INEL Projekt
@projektinel.bsky.social
Langzeitvorhaben der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Hamburg im Rahmen des Akademienprogramms
www.slm.uni-hamburg.de/inel/
www.slm.uni-hamburg.de/inel/
This was it for our trivia on the Ulcha language. Hope you enjoyed it! Next month, there will be even more curiosities about other INEL languages!
December 5, 2025 at 3:03 PM
This was it for our trivia on the Ulcha language. Hope you enjoyed it! Next month, there will be even more curiosities about other INEL languages!
In the Ulcha language, there are several words for sisters: əjɣə ‘sister (older or younger)’, pundadʼu ‘sister or any woman of the same generation’, əgə ‘older sister or aunt’, nəkun or nəu ‘younger sister or younger brother’.
December 5, 2025 at 3:03 PM
In the Ulcha language, there are several words for sisters: əjɣə ‘sister (older or younger)’, pundadʼu ‘sister or any woman of the same generation’, əgə ‘older sister or aunt’, nəkun or nəu ‘younger sister or younger brother’.
The words “old man” (mapa) and “old woman” (mama) will be in the instrumental case, which is usually used to describe an instrument (for example, “to cut with a knife” or “to chop with an axe”).
December 5, 2025 at 3:03 PM
The words “old man” (mapa) and “old woman” (mama) will be in the instrumental case, which is usually used to describe an instrument (for example, “to cut with a knife” or “to chop with an axe”).
In Ulcha, instead of “once upon a time there lived an old man and an old woman,” you can say “once upon a time there lived (with) an old man, (with) an old woman” (mapa-dʼi mama-dʼi bičiti).
December 5, 2025 at 3:03 PM
In Ulcha, instead of “once upon a time there lived an old man and an old woman,” you can say “once upon a time there lived (with) an old man, (with) an old woman” (mapa-dʼi mama-dʼi bičiti).
A fairytale in Ulcha begins with the words naː xadʼilati. This expression can be repeated many times in a fairytale. Its meaning is unknown.
December 5, 2025 at 3:03 PM
A fairytale in Ulcha begins with the words naː xadʼilati. This expression can be repeated many times in a fairytale. Its meaning is unknown.
In Ulcha, when inviting someone to do something together, they literally say ‘you do it’. For example, arakiwa umisu can mean ‘you drink vodka’ or ‘let's drink vodka’.
December 5, 2025 at 3:03 PM
In Ulcha, when inviting someone to do something together, they literally say ‘you do it’. For example, arakiwa umisu can mean ‘you drink vodka’ or ‘let's drink vodka’.
And if you add this same suffix to the words ‘night’ (dolbo) or ‘autumn’ (bolo), you get the verb ‘night has fallen’ (dolbodʼu-) or ‘autumn has come’ (bolodʼu-).
December 5, 2025 at 3:03 PM
And if you add this same suffix to the words ‘night’ (dolbo) or ‘autumn’ (bolo), you get the verb ‘night has fallen’ (dolbodʼu-) or ‘autumn has come’ (bolodʼu-).
To describe repetition or return, the Ulcha language uses a special suffix -dʼu. For example, ira- ‘to carry’ – iradʼu- ‘to carry back’, tətu- ‘to put on’ – tətudʼu- ‘to put on again’.
December 5, 2025 at 3:03 PM
To describe repetition or return, the Ulcha language uses a special suffix -dʼu. For example, ira- ‘to carry’ – iradʼu- ‘to carry back’, tətu- ‘to put on’ – tətudʼu- ‘to put on again’.
In the Ulcha language, the birth of a child is referred to as piqtədʼuj baː- – ‘to find a child for oneself’. A special case meaning ‘acquisition’ and the suffix ‘one's own’ are added to the word ‘child’.
December 4, 2025 at 2:56 PM
In the Ulcha language, the birth of a child is referred to as piqtədʼuj baː- – ‘to find a child for oneself’. A special case meaning ‘acquisition’ and the suffix ‘one's own’ are added to the word ‘child’.
Each of these has a whole set of forms describing position or direction of movement, for example: wajsi ‘to the shore’, wajidʼi ‘from the shore’, wajila ‘on the shore (to be)’, wajadʼila ‘closer to the shore’, wajrpa ‘along the shore (to walk)’, wajaki 'on the shore (to walk)'.
December 4, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Each of these has a whole set of forms describing position or direction of movement, for example: wajsi ‘to the shore’, wajidʼi ‘from the shore’, wajila ‘on the shore (to be)’, wajadʼila ‘closer to the shore’, wajrpa ‘along the shore (to walk)’, wajaki 'on the shore (to walk)'.
The Ulcha language has special spatial words to indicate orientation along a river. For example, soli- ‘upstream’, xəi- ‘downstream’, baj- ‘opposite side of the river’, waj- ‘near the shore’.
December 4, 2025 at 2:56 PM
The Ulcha language has special spatial words to indicate orientation along a river. For example, soli- ‘upstream’, xəi- ‘downstream’, baj- ‘opposite side of the river’, waj- ‘near the shore’.
tundʼanʼi ‘five people’, tundʼalta ‘five days’, tundʼara ‘five times’, tundʼakaːn ‘only/just five’, tundʼadakti ‘five-layered’, etc.
