Language quiz

Here’s a recording in a mystery language.

Can you identify the language, and do you know where it’s spoken?

December 23rd, 2012 in Language, Quiz questions

Comments (8)

Roger BowdenDecember 23rd, 2012 at 7:13 am

I would guess Inuit or Greenlandic language. Seasons greetings to all.

LAttilaDDecember 23rd, 2012 at 1:04 pm

No idea, but it made me some Sámi feeling.

Christopher MillerDecember 23rd, 2012 at 3:54 pm

Aleut? The overall sound is rather similar to Inuktitut and Iñupiaq but it doesn’t sound right for either of those. On the other hand I seem to recall lots of voiced u ular fricatives, which we hear here, in written samples of Aleut in linguistic literature I’ve read in the past.

Christopher MillerDecember 23rd, 2012 at 3:56 pm

That should have read “uvular”.

ShanthDecember 23rd, 2012 at 5:03 pm

Sounds related to Arabic to me, and I thought I picked some Arabic words in there “qatl” “ist’eja” but not sure.

fiosachdDecember 23rd, 2012 at 9:15 pm

It’s certainly Aleut and interestingly contains the Russian loan благословение (blessing) at 00.28, rather than a native word like ukud̒igaq or a̒s(s)aģutaq.

Benjamin BruceDecember 23rd, 2012 at 11:00 pm

I really like the sound of this language. Parts of the recording reminded me of Greek and Nahuatl, but the overall sound is very unique, with lots of those uvular fricatives.

SimonDecember 24th, 2012 at 10:49 am

The answer is Aleut (Unangam Tunuu), an Eskimo-Aleut language spoken on the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands of Alaska, and also on the Commander Islands of Siberia. This particular variety of Aleut is spoken on the Pribilof Islands.

The recording comes from the GRN.