Re: Linguochronology

Quoting Andreas Johansson <andjo@...>:

> Quoting John Cowan <cowan@...>:
> > Even the most aggressive lumpers don't think that Eskimo-Aleut (which
> > still has relatives in Asia), Na-Dene (basically Haida, Tlingit, and
> > Athapaskan), and the remaining languages are related below the level
> > (if there is such a level) of Proto-World.
>
> By E-A having relatives in Asia, I assume you're not refering to Siberian
> Yupik (since that, as far as I understand, got there from Alaska). So what
> are those Asian relatives?
In addition to Central Siberian Yupik, there is also Mednij
Aleut (a mixed Russian-Aleut language, analogous to Michif),
a dialect of Aleut similar to Atkan Aleut, Naukan Yupik, and
one living speaker of Sirenik Yupik.  It's an open question
whether some of these are autochthonous languages or not.

> BTW, how far west is Aleutian spoken? Russia's Komandorskije Ostrova (can't
> find English name)
Variously Komandor Islands or, more frequently, Commander Islands.

> is as close to Attu as to Kamchatka ...
I believe that the Commander and Bering Islands are about
as far west as they go.  The Yupik laguages are spoken on
the Chukot peninsula, however.

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