Pribilof Anĝaĝigan Tuningin / The Way We Talk in the Pribilofs
Pribilof Anĝaĝigan Tuningin / The Way We Talk in the Pribilofs
by Berge, Anna ; Clawson, Anna Unangam Tunuu is the language of the people indigenous to the Aleutian Islands; it is highly endangered, but speaker communities are found in the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands of Alaska and the Commander Islands of Eastern Russia.
Pribilof Anĝaĝigan Tunungin / The Way We Talk in the Pribilofs is a serious and in-depth introduction to one of the less-well-documented varieties of Unangam Tunuu, that spoken on the Pribilof Islands. The book is intended for adult learners and provides some of the first college-level materials for conversational language learning of Unangam Tunuu, although this also may be used in high schools or for self-study. The book is organized in three units of five lessons each; the first four lessons of each unit introduce vocabulary, grammar, cultural notes, and (in Unit 1 only) pronunciation notes, while the fifth lesson is geared toward review and practice.
Most lessons are accompanied by sound files for self-study and practice. The materials lead the learner toward conversational ability, with many examples of individual speaker preferences and different ways of expressing the same thing. All examples were collected from Native speakers from 2002 to 2012. The book is unique in presenting grammatical, lexical, and cultural information specific to the Pribilofs; differences with other documented dialects are noted.
In addition, and for ease of reference, the book includes a number of appendices such as a glossary of linguistic terms used in the lessons, a grammatical sketch with many charts of grammatical forms, and an Unangam Tunuu–English / English–Unangam Tunuu lexicon. This is an entry-level introduction to conversational Unangam Tunuu; it is not a comprehensive grammar of the language. Upon completion of these units, a learner will have enough basic language skills to continue learning from Elders and from published materials and recordings. Language: Unangan (Aleut) (AL12)