Aleut language
Aleut (/ˈæliuːt, əˈluːt/ AL-ee-oot, ə-LOOT) or Unangam Tunuu is the language spoken by the Aleut living in the Aleutian Islands, Pribilof Islands, Commander Islands, and the Alaska Peninsula (in Aleut Alaxsxa, the origin of the state name Alaska). Aleut is the sole language in the Aleut branch of the Eskimo–Aleut language family. The Aleut language consists of three dialects, including Unalaska (Eastern Aleut), Atka/Atkan (Atka Aleut), and Attu/Attuan (Western Aleut; now extinct).
| Aleut | |
|---|---|
| Unangam Tunuu Уна́ӈам тунуу́ or унаӈан умсуу | |
| Pronunciation | [uˈnaŋam tuˈnuː] |
| Native to | Alaska (Aleutian, Pribilof Islands, Alaskan Peninsula west of Stepovak Bay), Kamchatka Krai (Commander Islands) |
| Ethnicity | 7,234 Aleut |
Native speakers | <80 (2022) in Alaska; extinct in Russia 2021 |
Eskaleut
| |
Early form | |
| Latin (Alaska) Cyrillic (Alaska, Russia) | |
| Official status | |
Official language in | Alaska |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-2 | ale |
| ISO 639-3 | ale |
| Glottolog | aleu1260 |
| ELP | Aleut |
Aleut is spoken on the Aleutian Islands | |
Aleut is classified as Critically Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger | |
| Person | Unangax̂ |
|---|---|
| People | Unangan (east) Unangas (west) |
| Language | Unangam Tunuu |
| Country | Unangam Tanangin |
Various sources estimate there are fewer than 100 to 150 remaining active Aleut speakers. Because of this, Eastern and Atkan Aleut are classified as "critically endangered and extinct" and have an Expanded Graded Intergenerational Disruption Scale (EGIDS) rating of 7. The task of revitalizing Aleut has largely been left to local government and community organizations. The overwhelming majority of schools in the historically Aleut-speaking regions lack any language/culture courses in their curriculum, and those that do fail to produce fluent or even proficient speakers.