Definition of Koryak in English:
Koryak
nounPlural Koryaks ˈkɒrjak
1A member of an indigenous people of the northern Kamchatka peninsula.
Example sentencesExamples
- The two main groups of tribal peoples living there, the Koryaks and the Itel'mens, had written asking for help in putting their case across and this, with help from the Russian Academy of Sciences, was all that was needed to get a permit.
- The Koryaks, 6,600 of whom live in Kamchatka, were Riddu Riddu's ‘Northern People of 2003.’
- An early account of this curious practice states of the Koryaks that ‘when they make a feast, they pour water on some of these mushrooms and boil them.’
- It has similar names throughout Central Asia - the ‘sky nail’ of the Samoyed, the ‘nail star’ of the Koryak.
- The Koryak nodded their heads in understanding, then presented me with a hulking great bear's paw instead.
2mass noun The language of the Koryak, which has about 5,000 speakers and is related to Chukchi.
adjectiveˈkɒrjak
Relating to the Koryaks or their language.
Example sentencesExamples
- Sitting beside a fast flowing river watching a Koryak woman deftly filleting two dozen salmon of between five and ten pounds, it was hard to believe in the threats to their economy.
- They brought traditional games and food to the festival, and a Koryak lunch of boiled reindeer meat, broiled salmon and fish cakes, showed that a similar diet unites the circumpolar peoples as well.
- As I cowered in terror from my perch on the sled, our Koryak driver explained that they were ‘just keen to break the sled.’
- The Koryak history details how the reindeer introduced them to the mushroom.
Origin
From Russian koryaki (plural).