Yupik

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A member of a group of indigenous peoples from the western Alaska region known for their unique language and culture
2. Pertaining to the traditional lifestyle and customs of the Yupik people, including fishing, hunting, and community gatherings
3. Relating to the language spoken by the Yupik people, which is part of the Eskimo-Aleut language family and distinct from other indigenous languages in Alaska

Etymology: The name is the people's own word for themselves. In the Yup'ik language, "Yup'ik" means "real person", built from the Proto-Eskimo root "iŋuɣ", meaning "human" or "person", which is the same root that gave the "Inuit" peoples their self-name in their own languages. Many Indigenous groups in the Arctic named themselves simply as "the people", a common pattern across cultures worldwide, and the Yup'ik were no exception. The spelling "Yupik" is a simplified form of "Yup'ik", with the apostrophe marking a glottal stop, a catch in the throat that the apostrophe represents in written form. Writers often drop it when the apostrophe is unavailable or unfamiliar to readers. Both spellings refer to the same group, which lives along the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta and the Bering Sea coast of western Alaska.