The Siberian Connection, part 2

This week we are witness to an historic gathering of linguists exploring what is potentially the first demonstrated long-distance genetic relationship. The Dene-Yeniseic Symposium held in Fairbanks this week explores what has been dubbed the Dene-Yeniseic Hypothesis, the putative genetic link between the Na-Dene (or Tlina-Dene, or Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit, or nuclear Na-Dene) family of northwestern North America, and the Yeniseic family of Central Siberian.

Connections between these two families have been suggested before this meeting--most famously in a 1998 paper by Merritt Ruhlen--but all of those proposals have fallen within the category of so-called "mass-comparison." That is, they have relied more on subjective evaluation of resemblance rather than on established methods of comparative linguistics. Part of the challenge of exploring this hypothesis is the wide academic gulf between Na-Dene and Yeniseic research. Both fields make use of idiosyncratic terminology and offer a high barrier-to-entry for non-specialists. Na-Dene is already seen as exceptional with Americanist circles, let alone Siberian. Few linguists have had significant experience with both families.

One notable exception is Ed Vajda, Professor at Western Washington University. Vajda has done first-hand field work with Ket, a Yeniseic language; has published the first comprehensive bibliography in English of Yeniseic; and has published a sketch grammar in English of Ket. Moreover, he has taken it upon himself to learn everything he can about Na-Dene languages as well. In fact, Vajda was probably the first Yeniseic scholar to attend and present at the Athabascan Languages Conference (where I first met him in 2000 in Morricetown, BC.)

In the run-up to the symposium, evidence for the Hypothesis has continued to build, as more and more data have been circulated. Especially significant in this regard has been a new Proto-Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit reconstruction developed by linguist Jeff Leer. Vajda has built on Leer's work to propose additional putative Na-Dene - Yeniseic cognates. So in some sense Vajda was yesterday preaching to the choir. Nevertheless, the reaction of participating senior scholars is nothing less than historic. The symposium concluded with a day-long session at the Alaska Anthropological Association conference in Anchorage. Vajda's presentation there was a tour de force which will surely come to be recognized as an historic moment in linguistic science.