Article

Name: Hunting and fishing vocabulary of Telengits and Chalkans based on 2024 field research

Authors: O. Yu. Shagdurova, E. V. Tyuntesheva, N. N. Fedina, I. M. Plotnikov

Institute of Philology of the Siberian Branch RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation

In the section Полевые исследования

Abstract:

This paper outlines the initial findings from the 2024 expedition to the speakers of two South Siberian Turkic languages: Chalkan and the Telengit dialect of Altai. The expedition, conducted within the Ulagansky and Turochaksky districts of the Altai Republic, focused primarily on documenting the vocabulary associated with hunting and fishing, traditional livelihoods of the local inhabitants. Interviews were conducted with informants representing a range of generations, with birth years from 1948 to 1996. The collected data included over 200 lexical units and 620 minutes of audio materials comprising stories recounted by hunters and fishermen. The analysis revealed a gradual decline in the use of specific vocabulary, evidenced by the simultaneous use of native and Russian words, the presence of code-mixing in the speech of younger individuals, and the limited use of euphemisms, mainly restricted to the denominations of bear and wolf. The vocabulary reflects the preservation of diverse decoy and whistle types, crafted using both traditional methods and contemporary materials, and the adaptation of commercially procured whistles for this use. Observations revealed that the Chalkans possessed a more extensive lexicon encompassing the terminology of fishing techniques, tools, and culinary preparations involving fish. The materials collected contained vocabulary exhibiting general Turkic and Siberian regional linguistic elements, a trait observed in specific languages examined in the study. Notably, Telengit exhibits dialectal vocabulary that differentiates it from the standard literary Altai language, establishing a linguistic connection with other Siberian Turkic languages

Keywords: Turkic languages of Siberia, Altai language dialects, Telengit dialect, Chalkan language, hunting vocabulary, fishing vocabulary

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