Language Information

Aleut is spoken by about 1,000 people in the Aleutian Islands and by a few hundred more on the Commander Islands, which belong to Russia. It is related to Eskimo but only distantly, the two languages being in no way mutually intelligible. The first alphabet for the Aleut language was developed by a Russian missionary about 1825 and was based on the Cyrillic alphabet. Although the islands passed with Alaska to the United States in 1867, the Roman alphabet was not introduced until the 20th century.

Russia, United States of America.

Family: Eskimo-Aleut

Writing Sample

Translation

These countries are created, created.
There are hills on them.
There are little hills on each of them, each of them.
There are women, there are men.
These countries are created, created.
On them are women, on them are men.
With me they laughed and joked.
And so when we separated [they did the same]
I have not heard [such things] as if in a sleep
I heard or felt pleasure.