleut language including grammar, dialect information, and linguistic history.

Alaska Native Languages: Aleut:
Profile of the Aleut/Unangax language.

Native America Calling: Aleut:
Audio files of words and phrases in the Aleut language.

House of Languages: Aleut
Information about Aleut language usage.

Aleut Language Tree:
Theories about Aleut's language relationships compiled by Linguist List.

Aleut Language Structures:
Aleut linguistic profile and academic bibliography.

Literature and Texts in the Aleut Language

The Right Way To Live As An Unangan:
List of cultural values and commandments in the Aleut language.

Aleut Indian Prayers

Lord's Prayer in Eastern Aleut

Lord's Prayer in Kodiak Aleut:
Translations of Christian prayers into the Aleut languages.

The Tower of Babel in Aleut:

Aleut Words of Life:
Bible passages in the Aleut language.

Alaskan Orthodox Texts:
Orthodox Christian prayers and religious passages in Tlingit, Alutiiq, Yupik, and Aleut.

Aleut Proper Names

Eskimo-Aleut Place Names:
Placenames and their definitions in Inupiaq and Aleut.

Native American Names:
Translation services to name dogs and other animals in indigenous languages (including Aleut).

Additional Resources, Links, and References

Endangered Languages Project: Aleut:

Aleut Language Learning:
  Bibliographies of Aleut language resources.
  OLAC: Aleut:
  Reference list of Aleut language materials.
  Aleutski:

Aleutsky:
Pages about the Aleut language in Russian.
Lengua Aleutiana:

Idioma Aleutiano:
Aleut information in Spanish.
Aleut Indians

Aleut:
Links about the Aleuts and other Arctic native people.

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