The Even language 

I. Sociolinguistic data

I.1. Existing alternative names 

Even has an alternative (obsolete) name of Lamut language, originating in ethnonym Lamut ’ ‘Even’ (the ethnonym has also entered Russian Siberian old-settler subdialects). The word ‘ Lamut’ stems from a word meaning ‘sea’ (i.e. Lamut is a person living by the sea). However, in most Even dialects the word for ‘sea’ is nam (only in Arman dialect it is lam ), in  the Evenki language it is lāmu . Therefore, it is highly probable that the ethnonym of Lamut is not an endonym, but an outer ethnonym: that was the way this ethnic group was called by their neighbours, Evenki.

The modern endonym  ‘Ev’n’ ‘ эвън’  (as it is easy to guess, this is where Russian Even comes from). The Even term for their language is Ewedy Tө̄ren (эвэ̇ды тө̄рэн).  As K.A.Novikova suggests, the ethnonym Evėn might have stemmed from a word meaning ‘here’, i.e. Ev’n  means ‘local, indigenous’. K.A.Novikova writes: There are several hypotheses about the etymology of the endonym ‘Even’. For instance, V.I.Tsintsius links the endonym ‘Even’ with the verb ‘ эвдэj’ (evdej) ‘ descend from a mountain’. We think that the most probable is the hypothesis of the closeness of this name to the Even word ‘ эвън ~ эвун ‘ ‘local, indigenous’. [K.A.Novikova. Studies of the dialects of the Even language. Olsk Subdialect. P.1 M.;L.; USSR Academy of Sciences, 1960]. There is no such word in any Even dictionary, but cp. the word  ‘ew-gide’ ‘ эв-гидэ’  ‘this side’ included in V.A.Robbek and M.E.Robbek’s Even-Russian Dictionary. The endonym for Evens in Magadan Oblast is  ‘or’ch’ ‘ оръ̇ч’

I. 2. General characteristics 

2. I. 2.1. The number of native speakers and the corresponding ethnic group

The 2020 Census shows that the Even language is spoken by 5,304 people (with the total number of the ethnic group of 19,913 people). In the first general census of the population of 1,897 Lamuts were recorded to have just 3,131 people (but it is probable that a number of them were recorded as Tungus, as it was Evens first and foremost who were called Tungus, but with the present-day number of 39,420 Evens it is obvious that all the 57,305 Tungus recorded in the first ever census cannot have been all Evens). The 1926 Census records only 2,044 Lamuts (and 37,545 Tungus). Censuses started recording more realistic numbers of the ethnic group from 1959 on: the 1959 Census records 9,100 Evens, the 1970 Census – 12,000, the 1979 Census – 12,228, the 1989 Census – 17,199. The 21 st century censuses provide the following statistics: the 2002 Census recorded 19,071 Evens, the 2010 Census – 22,383, the 2020 Census, as mentioned earlier, 19,913 Evens. 

I.2.2. Age of speakers. 

As it has been mentioned, the number of native speakers has considerably decreased in the recent hundred years. Intergenerational transmission of the language has been broken in most places where Evens live: most Even speakers in all the areas are elderly people, while nearly everywhere middle-aged and young people prefer to use Russian in their everyday communication. As B.Pekendorf reports, in the settlement of Sebyan-Kyuyol (Kobyayski Ulus, Yakutia) some families still preserve the intergenerational transmission of the language: parents speak to their children in Even. As N.Ya.Bulatova reported, the 10 th International Olympiad in languages and cultures of Evenki and Evens in Russia and Oroqens of China TUREN-2023 had participating children from settlement of Arka (Okhotski District, Khabarovsk Krai) who could speak Even well, thanks to speaking the language within their families. 

I.2.3. Sociolinguistic characteristics

I.2.3.1. Level of the threat of extinction 

As it has been pointed out before, most Even speakers are elderly people, and in most families there is no transmission of the language from parents to children (the use of the language within families is the main factor ensuring its vitality). Due to the decrease of the number of speakers and their ageing the Even language is under the threat of dying out. Nevertheless, middle-aged people still have mastery of the language, though for many it is passive knowledge: many understand the language, but they prefer to use Russian (or Yakut). In some family children learn the language from their parents, so compared to many other languages the Even language is in a relatively better situation. 

I.2.3.2. Use in different fields. 

Even is used in the following fields (the table is followed by commentaries about the use of Even in education). 

Education: kindergartens. 

Settlement of Sebyan-Kyuyol, Kobyaysky Ulus; settlement of Berezovka, Srednekolymsky District; settlement of Topolinoye, Tomponsky District; settlement of Andryushkino Nizhnekolymsky District; settlement of Esso, Bystrinsky District, Kamchatka.

