Нивхгу диф

Nivkh

Language isolate

FamilyLanguage isolate Speakers~200 ScriptCyrillic / Latin CountriesRussia (Sakhalin, Amur) Official inNo (recognized minority) Vitalityseverely endangered ISO 639-3niv

Nivkh (Gilyak) is a critically endangered language isolate spoken on Sakhalin Island and along the lower Amur River. It is unrelated to its Tungusic and Ainu neighbors and shows extraordinary morphological complexity, including consonant alternations conditioned by the preceding word.

Where it is spoken

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87 core words in Nivkh

Water

чаӽ

tʃʰaχ

Fire

тур

tur

Sun

кʼеӈ

kʰeŋ

Moon

лоӈ

loŋ

Star

уньғр̌

uɲɣr̥

Night

ӿуӈгуф

χuŋɡuf

Rain

лых

ləx

Snow

ӈаӄр

ŋaqr

Wind

ла

la

Earth

миф

mif

Stone

паӽ

paχ

Mountain

пал

pal

Sea

ӄерҏӄ

qer̥q

Mother

ымык

ɯmɯk

Father

ытык

ɯtɯk

Daughter

оӻла

oʁlæ

I

ни

ɲi

You

чи

tʃʰi

We

мер / ньыӈ

mer / ɲəŋ

Name

ӄа

qʰa

Person

нивх

ɲivx

Head

тёӈҏ

tʲoŋr̥

Eye

няӽ

ɲæχ

Ear

нос

nos

Nose

вих

vix

Mouth

ыӈг

ɤŋɡ

Tooth

ӈыхс

ŋəxs

Tongue

ӿилх

χilx

Hand

тамк

tamk

Foot

ӈатьх

ŋatʲx

Heart

ӈиф

ŋif

Bone

ӈыньф

ŋəɲf

Blood

ӈар

ŋar

Love

орх

orx

Tree

чӽар̌

tʃʰχar̥

Dog

ӄан

qan

Cat

кʼыск

kʰɯsk

Fish

чо

tʃʰo

Bird

пыйӈа

pɯjŋa

Butterfly

тап

tap

Egg

ӈойӄ

ŋojq

Bear

чхыф

tʃʰxɤf

Horse

мурӈ

murŋ

House

тыф

tɯf

Salt

тафть

taftʲ

Rice

мандюраӄ

mandʲuraq

Iron

выть

vɯtʲ

Wheel

кулкус

kulkus

Silk

чарб

tʃʰarb

Book

питӻы

pitɣɯ

Eat

иньд

iɲd

Drink

рад

rad

Sleep

ӄод

qʰod

One

няӄр

ɲæqr

Two

меӄр

meqr

Three

тяӄр

tʲæqr

Four

ныкр

nɯkr

Five

тʼоӄр

tʰoqr

Hello

ӈафӄа

ŋafqa

Thank you

туьмг

tɯmɡ

Good

урла

urla

New

чуз

tʃʰuz

Red

паӻла

paʁla

White

ӄону

qʰonu

Black

вылвылы

vɨlvɨlɨ

Green

ньлайсвала

ɲlajsvala

Tea

чай

tʃaj

Sugar

сета

seta

Sources

Words compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Language isolate

Meaning NivkhOroqenManchuSquamishSitu rGyalrongBengaliPaiwan
Water чаӽ /tʃʰaχ/ muu /muu/ ᠮᡠᡴᡝ /mukə/ stáḵw /staqʷ/ tə-tɕi /tətɕi/ জল /dʒɔl/ zaljum /zaʎum/
Fire тур /tur/ tɔɣɔ /tɔɣɔ/ ᡨᡠᠸᠠ /tuwa/ sḵwiḵw /sqʷiqʷ/ tə-mtɕək /təmtɕək/ আগুন /aɡun/ sapuy /sapui/
Sun кʼеӈ /kʰeŋ/ dɪlatʃa /dɪlatʃa/ ᡧᡠᠨ /ʃun/ snéḵwem /sneqʷəm/ kə-jam /kəjam/ সূর্য /ʃuɾdʒo/ qadaw /qadaw/
Moon лоӈ /loŋ/ bɛga /bɛɡa/ ᠪᡳᠶᠠ /bija/ lh7álha /ɬʔaɬa/ tsə la /tsəla/ চাঁদ /tʃãd/ qiljas /qiʎas/
Star уньғр̌ /uɲɣr̥/ ɔʃɪkta /ɔʃɪkta/ ᡠᠰᡳᡥᠠ /usiˈχa/ kwekwtsi7 /kʷəkʷtsiʔ/ tsəu ri /tsəuri/ তারা /taɾa/ vituqan /vituqan/
Night ӿуӈгуф /χuŋɡuf/ dɔlbɔ /dɔlbɔ/ ᡩᠣᠪᠣᡵᡳ /dobori/ nat /nat/ tə-mor /təmor/ রাত /rat/ qezemezemetj /qəzəməzəmətʲ/
Rain лых /ləx/ tigdə /tiɡdə/ ᠠᡤᠠ /aɡa/ — tə-mu /təmu/ বৃষ্টি /ˈbriʃʈi/ qudjalj /quɟaʎ/
Snow ӈаӄр /ŋaqr/ ɪmana /ɪmana/ ᠨᡳᠮᠠᠩᡤᡳ /nimaŋɡi/ máḵa7 /maqaʔ/ ta-jpa /tajpa/ তুষার /tuʃar/ sulja /suʎa/
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