thumb|341x341px|Geographical distribution of Samoyedic languages in the 17th century (hatched) and in the 20th century (solid).
The Samoyedic () or Samoyed languages () are spoken around the Ural Mountains, in northernmost Eurasia, by approximately 25,000 people altogether, accordingly called the Samoyedic peoples. They derive from a common ancestral language called Proto-Samoyedic, and form a branch of the Uralic languages. Having separated perhaps in the last centuries BC, they are not a diverse group of languages, and are traditionally considered to be an outgroup, branching off first from the other Uralic languages.
Etymology
The term Samoyedic is derived from the Russian term samoyed () originally applied only to the Nenets people and later extended to other related peoples.
One of the theories supposes that the term is interpreted by some ethnologists as originating somewhat derogatorily from Russian , literally meaning 'self-eater' (the word has been interpreted by foreign travelers as an allegation of cannibalism).
Another suggestion for the term's origin is a corruption of the expression saam-edne, meaning "Land of the Saams". The word Samodeic has been proposed as an alternative by some ethnologists. Samoyedic languages also have grammatical evidentiality. Below are two sentences in Nenets that demonstrate SOV word order and case in Samoyedic languages:
Nouns
Nouns in Samoyedic languages do not have gender, but they are declined for number (singular, dual, and plural) as well as case.
Unlike some other Uralic languages, Samoyedic languages do not have vowel harmony.
References
Further reading
- Материалы 2-й международной конференции по самодистике, ('Samodistics' conference proceedings), 2008
- VIII INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SAMOYEDIC STUDIES, 2021