Education: school

1. Even as a medium of education . There are lessons taught in Even in settlement of Sebyan-Kyuyol, Kobyayski Ulus, up until recently there were lessons in Even at schools of Bystrinski District, Kamchatski Krai.
2. Even as a discipline . Even is taught in settlement of Sebyan-Kyuyol, Kobyayski Ulus, in settlement of Berezovka, Srednekolymski Ulus, settlement of Topolinoye, Tomponski District, settlement of Olenegorsk, Allaikhovski Ulus, settlements of Kustur and Batagai-Alyta, Eveno-Bytantaiski Ulus, settlement of Andryushkino, Nizhnekolymski District and settlement of Uyandi, Ust-Yanski District, Sakha Republic (Yakutia). In Sebyan-Kyuyol P.A.Lamutski National Even School the Even language is a mandatory subject. 

Higher education

The Even language is taught at the Institute of the Peoples of the North at Herzen University (St.Petersburg) and at the Institute of Languages and Cultures of the Peoples of the North-East of the Russian Federation at North-Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk.  

I.2.4. Information about a writing system. 

The first Even alphabet was developed in the second half of the 19 th century, when upon the initiative of Archbishop of Kamchatka and Aleut I.Veniamenov there appeared a series of translations of New Testament texts and prayer books into the languages of the peoples, among whom a number of Russian Orthodox Church figures were carrying out missionary work. The translations into Even were done by Stepan Popov, a priest living in Okhotsk City.  He translated the Gospel of St. Matthew into Even (or, to be more precise, into Olsk subdialect of the eastern dialect of Even) and created the first primer. In 1858 the primer with prayers was published, the translation of the New Testament came out in 1880. Stepan Popov used letters based on the Church Slavonic writing. As an illustration, we show the first verses of Chapter 7, Gospel of St. Matthew 

In the late 1920s-early 1930s, as part of the campaign to develop writing systems for the languages of the ethnic groups of the North, a Unified Northern Alphabet was created, variants of which were to be suitable for publishing printed matter in a range of languages of Northern ethnic groups, including Even, see the description of this alphabet and the history of its creation in Ya.P.Alkor (Koshkin)’s article. This alphabet was used in the 1930s, for example, to publish the Orotti Prawda newspaper in Even, lower we provide a page of the newspaper published in 1937:

In the late 1930s, the alphabets of the peoples of the USSR were changed from Latin basis into Cyrillic-based alphabets. After this, the Even alphabet has undergone a series of minor changes both in the outlines of some letters and in the spelling principles used. Without making a long pause for the matter, we include the present-day version of Even alphabet which is used, for instance, in school textbooks:

In Yakutia, along this alphabet, they use an alternative version of the Even writing system which is closer to the Yakut writing in a number of principles. This variant is used in some publications, for instance, in V.A.Keimetinov’s Even-Russian Dictionary . Many people prefer this version of writing in social networks and messengers, since it is technically convenient: there has been a Yakut layout for both computers and smartphones for a long time. 

I.3. Geographic characteristics. 

I.3.1. . Subjects of the Russian Federation with compact population of native speakers

Bystrinski, Olyutorski and Penzhinski Districts of Kamchatka Krai, Anadyrski and Bilibinski Districts of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Okhotski District of Khabarovsk Krai, Olski, Omsukchanski, Severo-Evenski and Srednekanski Districts of Magadan Oblast, Momski, Nizhnekolymski, Oymyakonski, Srednekolymski, Tomponski, Ust-Yanski, Eveno-Bytantayski Uluses of Sakha Republic (Yakutia) – these are just the uluses with numerous groups of Evens, the more detailed information is provided lower in I.3.3. {reference}

I.3.2. Total number of traditional native settlements

This section accounts for settlements where Evens make up no less than 50 percent of the total population as well as settlements with relatively major (over 100 people) Even groups, regardless of what percentage this group makes within the community in that given settlement (the presence of the group of that size can theoretically ensure the preservation of natural environment for the language). There are 51 settlements of that type. 

I.3.3. List of settlements  

This section enumerates only the settlements with Evens making no less than 50 percent of the total population as well as settlements with the relatively major (over 100 people) Even groups. The settlement with the majority of Even population are highlighted in green. 