December 4, 2025 at 2:56 PM
tundʼanʼi ‘five people’, tundʼalta ‘five days’, tundʼara ‘five times’, tundʼakaːn ‘only/just five’, tundʼadakti ‘five-layered’, etc.
Many suffixes can be added to Ulcha numerals. For example, the numeral tundʼa ‘five’ forms: tundʼij ‘fifth’, tundʼata and tundʼadʼi-tundʼadʼi ‘(divide) into five pieces’, tundʼadʼiri and tundʼatuŋasa ‘in fives’...
December 4, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Many suffixes can be added to Ulcha numerals. For example, the numeral tundʼa ‘five’ forms: tundʼij ‘fifth’, tundʼata and tundʼadʼi-tundʼadʼi ‘(divide) into five pieces’, tundʼadʼiri and tundʼatuŋasa ‘in fives’...
For example: xukəsi ‘the front part of a bear carcass (which only men can eat)’, əːqtəksi ‘the rear part of a bear carcass (which only women eat)’, dʼoːli ‘bear bile (used as medicine)’, mai ‘bear head skin’, jagdʼaqta ‘bear intestine fat’, luru ‘bear ears’ and so on...
December 3, 2025 at 3:02 PM
For example: xukəsi ‘the front part of a bear carcass (which only men can eat)’, əːqtəksi ‘the rear part of a bear carcass (which only women eat)’, dʼoːli ‘bear bile (used as medicine)’, mai ‘bear head skin’, jagdʼaqta ‘bear intestine fat’, luru ‘bear ears’ and so on...
In the Ulcha language, parts of the bear's body and organs all have special names.
December 3, 2025 at 3:02 PM
In the Ulcha language, parts of the bear's body and organs all have special names.
The Ulcha word baː can mean ‘place’, ‘world/universe’, ‘sky’, ‘weather’, as well as ‘outside/on the street’.
December 3, 2025 at 3:02 PM
The Ulcha word baː can mean ‘place’, ‘world/universe’, ‘sky’, ‘weather’, as well as ‘outside/on the street’.
There are special words to describe the squeaking of skis on snow (čukur-čukur), the ringing of a flying arrow (ta-tasi), the splashing of fish in water (čopok-čopok), and the sound of scattered pebbles (botor).
December 3, 2025 at 3:02 PM
There are special words to describe the squeaking of skis on snow (čukur-čukur), the ringing of a flying arrow (ta-tasi), the splashing of fish in water (čopok-čopok), and the sound of scattered pebbles (botor).
There is a suffix -ksə/-ksa/-kso that means ‘skin (of an animal or of a fish)’. For example: səːpəksə ‘fox skin’, suliksa ‘fox skin’, dawaksa ‘chum salmon skin’, koruksa ‘pike skin’. And the word daliksa (literally “bag skin”) means “burlap.”
December 2, 2025 at 11:20 AM
There is a suffix -ksə/-ksa/-kso that means ‘skin (of an animal or of a fish)’. For example: səːpəksə ‘fox skin’, suliksa ‘fox skin’, dawaksa ‘chum salmon skin’, koruksa ‘pike skin’. And the word daliksa (literally “bag skin”) means “burlap.”
There are two indicators with the meaning of similarity: =məčilə ‘the same as’ and =kəči ‘similar in size’. For example, one can say about a dog that it is ŋəːlə=məčilə ‘similar to a wolf’ or ŋəːlə=kəči ‘the size of a wolf’.
December 2, 2025 at 11:20 AM
There are two indicators with the meaning of similarity: =məčilə ‘the same as’ and =kəči ‘similar in size’. For example, one can say about a dog that it is ŋəːlə=məčilə ‘similar to a wolf’ or ŋəːlə=kəči ‘the size of a wolf’.
In the Ulcha language, there is a special suffix that is added to a name or kinship term when referring to a deceased person. For example, the deceased Ilkə would be called Ilkəŋəsə, and the deceased mother (ənʼə) would be called ənʼəŋəsə.
December 2, 2025 at 11:20 AM
In the Ulcha language, there is a special suffix that is added to a name or kinship term when referring to a deceased person. For example, the deceased Ilkə would be called Ilkəŋəsə, and the deceased mother (ənʼə) would be called ənʼəŋəsə.
The ring finger has two names in the Ulcha language: it can be referred to either as the “older sister of the little finger” (gaŋgaku əgəni) or as the “younger sibling of the middle finger” (tokon purun nəuni).
December 1, 2025 at 1:31 PM
The ring finger has two names in the Ulcha language: it can be referred to either as the “older sister of the little finger” (gaŋgaku əgəni) or as the “younger sibling of the middle finger” (tokon purun nəuni).
There is a special word for the little finger (gaŋgaku). The middle finger is simply called “finger in the middle” (tokon purun), just like in English.
December 1, 2025 at 1:31 PM
There is a special word for the little finger (gaŋgaku). The middle finger is simply called “finger in the middle” (tokon purun), just like in English.
In the Ulcha culture, it was customary to name parents after their oldest child. For example, a man named Sajda who had a daughter named Siŋaka was not called “Sajda,” but “father of Siŋaka” (Siŋaka amini).
December 1, 2025 at 1:31 PM
In the Ulcha culture, it was customary to name parents after their oldest child. For example, a man named Sajda who had a daughter named Siŋaka was not called “Sajda,” but “father of Siŋaka” (Siŋaka amini).