Venjukov’s [1858] 1862/1868 Nanai materials

Authors

• José Andrés Alonso de la Fuente https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4926-7385

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33340/susa.82048

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to offer a philological analysis of the so-called "Nanai wordlist" by M. I. Venjukov, published in the mid-19th century in two language versions, in French and Russian. Most descriptions (usually based on Kotwicz's pioneering studies) agree that both lists are identical. I aim to demonstrate that (a) the two versions differ on some crucial points and, more importantly, (b) Venjukov's hide the materials of both the Kilen and Kili languages (formerly the Sungari-Bikin and Kur-Urmi sub-dialects of the Upper Amur Nanai dialect), as happens to be the case with sources gathered in the Ussuri region.