Khabarovsk Krai

Okhotski District 

settlement of Arka

settlement of Nyadbaki 

settlement of Ketanda 

settlement of Uschan 

Kamchatka Krai 

Penzhinski District 

settlement of Oklan 

settlement of Ayanka

settlement of Kamenskoye 

Bystrinski District 

settlement of Anavgai 

settlement Esso 

Chukotka Autonomous Okrug

Anadyrski District 

settlement of Lamutskoye 

Bilibinski District 

settlement of Anyuysk 

settlement of Omolon 

Magadan Oblast 

Olski District 

urban-type settlement of Ola 

settlement of Takhtoyamsk 

settlement of Yamsk 

Omsukchanski District 

urban-type settlement of Omsukchan 

Severo-Evenski District 

urban-type settlement of Evensk 

settlement of Garmanda 

settlement of Gizhiga 

Srednekanski District 

urban-type settlement of Seymchan 

Sakha (Yakutia) 

Abyiski Ulus 

settlement of Kuberganya

Allaikhovski Ulus

urban-type settlement of Chokurdakh 

settlement of Olenegorsk 

Anabarski National Ulus 

Settlement of Saskylakh 

Bulunski Ulus 

urban-type settlement of Tiksi 

settlement of Kyusyur 

settlement of Taimylyr 

settlement of Naiba 

Verkhnekolymski Ulus 

settlement of Utaya 

Kobyayski Ulus 

settlement of Segyan-Kyuyol

settlement of Sebyan-Kyuyol 

Momski National Ulus 

settlement of Khonuu 

сsettlement of Sasyr 

Nizhnekolymski Ulus 

urban-type settlement of Chersky 

settlement of Andryushkino 

settlement of Kolymskoye 

Oymyakonski Ulus 

settlement of Tomtor 

settlement of Yuchigey 

Srednekolymski Ulus 

city of Srednekolymsk 

settlement of Berezovka 

settlement of Urodan 

Tomponski Ulus 

Settlement of Topolinoye 

Ust-Yanski Ulus 

urban-type settlement of Deputatsky 

settlement of Kazachye 

settlement of Khayyr

settlement of Sayyllyk 

settlement of Tumat 

settlement Uyandi 

Eveno-Bytantaiski National Ulus 

Settlement of Dzhargalakh  

settlement of Kustur 

settlement  of Batagai-Alyta 

I.4. Historical dynamics 

The censuses record the decrease of the proportion of Evens who know their native language (the phenomenon one can see in other ethnic languages too): 

From 2010 on, censuses include two questions: which language the person considers to be their native language and if they know their ethnic language

We can see that the data fluctuates from census to census. These fluctuations can be accounted for by inaccuracies of calculations, but even to a greater degree by the subjectivity of responses to the questions which ethnic group a person identifies themselves with and, in particular, whether they know the language: some people might think they do not know the language if they are not fluent, while others might think they do speak it even though all they know is just a few common phrases. But the general tendency is unmistakeable: the proportion of Even speaker has decreased from over 90 percent in 1926 to 25-27 percent a hundred years later. But one has to point out that if approximately a quarter of the ethnic group specified that they know their language, it is relatively a good figure for an indigenous minority language in the 2020s. But, even though the table in I.2.3.2 Use in different fields has positive answers for nearly all the areas, the main area where Even is spoken is the everyday informal speech of elderly people.  

Speakers of Even are currently under the pressure of two languages: for instance, in Eveno-Bytayski and Ust-Yanski Districts in Yakutia the principal language of communication for Evens is Yakut (Yakut is also the main language of communication in public spheres: communication in shops, schools, administrative offices etc.). But in Bystrinski District in Kamchatka, in settlement Topolinoye in Tomponski District in Yakutia, in settlement Berezovka in Srednekolymski District and in Nizhnekolymski District the main language of communication among middle-aged and young people is Russian. 

II. Linguistic data 

II.1. Position in the genealogy of world languages

The Even language alongside with Evenki, Negidal, and China-based Solon, Oroqon and Khamnigan Tungus constitute the Northern subgroup of the Manchi-Tungus(or Tungusic) language family.  

II.2. Dialect situation 

To begin with, one has to point out that among Even dialects a special place is given to the now extinct Arman dialect. Its character was so distinct that many linguists tend to think there used to be a separate Arman language. The description of and materials on Arman (called after settlement Arman in Magadan Oblast) are compiled in L.D.Rishes dissertation The Arman Dialect of the Even Language . (1947)

The rest of Even subdialects split into three groups, or, otherwise, three dialects. The Eastern dialects span across the area between the River Kolyma basin to the east up to the Pacific Ocean comprising Magadan Oblast, Kamchatka and Okhotski District of Khabarovsk Krai. Eastern dialect is also spoken by Evens living in settlement Berezovka, Srednekolymski Ulus, Yakutia. The Western dialects are distributed in Sakha Republic on the right-hand tributaries of the River Lena and the left-hand tributaries of the River Yana. The Middle dialects span across Sakha Republic along the right-hand tributaries of the River Aldan, along the upper River Yana, in the basins of the Rivers Indigirka and Alazeya. Geographically they are between Eastern and Western dialects, but linguistically they are closer to Eastern dialects. Every dialect breaks into a number of territorial variants (subdialects), in various academic opinions, there are from 11 to 20 such local linguistic subdialects. 

