Maybe some of you guys in southwestern Alaska can help me with this.

I'm trying to figure out if a particular word is Yupik, or Unangam (Aleut).

The word sounds like ballo. Like "ball" with a long "o" at the end.
I think it means; baby beaver.

Not Athabascan.

https://www.swrsd.org/site/handlers...leName=Yupik_Eskimo_Dictionary_Vol_1.pdf

The SW Yupik dictionary

It looks like the following words are used for beaver
nukaq -beaver in 2nd year of life
paluqtaq- beaver

The reason I ask.
I have a friend who's life long nickname has been "Balo".
His father who was Alutiiq (Aleut) came in from the trapline one day, and while he had been out, his mother who was Yupik had given birth. When the father first laid eyes on his new son he said, "he looks just like a baby beaver", "Balo". The name stuck. I'm assuming since his dad came up with the name, it must be Alutiiq, but I'm not sure. Just wondering.

Baluktuk is beaver around the here.
Uksaduyuk or pubsaduyuk is baby beaver.The spelling is not right of course but that's how it sounds.

Balutuk vs paluqtaq

Is probably the same word and baluktuk is likely the English pronunciation.

Inuit language here, related to Yupik, u have to remember the letters and combinations of letters are pronounced differently. If u can remember "p" is pronounced "b" to an English speaker and "t" is pronounced as "d" to an English speaker then u have a start.

So "balutuk" and "paluqtaq" would be English and it appears Yupik respectively. That is how it would work here anyway.

Interesting Innu/Cree Indian language the same w the p/b and t/d even though totally unrelated to the Inuit type languages. Just a matter of whoever told ppl how to pronounce letters back in the day I suppose but the same rule holds to an English speaker.

First thing u got to do to pick up on another language is erase ur own. Adults do that very poorly and speak other's language w accents. Kids, w their not hard wired minds, do it a lot better n often have nil first language accent on the second language.

"Balutuk", sound fairly similar to "Balo". So, I'm assuming the dad, who was Aleut, was kindly deferring to his wife who was Yupik.

It's going to be a sad day when these guys are no longer around. My bear hunting camp is right on the spot where his parents spent their honeymoon in the 1940's. The old barabara pits where my camp is located indicate that Balo's relatives had been hunting on that site for most likely hundreds if not thousands of years. Unfortunately, the younger generation have no interest in their history whatsoever.

Oops, I just noticed that in my original post I mispronounced his name. It is Ballo, the "o" is a long "o". I guess it pays to proof read before posting.

Wrangler Yukon Jeff says it the same way we do on this side of the Bay I can’t spell it but I know my wife can so here is what she says beaver is paluqtaq the p is pronounced B a kit beaver is an aqsaduyaq she thinks thats how its spelled not 100% on that

Methinks those words were invented so that Caucasion lips could not pronounce them....!

Pete

Those would be the same words that I am familiar with.

The word for money in Gwichin translates to Beaver skins.

Dad, Father. It is plural to Balo/Aleut in greek!