Reconstruction:Proto-Yukaghir/qoroj

This Proto-Yukaghir entry contains reconstructed words and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Yukaghir

Etymology

Supposedly a wanderword,[1][2][3] ultimately from Proto-Uralic *kojera (“male animal”). Fortescue (2005) proposes the following route:

Proto-Uralic > Proto-Samoyedic *korå (“male reindeer”) > Proto-Tungusic *oran (“reindeer”), whence borrowed into both Proto-Yukaghir and Proto-Chukotko-Kamchatkan *qora (“reindeer”), whence further borrowed into Proto-Yupik (compare Central Siberian Yupik ӄуйӈик (qujŋik, “reindeer”)).[1]

Ante Aikio (2014) proposes a direct borrowing from Proto-Samoyedic, and in turn links the Proto-Uralic term to *köj (“boy”).[2]

Piispanen (2018) is of the opinion that the Yukaghir term is a borrowing from either Proto-Chukotko-Kamchatkan or, less probably, directly from Chukchi ӄораӈы (qoraŋə) into Southern Yukaghir.[3]

The basis for the reconstruction relies entirely on the assumption that the term is borrowed from another, neighbouring, proto-language. If however, as Piispanen (2018) suggests, the term was a direct borrowing into Southern Yukaghir, the Proto-Yukaghir term probably did not exist.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /qoˈroj/

Noun

*qoroj[4]

two-year-old male reindeer

Descendants

Southern Yukaghir: хорой (qoroj)
- → Yakut: хорой (xoroy)

References

Fortescue, Michael (2005) Comparative Chukotko-Kamchatkan dictionary (Trends in Linguistic Documentation; 23), Berlin – New York: de Gruyter, →ISBN, page 238.
Ante Aikio (2014) , “The Uralic-Yukaghir lexical correspondences: genetic inheritance, language contact or chance resemblance?”, in Finnisch-Ugrische Forschungen, volume 62
Peter S. Piispanen (2018) , “Additional Turkic and Tungusic borrowings into Yukaghir”, in Turkic Languages, volume 22
Nikolaeva, Irina (2006) A Historical Dictionary of Yukaghir (Trends in Linguistics Documentation; 25), Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, →ISBN, page 388

[Fortescue-1] Fortescue, Michael (2005) Comparative Chukotko-Kamchatkan dictionary (Trends in Linguistic Documentation; 23), Berlin – New York: de Gruyter, →ISBN, page 238.

[Aikio-2] Ante Aikio (2014) , “The Uralic-Yukaghir lexical correspondences: genetic inheritance, language contact or chance resemblance?”, in Finnisch-Ugrische Forschungen, volume 62

[Piispanen-3] Peter S. Piispanen (2018) , “Additional Turkic and Tungusic borrowings into Yukaghir”, in Turkic Languages, volume 22

[4] Nikolaeva, Irina (2006) A Historical Dictionary of Yukaghir (Trends in Linguistics Documentation; 25), Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, →ISBN, page 388