Ket
Facts
- Language: Ket
- Alternate names: Imbatski-Ket, Yenisei Ostyak, Yenisey Ostiak
- Language code: ket
- Language family: Yeniseian, Northern Yeniseian
- Number of speakers: 190
- Vulnerability: Endangered [Read more...]
- Script: Cyrillic script
More information:
Introduction
Ket language is spoken by the Ket people.
The self-designation is ket 'man' (plural deng 'men, people'). The Kets who live on the Kas, Sym and Dubches rivers use the name jugun for themselves. The first written records of the Kets date from the 17th century when the Russians came to areas inhabitated by some of their tribes (Inbak, Zemchak, Bogden).
The verb
Ket makes significant use of incorporation. Incorporation is not limited to nouns, and can also include verbs, adverbs, adjectives, and bound morphemes found only in the role of incorporated elements. Incorporation also occurs as both a lexicalized process - the combination of verb and incorporate being treated as a distinct lexical element, with a meaning often based around the incorporated element - and a paradigmatic one, where the incorporation is performed spontaneously for particular semantic and pragmatic effect.
Verbal incorporation, more specifically the incorporation of verbal infinitives (rather than roots) into the verb complex. This form of incorporation is used to signify aspect and form causatives. Incorporated infinitives may bring incorporated elements of their own into the verb as well.
Sample Verb Siget- 'to clean'
| Person | Sym dialect | Imbat dialect |
|---|---|---|
| Present Singular | sitägît | sêtäget |
| Present Plural | sitägîtn | sêtägetn |
| Preterite Singular | sitôrgît | sêtoƚeget |
| Preterite Plural | sitôrgîtn | sêtoƚegetn |
| Imperative Sg. 2 | sitärgît | sêtäƚget |
| Imperative Pl. 2 | sitärgîtn | sêtäƚgetn |
| Stem | siget | sêget |
Verblist
- to bite -- lˈap-t-aq ~ lˈap-t-ɔq [лаптақ]
- to burn -- =dut [диврот]
- to come -- ˈi-g-besʸ [игбесь]
- to die -- qɔ-rʸaŋ ~ qɔ-rʸeŋ [қораӈ ~ қореӈ]
- to eat -- sʸî ~ sʸîy [сий]; =a ~ =0
- to fly -- dɔ̂q [доқ]
- to give -- n=...=o; aq [ақ]
- to kill -- ɛ̂y [эй ~ ей]
- to know -- ˈit-ey [ит-]
- to lie -- t=...=qot
- to say -- =ma; sˈaɣ-a-bet [сагабет]
- to see -- t=uŋ ~ t=oŋ [төӈ]
- to sit -- sʸˈɛsʸ-ta [сесьтэ]
- to sleep -- t=...=qot
- to go -- ˈe-iŋ ~ ˈey-iŋ [еиӈ]; =tnʸ [=тнь]
- аббет
- еиӈ