DIALECTAL CLASSIFICATION OF KHANTY IN THE LIGHT OF BASIC VOCABULARY

Abstract

This paper looks at the relationship between Khanty dialects from the perspective of the “language vs dialect” problem, applying the method of lexicostatistics to new archival and field data. Dialectal classification of Khanty is still a debatable issue with no reached consensus among researchers. The borders between dialectal groups within the Khanty language are mostly drawn by the phonetic and morphological criteria. Scholars traditionally separate Khanty dialect continuum into two dialectal groups: Northern (Western) and Eastern Khanty. However, recently many Khanty sources have become available to researchers, ranging from the unpublished 18th century archives to the printed dictionaries and digital field corpora. Having applied the method of lexicostatistics to this new material, the article shows that the Eastern group is not homogenous. As a result, the study identifies three contemporary Khanty languages: Northern Khanty, Vakh Khanty, and Surgut Khanty. Also, the article observes the correlation between these three groups and traditional ones that are distinguished by phonological and grammatical criteria (Eastern, Northern and dead Southern Khanty). Also, 13 new basic vocabulary lists based on the sources from the 18th to 21st centuries are published, which makes it possible to trace evolution of the dialects. Etymological notes and references, as well as proto-form reconstructions, are provided along the lists, which makes the supplementary material a miniversion of an etymological dictionary of Khanty dialects.