Evenki Language - Dialects

Dialects

Bulatova enumerated 14 dialects and 50 sub-dialects within Russia, spread over a wide geographical area ranging from the Yenisei River to Sakhalin. These may be divided into three major groups primarily on the basis of phonology:

1. Northern (spirant)
   1. Ilimpeya: Ilimpeya, Agata and Bol'shoi, Porog, Tura, Tutonchany, Dudinka/Khantai
   2. Yerbogachon: Yerbogachon, Nakanno
2. Southern (sibilant)
   1. Hushing
      1. Sym: Tokma or Upper Nepa, Upper Lena or Kachug, Angara
      2. Northern Baikal: Northern Baikal, Upper Lena
   2. Hissing
      1. Stony Tunguska: Vanavara, Kuyumba, Poligus, Surinda, Taimura or Chirinda, Uchami, Chemdal'sk
      2. Nepa: Nepa, Kirensk
      3. Vitim-Nercha/Baunt-Talocha: Baunt, Talocha, Tungukochan, Nercha
3. Eastern (sibilant-spirant)
   1. Vitim-Olyokma dialect: Barguzin, Vitim/Kalar, Olyokma, Tungir, Tokko
   2. Upper Aldan: Aldan, Upper Amur, Amga, Dzheltulak, Timpton, Tommot, Khingan, Chul'man, Chul'man-Gilyui
   3. Uchur-Zeya: Uchur, Zeya
   4. Selemdzha-Bureya-Urmi: Selemdzha, Bureya, Urmi
   5. Ayan-Mai: Ayan, Aim, Mai, Nel'kan, Totti
   6. Tugur-Chumikan: Tugur, Chumikan
   7. Sakhalin (no subdialects)

Evenki in China also speak several dialects. According to Ethnologue, the Hihue or Hoy dialect is considered the standard; Haila’er, Aoluguya (Olguya), Chenba’erhu (Old Bargu), and Morigele (Mergel) dialects also exist. Ethnologue reports these dialects differ significantly from those in Russia.

Some works focused on individual Russian dialects include Gortsevskaya 1936 (Barguzin), Andreeva 1988 (Tommot), and Bulatova 1999 (Sakhalin).