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Article published In: Journal of Uralic Linguistics
Vol. 3:1 (2024) ► pp.30–54

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The origin of Uralic-speaking groups from a historical genetic point of view

 | Hungarian Natural History Museum, Hungary
ORCiD logo with link | University of Szeged, Hungary
Published online: 14 May 2024
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/jul.00025.nem
Abstract
In recent years, a number of primarily linguistic studies have dealt with the origin of the Uralic language family. These studies formulated important and, in some cases, novel results regarding the location of the Proto-Uralic homeland, the classification of linguistic branches, the chronology and geographical aspects of migration routes, and even the archaeological cultures embodying the migration routes. At the same time, our knowledge of the gene pool of the Uralic peoples has also increased significantly. The aim of the present study is to identify parallels and discrepancies between the latest linguistic and historical genetic results. We highlight several convergences between recent conclusions of linguistics and our model based on Y-chromosome data. A key finding is a correlation between Uralic language sub-branches and N subgroups. The direction and chronology of the eastward migration of these N subgroups may also shed new light on the Uralic-Chukchi, Uralic-Yukaghir and Uralic-Altaic linguistic parallels.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Summary of the latest linguistic results
  • 3.Historical genetics
  • 4.Potential Uralic male ancestors
    • 4.1The distribution of the N-B478 subclade
    • 4.2The distribution of the N-Y9022 subclade
    • 4.3The distribution of the N-VL29 subclade
    • 4.4The distribution of the N-Z1934 subclade
    • 4.5The distribution of the N-B539 subclade
  • 5.Parallels and discrepancies between linguistic and historical genetic observations
    • 5.1Substrate effect in the Samoyed gene pool and languages
    • 5.2Position of the Permic languages
    • 5.3Chronology
    • 5.4The Uralic homeland
    • 5.5Archaeology
    • 5.6Classification
  • 6.Summary
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
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