Kerek (russian: link=no, Керекский язык) is an extinct language of Russia of the northern branch of the
Chukotko-Kamchatkan languages. On historical linguistic grounds it is most closely related to
Koryak (both languages have a
merger
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are business transactions in which the ownership of companies, other business organizations, or their operating units are transferred to or consolidated with another company or business organization. As an aspect ...
of the proto-Chuktotian
phonemes
In phonology and linguistics, a phoneme () is a unit of sound that can distinguish one word from another in a particular language.
For example, in most dialects of English, with the notable exception of the West Midlands and the north-wes ...
/*ð/ and /*r/ with /*j/). The next closest relative is Chukchi (/*ð/ and /*r/ are merged, but not /*j/).
In 1997 there were still two speakers remaining, but by 2005 the language was considered extinct. According to the 2010 census, there were 10 people claiming Kerek as their native language, a number which may include partial speakers and non-speakers who claim the language as part of their ethnic heritage. Over the 20th century many members of the
Kerek ethnic group shifted
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to
Chukchi, the language of the majority ethnic group in the area, but now most
Chukchis
The Chukchi, or Chukchee ( ckt, Ԓыгъоравэтԓьэт, О'равэтԓьэт, ''Ḷygʺoravètḷʹèt, O'ravètḷʹèt''), are a Siberian indigenous people native to the Chukchi Peninsula, the shores of the Chukchi Sea and the Ber ...
and
Kereks speak Russian.
Kerek is an agglutinative language, meaning that the morphemes build on each other to have different meanings.
References
External links
Bibliography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kerek Language
Agglutinative languages
Chukotko-Kamchatkan languages
Languages of Russia
Extinct languages of Asia