The Tundra Yukaghir Language in a Multilingual Environment

Abstract The article presents the results of a longitudinal study of the language situation in a multilingual village of Andryushkino (northeast of the Sakha Republic). It is one of two localities where the endangered Tundra Yukaghir ( TY ) language is still used. Data on TY proficiency were collected in this village by one of the authors in 1987 and then, 35 years later, by the other author in 2022. In both cases, the same methodology for assessing the degree of language competence ( DLC ) with the help of experts was used. Comparison of data from 1987 and 2022 shows a significant decrease in DLC in younger and middle-aged generations. Our data include 13 people whose DLC was assessed in both studies. The degree of TY competence in six cases out of thirteen has increased over 35 years. The article provides several possible explanations for this growth against the background of linguistic biographies of the speakers and the multicultural and multilingual environment of the village of Andryushkino.