Itelmen
Also known as: Western Kamchadal
The sole surviving language of the Kamchatkan branch of Chukotko-Kamchatkan, spoken in villages along the western coast of Kamchatka such as Kovran. Only a few elderly fluent speakers remain; known for extremely complex consonant clusters, and structurally so divergent from Chukchi-Koryak that its place in the family is debated.
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Frequently asked questions
What language is Itelmen?
Itelmen is a dialect of the Itelmen language.
Which region is Itelmen associated with?
Itelmen is part of the East Asia region on DialectAtlas.
Is Itelmen known by other names?
Yes — Itelmen is also referred to as Western Kamchadal.
Is Itelmen endangered?
Itelmen is critically endangered. Only a small number of mostly elderly speakers remain, and the variety is at imminent risk of being lost.