Lakup languages

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Lakup
Ethnicity3,809
Native speakers3000  (no date)
Language family
Dialects
CWS code

The Lakup languages refer to two closely related languages spoken in far-eastern Kasiiralq. While often presented as two dialects of a single language, mutual intelligibility is low due to differences in grammar, lexicon and, to a lesser extent, phonology.

The Lakup languages together make up a primary branch of the Tulipi-Lakup language family, along with the distantly related Tulipian languages. Both branches of Lakup have been heavily influenced by the Patuk language due to a long-lasting association with the Patuk vodholk peoples. Hill Lakup has also been influenced to some degree by Tulipik and Itsiqutki, while Tundra Lakup has seen some influence from the Cheshog languages.

Both Lakup languages are considered endanged; of these two, Hill Lakup is considered the most severely at risk, with much of its ethnic population having switched to Patuk over the past century.