Native to Russia Native speakers 1,700 (2010 census) | Region Koryak Okrug Dialects Chavchuven Koryak | |
Ethnicity 8,000 Koryaks (2010 census) Language family Chukotko-Kamchatkan
Chukotkan
Koryak | ||
Koryak is a Chukotko-Kamchatkan language spoken by about 1,700 people in the easternmost extremity of Siberia, mainly in Koryak Okrug. It is mostly spoken by Koryaks. Its close relative, the Chukchi language, is spoken by about three times that number. The language together with Chukchi, Kerek, Alutor and Itelmen forms the Chukotko-Kamchatkan language family. Its name in Koryak is нымылан Nymylan, but the Russian name is more common.
The Chukchi and Koryaks form a cultural unit with an economy based on reindeer herding and both have autonomy within the Russian Federation.
References
Koryak language Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA