Cup'ik is a dialect of the Yup'ik Eskimo language. It is one of the four major dialects of the Yup'ik language: General Central Yup'ik, Hooper Bay-Chevak, Norton Sound, and Nunivak Island [consider the English language and a few of its dialects: Southern (e.g., a speaker from Texas), Eastern (e.g., a speaker from New York), and abroad; Australia and UK].

There are 18 letters used in the Cup'ik alphabet: a c e g i k l m n p q r s t u v w y.

These letters are not used in the Cup'ik alphabet: b d f h j o x z.

Single: a i u e..................................... .......................................Stops: p t c k q

Double: aa ii uu ................................................Voiced Fricatives: v l y g r w

..................ai ia ua ........................................Voiceless Fricatives: vv ll ss gg rr ww

..................au iu ui.......................................................Voiced Nasals: m n ng

........................................................ . ......................Voiceless Nasals: m n ng

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[Note: all of the single vowels are short. The sounds a, i, and u are considered full vowels, because of the full sounds they make; the e sound is considered a lesser vowel, because its sound is almost inaudible and is not included in the double vowels.]

a: the [ah] sound as in the English word 'what'.

ex. ala, angak, manaq

i: the [i] sound as in the English word 'pin' or 'fill'.

ex. pili, ikika, cingiq

u: the [u] sound as in the English word 'put' or 'pull'.

ex. kulun, kuk'uq, culunaq

e: the schwa (indicated as an upside down ‘e’ in dictionary pronunciation keys) sound,

as in the English word 'bucket' or 'lecture'.

ex. kegginalek, evget, keneq

aa: [ä], as the 'o' sound in the English word 'long'.

ex. aana, aata, maani

ex. tailuten, qainga, aipaq

au: [ou], as the 'ow' in the English word 'town'.

ex. tauna, aumak, auk

ii: [ee], as the 'ee' in the English word 'feel'.

ex. ciin, qiiq, iik

ia: [a], as the 'a' in the English word 'bad'.

ex. piani, mianikuq, maniaq

iu: [eew], as the 'ew' in the English word 'few'.

ex. ciun, ciutek, piuraa, kiugiu

uu: [ooh], as the 'oo' in the English word 'moon'.

ex. cuuguuq, uutuq, cuukiiq

ua: [ô], as the 'o' in the English word 'horse'.

ex. tuavua, Utuan, taigua

ex. cuinaq, kuik, muirtuq, aquiguq

ex. pap'a, piipi

t: 1) soft: sound between English t & d sounds, as the t sound in the word

'still' or 'stiff.'

ex. tuntuq, tawa, patu

2. hard: English [t] sound, usually made at the end of a word, or before a nasal sound.

c: English [ch] sound.

ex. cuk, acacungaq

k: 1) soft: sound between the English k & g sounds, as the k sound in 'skill' or 'skit.'

ex. kan'a, kiiki, kaaka

2) hard: English [k] sound, usually made at the end of a word, or before a nasal

sound.

ex. Cup'ik, ikna

q: sound made further back in the mouth, in the area where the throat is cleared, placed

exactly where the Cup'ik r (fricative section) sound is made.

ex. qaqituq, qunguq, aqngirtuq

Fricatives (or continuants): [v, l, y, g, r, w; vv, ll, ss, gg, rr, ww]

v: English [v] sound.

ex. evek, avneq, kaviaq

l: English [l] sound.

ex. elituq, al'qaq, liqneq

y: English [y] sound, as in yes, yo-yo, yacht, or the name Yani; but not in try.

ex. ayii, quyana, taryuq

g: placed exactly where the [k] sound is made, but tongue barely touching the roof of the mouth.

ex. egan, agi, agyaaq

r: placed exactly where the [q] sound is made, but tongue barely touching the back of the mouth.

ex. uruq, arnaq, eruri

w: English [w] sound.

ex. wani, wangkuta, awani, waani

[Note: when a voiceless fricative is placed either before or after a stop consonant, then it will be undoubled, but still voiceless-- unless placed with a separator (indicated by an apostrophe) between them, thus making the fricative to become voiced; compare alqaq (voiceless--Yup'ik pronunciation of 'sister') and al'qaq (voiced--Cup'ik pronunciation of 'sister')]

vv: English [f] sound.

ex. avvutuk, kuvkaaq, civvluku (note: the l in 'civvluku' is also voiceless.)

ll: position your tongue as if you are going to pronounce the English [l] sound; then blow out the

sides of your mouth.

An example would be how the Welsh pronounce their [ll] sound, as in the names

ex. allaneq, kalluk, cilla, qeltaq, iqluuq, elpet

ss: English [s] sound.

ex. Qissunaq, ciissiq, aqsaq, cisquq, peksutuq, pupsuuk

gg: placed exactly where the [k] and [g] sounds are made; example, make an English [wh] sound, then loosen your lips so that they are not rounded.

ex. maaggun, keggun, kegginalek, keggna, megtaq, pitgaq

rr: placed exactly where the [q] and [r] sounds are made.

ex. aarraq, qurrun, metraq, arca, uqrutaq

ww: English [wh] sound.

ex. atawwauguq, aukwaugaq

m: English [m] sound, as in the English word 'mom'.

n: English [n] sound, as in the English word 'noon'.

ng: English [ng] sound, as in the English word 'swing'.

examples: maani, ingna, anngaq, pingraan, tengssuun

[Note: when a voiceless nasal is placed after a stop consonant, it is automatically devoiced; thus there is no need for a hat.]

m: [hmh] (made simultaneously by blowing out of the nose)

ng: [hngh] (made simultaneously by blowing out of the nose)

examples: ciniini, qimugtenguuq, taqmak

Notice below all the letters that are in bold print.

Those letter/sounds are automatically geminated, because they are between one and two vowels. There must be only one vowel in front of the consonant, and two vowels after it.

That means that they sound like they are sounded out twice, as in the English word bookkeeper. In bookkeeper, the k sounds are not separated. So are they in the automatically geminated Cup'ik words.

Marked gemination is indicated by an apostrophe. The syllable before the apostrophe is stressed, and the consonant right before the apostrophe sounds doubled.

Sound separators are also indicated by an apostrophe. In this case, the apostrophe is placed between two sounds to separate them from either automatic devoicing and the [n] and [g].

For any questions about Cup'ik language and grammar, you may contact me, Rebecca Kelly, at rkelly@vak.gsica.net.

.... ...aana- mother