Ulch language
The Ulch language, or Olcha, is a Tungusic language spoken by the Ulch people in the Russian Far East. The language is moribund, with only 150 speakers (2010 census).
Phonology
Vowels
- Vowel length is also distributed.
Consonants
- [f] is a rare sound in native words.
- /β ɡ/ have allophones of [w ɣ].
- /k x/ can become uvularized as [q χ] before vowels /a o/.
Alphabet
| А а | (а̄) | Б б | В в | Г г | Д д | Дʼ дʼ | Е е |
| (е̄) | Ё ё | (ё̄) | Ж ж | З з | И и | (ӣ) | Й й |
| К к | Л л | М м | Н н | Нʼ нʼ | Ӈ ӈ | О о | (о̄) |
| П п | Р р | С с | Т т | У у | (ӯ) | Ф ф | Х х |
| Ц ц | Ч ч | Ш ш | Щ щ | ъ | Ы ы | ь | Э э |
| (э̄) | Ю ю | (ю̄) | Я я | (я̄) |
In brackets are letters that are used in writing, though not officially included in the alphabet.
References
Bibliography
- Bitkeeva, A.N.; V.Y. Gusev; O.A. Povoroznyuk; D.A. Funk; N.V. Khokhlov; K.G. Shakhovtsov (2005). "Endangered Languages of Indigenous Peoples of Siberia". UNESCO Moscow Office. Archived from the original on 28 July 2009. Retrieved 22 July 2009.
- Sunik, O. P. (1985). Ul'chskij jazyk: issledovanija i materially. Leningrad: Nauka, Leningradskoe Otdelenie. 262pp.