Glottochronology Classification of the Modern and the Earliest Samoyed Dictionaries using LingvoDoc Programs

The classification of Samoyedic languages has become one of the most popular topics in Uralistics in recent years, with at least six different perspectives expressed by leading experts, often in contradiction with one another. On the LingvoDoc platform, there are 16 dictionaries and concordances of texts in Samoyedic languages. Among these, 10 dictionaries – Nenets, Enets, Nganasan, and Selkup dialects – were compiled from native speakers, while six others were derived from archival and published sources. They are analyzed using the glottochronology formula developed by S.A. Starostin. The analysis on LingvoDoc results in a 3D graph that depicts the degree of temporal proximity regarding the divergence of Samoyedic languages and dialects. It was determined that, from a glottochronological perspective, there was a certain proximity between Nenets, Enets, and Nganasan, that are traditionally grouped into the North Samoyedic cluster, while Selkup, Mator, and Kamasin, are regarded as South Samoyedic. However, these commonalities existed for a relatively short period. A longer period of unity was observed between Mator and Kamasin languages and between Nenets and Enets. The highest number of words with no etymology in other lists of basic vocabulary was found in Selkup dialects and in the Nganasan language, indicating their prolonged isolated existence. The analysis conducted in this study supports the validity of the traditional classification of Samoyedic languages. Considering the material from early Selkup texts provides more reliable evidence for postulating the South Samoyedic group.

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