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Abstract

Amuric (or Nivkh) is a shallow language family spoken on the Lower Amur and Sakhalin and with no apparent affiliation to other language families. As a consequence. reconstructing its more distant past has so far proven difficult. Conversely, extensive and prolonged borrowing between the Amuric and Ilingusic languages hal long been established. This chapter provides an overview of Amuric and Tungusic historical phonology and shows on the basis of Amuric-intemal sound changes that the vocabulary shared between the two language families results from several periods of contact, with some words dating back to Pre-ProtwAmurk and Proto-Ttmgusk. The geographically specific terms among the material suggest that the territory of the Amuric ancestor language was spoken in a coastal region and chat its territory bordered the Tungusic ultimate homeland. While the chapter advances the study of Amuric and the linguistic history of Northeast Asia more broadly, it acknowledges that its conclusions require additional support.