XXI - Ket

Ket is a critically endangered language spoken by the Ket people along the Yenisei River in Siberia, Russia. With fewer than 100 fluent speakers, mostly older adults, Ket is the last surviving member of the Yeniseian language family, making it a linguistic isolate with no known relatives outside its extinct counterparts. Interestingly, some researchers have hypothesized a distant connection between Ket and the Na-Dene languages of North America, though this remains a subject of debate. Efforts to document and revitalize Ket are ongoing, aiming to preserve its unique linguistic and cultural heritage.

Geography

Ket is spoken in the remote Siberian region of Russia, specifically along the Yenisei River and its tributaries in Krasnoyarsk Krai. This vast and rugged area, characterized by taiga forests and harsh winters, has been the homeland of the Ket people for centuries. The isolation of this region has contributed to the preservation of some traditional practices, but it has also made access to resources for language revitalization more challenging. The Ket language reflects the deep connection of its speakers to the Siberian landscape, with many words tied to fishing, hunting, and the natural environment.

History

The Ket people have a long history as semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers and fishers in the Siberian taiga along the Yenisei River. Historically, the Ket people were more numerous and spoke several related Yeniseian languages, but contact with Russian settlers and traders from the 17th century onward brought significant changes. Colonization, disease, and cultural assimilation led to a sharp decline in the Ket population and the extinction of other Yeniseian languages. The Ket language is now critically endangered, with only a small number of elderly speakers remaining.

Language

Ket is a unique and complex language, recognized as a linguistic isolate within the Yeniseian family and spoken exclusively in Siberia. Its typical word order is Subject-Object-Verb (SOV), though it can vary depending on emphasis and context. Ket has a modest vowel system with six primary vowels, which can occur in both short and long forms, contributing to distinctions in meaning.

RESOURCES