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Historical Linguistics 2019: Selected papers from the 24th International Conference on Historical Linguistics, Canberra, 1–5 July 2019
Edited by Bethwyn Evans, Maria Kristina Gallego and Luisa Miceli
[Current Issues in Linguistic Theory 367] 2024
► pp. 8–35

Chapter 1
Signs of prehistoric language shifts involving Unangam Tunuu (Aleut)

| University of Alaska Fairbanks
Unangam Tunuu (UT) underwent several periods of prehistoric contact with neighbouring languages. However, no specific period or mechanism of contact between the Unangan and other peoples has been proposed. In this paper, my aim is to better define and date the various types of language contact and/or shift that UT appears to have undergone since its divergence from Proto-Eskaleut, including linguistic and archaeological evidence for (a) early lexical replacement, (b) language bilingualism between Na-Dene and UT, leading to shared grammatical features, and (c) late Alutiiq influence on UT and the possible replacement of UT in currently Alutiiq areas.
Keywords: prehistoric language contact, Unangam Tunuu (Aleut), Yupik and Inuit, Eskaleut
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction: Prehistoric language contact between UT and neighbouring languages
  • 2.Types of language change from PEA to modern Unangam Tunuu (UT)
    • 2.1Undated lexical differentiation between PE and PA, ca. 3500 BP
    • 2.2Movement away from canonical EA grammar, between 2,500–1,500 BP
      • 2.2.1How has UT grammar diverged from PEA?
      • 2.2.2Region-wide shared terminology
      • 2.2.3The source and date of language contact with Na-Dene
    • 2.3Alutiiq influence on UT culture and possible replacement, ca. 800 BP
  • 3.Language contact in UT: The result of population migration, replacement, or something else?
  • 4.Concluding remarks
  • Notes
  • References
This content is being prepared for publication; it may be subject to changes.
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