Negidal language


Negidal is a language of the Tungusic family spoken in the Russian Far East, mostly in Khabarovsk Krai, along the lower reaches of the Amur River. Negidal belongs to the Northern branch of Tungusic, together with Evenki and Even. It is particularly close to Evenki, to the extent that it is occasionally referred to as a dialect of Evenki.

Language status

According to the Russian Census of 2002, there were 567 Negidals, 147 of which still spoke the language. The Russian Census of 2010 reported lower speaker numbers, with only 19 of 513 ethnic Negidals reported to still speak the language.
However, recent reports from the field reveal that the linguistic situation of Negidal is much worse than the census reports. According to Kalinina, whose data stem from the fieldwork conducted in 2005-2007, there are only three full speakers left, and a handful of semi-speakers. Pakendorf & Aralova report from fieldwork conducted in 2017 that there remain only six active speakers of Upper Negidal and there are no active speakers of Lower Negidal, only 10–20 passive speakers. The language is thus classified as critically endangered and is predicted to become dormant within the next decade.

Dialects

There were formerly two dialects: the Upper Negidal dialect along the Amgun River, still residually spoken, and the now extinct Lower dialect in its lower reaches. The Lower dialect was especially close to Evenki.

Phonology

Vowels

  • /o/ may also be heard as in some areas.
  • /o/, when appearing in more than two syllables in a word, may also be heard as or.

Consonants

  • /ɡ/ can also have an allophone.
  • /w/ becomes voiceless before a voiceless consonant and is heard as a fricative.