The Uralic languages

Abstract

This paper deals with the Uralic languages, their regional distribution and relationship with one another. The Uralic languages are spoken in a large area in North and Central Eurasia. Most of the Uralic languages are seriously endangered
minority languages – only Finnish, Hungarian, and Estonian are principal national languages spoken in independent countries. Despite being relatives, the Uralic languages differ remarkably from one another. In the west, the Uralic languages have had most intensive relationships with Indo-European languages, and in the east, with Turkic languages. The differences within the language group carry information regarding these contacts. In the research of the Uralic languages, the proto-languages and the original home of the peoples speaking these languages have attracted particular interest. Comparative and historical methods and archaeology have been important in the research
of the history of the Uralic languages.