II.3. Short history of studying the Even language

First records in Even were made by travellers and geographers. The first publication of Even materials was in Nikolaes Witsen’s North and East Tartary ( Noord en Oost Tartarye ), the book published in Dutch in Amsterdam in 1705, ???? but ‘Lamut numerals’ – however, a linguistic interpretation of the publication shows that at least some numerals are rather in Evenki form. In 1719, several Even words were recorded by Daniel Gottlieb Messerschmidt. In the first half of the 18 th century, Stepan Petrovich Krasheninnikov recorded some words used by Even hunters. The first books to be published in Even were, as described above in the section about writing, are translations of religious texts and a primer, both published in the second half of the 19 th century. In his Comparative Dictionary of All the Languages and Dialects arranged alphabetically ( Sravnitel'nyye slovari vsekh yazykov i narechiy ) Peter Simon Pallas published around 200 words in two Even dialects (in ‘Tungus near Okhotsk’ and in ‘Lamut’). The Concise Tungus Dictionary was compiled by Stepan Popov, first translator of New Testament into Even. The Dictionary was published in 1859, we give a short extract below. 

In 1892, Vladimir Germanovich Bogoraz visited the Evens of the Bulen family nomadizing along the River Omolon (a Kolyma tributary). V.G.Bogoraz’s Materials of the Lamut Language published in 1931 include a concise grammar description and a glossary of over 100 roots. This book is the first publication of texts in Even (the New Testament published earlier is a translation, not an original text either in its form or its content). As an example, we include a “spell-prayer” to fire from V.G.Bogoraz’s book. The text was published in a transcribed form in Latin letters with interlineary translation which aims at reproducing grammar structures of Even accurately. 

In the 20 th century, there were a number of fundamental works on Even: V.I.Tsintsius’s grammar, K.A.Novikova’s two-volume grammar of Even (Olsk dialect), V.I.Tsintsius and L.D.Rishes’s dictinary, V.A.Robbek and M.E.Robbek’s dictionary, N.P.Tkachik, V.D.Lebedev and V.A.Robbek recorded and published Even epic legends. 

4.2.2. Noun morphology 

Even present number categories of singular and plural. Singular has no specific markers. That said, if there are special words denoting plurality in speech, Even nouns are used in their singular form. So the so-called singular form is in fact a neutral form and can be used to denote plurality as well. Plural forms are frequently (but not obligatorily) used with animate nouns, cp. a typical sentence in which the noun subject which denotes people has the plural marker while the rest of the nouns have no plural ending even though they denote plural objects. 

4.2.5. Lexis 

Most of Even lexis are predictably of Manchi-Tungus origin. But at the same time Enev has a number of words which reflect Even contacts with neighbouring languages. To be more exact, this refers to the contacts of certain Even dialects with the neighbouring languages, since the neighbouring languages may be quite different. For instance, in north-eastern dialects Even one can often see loan-words from Chukot and Koryak: Even atvat ‘boat’ is a borrowing of Chukot atvaat ‘boat’. In Bystrinsky Even there are loan-words from Alyutor (for instance, Even temujon (a phonetic transcription) ‘slaughtered reindeer’ is borrowed from Alyutor təmjun with the same meaning, while Even katep ‘fish trap’ is a loan-word from Itelmen katet. In north-western dialects there are occasions of borrowing from Yukagir: for instance, these dialects borrowed from Forest Yukagir о̄нди̇ (ōndi) ‘water’, a word belonging to core vocabulary of any language. Western Even dialects were influenced by Yakut: Even did not just borrow separate words from it (for instance, kubak ‘hare’ from Yakut kuobax ), but whole grammar paradigms. Brigitte Pakendorf described a borrowing for two verb paradigms from Yakut (obligatory mood and assertative mood): in Even verb stem is used with Yakut mood and person markers): for instance, the form utalajaktakkit ( у̇талаjакта̄кки̇т) ‘you have to understand’ is a combination of the Even verb ut’l- ( у̇тъл-) ‘understand’ and the Yakut markers of obligatory mood – jaktak (- jакта̄к) (- yakhtaakh - ыахтаах in Yakut) and Yakut marker of 2p.Pl.  -kit (- ки̇т ) ( - gyt (- гыт)  in Yakut).