Handbook of the Ainu Language is the first book in English to describe the Ainu language fully and systematically. It aims to preserve invaluable knowledge about Ainu, a language-isolate previously spoken in Hokkaido, Sakhalin, and Kurils, which is now on the verge of extinction. Ainu was not a written language, but despite the existence of a huge documented stock of oral literature, it is significantly under-described in terms of grammar. It is the only non-Japonic language of Japan and is typologically different not only from Japanese but also from other Northeast Asian languages.

Revolving around but not confined to its head-marking and polysynthetic character, Ainu manifests many typologically interesting phenomena, related in particular to the combinability of various voice markers and noun incorporation. Other interesting features of Ainu include vowel co-occurrence restrictions, a mixed system of expressing grammatical relations, which includes the elements of a rare tripartite alignment, nominal classification distinguishing ordinary and locative nouns, elaborate possessive classes, verbal number, a rich four-term evidential system, and undergrammaticalized aspect, which are all explained in the volume.

In this book launch, the author of the book will explain the Ainu Language and its main features.

Handbook of the Ainu Language is published by De Gruyer Mouton (2022). It is available for purchase via this link.

About the contributors

Dr Anna Bugaeva

Dr Anna Bugaeva is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Arts and Sciences in Tokyo University of Science. Her research focuses on the linguistic typology of Northeast Asian Languages, including Ainu. She has previously worked as a researcher at Hokkaido University, Chiba University, La Trobe University, the Waseda Institute for Advanced Study and National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics, among other academic institutions.

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