Yukaghirs are the most mysterious people of Russia, whose language no one understands

Most of the languages spoken by the inhabitants of our planet are united by linguists in language families and groups. But there are some languages that are isolated and not included by specialists in any language family. That is Yukagir.

Native speakers of this language are Yukagirs, who are rightfully considered one of the most mysterious peoples of our country. The thing is that their language is largely unique. Most linguists distinguish it as a separate language family, and related to it is not found in any region of the world. The language of the nearest neighbors is not at all like Yukagir, and even the language itself has two varieties that differ significantly from each other.

Yukagirs live in the vast expanses of the north of Siberia. Their ancestors came here thousands of years ago and adapted to life in these harsh conditions. Most of these people today are concentrated in the north-east of Yakutia (Nizhnekolymsky ulus), and the rest live in the Magadan Region and the Chukotka Autonomous Region.

Some Yukaghirs today live in cities, and those who lead a traditional lifestyle are engaged in hunting, fishing, and raising deer. The number of this people, according to recent data, is about 1,500 people. These are pretty optimistic data, given the fact that in the middle of the 20th century the number of Yukagirs did not exceed 500 people.

Tundra Yukagirs, photo of 1902

Yukagirs, according to scientists, are one of the oldest peoples of Siberia. They once lived in vast areas from the Yenisei to the Far East, but were subsequently driven out by other ethnic groups into the northern regions.

According to geneticists, the Yukagirs have long been in genetic and linguistic isolation from hostile neighbors, and therefore their language is so unique.

It is noteworthy that within the Yukagir ethnic group there was a division into two fairly isolated groups: northern and southern. The language dialects have undergone a number of significant changes over time, and today experts distinguish two separate languages: the North Yukagir language (tundra) and the South Yukagir language (Kolyma).

According to anthropologists, Yukagirs can be associated with peoples speaking the languages of the Uralic language family. A few millennia ago, they all spoke the same ancient Paleosiberian language. But no reliable connection has been found between the Yukagir language and the languages of the Uralic language family.

While scientists are trying to find out the origin of the Yukagirs and their mysterious language, the language itself is in danger of extinction. Today, less than half of the Yukaghirs speak their native language, and the rest uses Yakut, Chukchi, or Russian for communication.