View source for Uralic languages

{{Short description|Language family of Northern Eurasia}}
{{Distinguish|text=the [[Urali language]] or [[Uracil]]}}
{{redirect|Uralic}}
{{Infobox language family
| name          = Uralic
| altname       = Uralian
| region        = [[Central Europe]], [[Northern Europe]], [[Eastern Europe]], and [[North Asia|Northern Asia]]
| familycolor   = Uralic
| family        = One of the world's primary [[Language family|language families]]
| protoname     = [[Proto-Uralic language|Proto-Uralic]]
| child1        = [[Sámi languages|Sámi]]
| child2        = [[Finnic languages|Finnic]]
| child3        = [[Mordvinic languages|Mordvinic]]
| child4        = [[Mari language|Mari]]
| child5        = [[Permic languages|Permic]]
| child6        = [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]]
| child7        = [[Mansi languages|Mansi (Mansic)]]
| child8        = [[Khanty languages|Khanty]]
| child9        = [[Samoyedic languages|Samoyedic]]
| iso5          = urj
| glotto        = ural1272
| glottorefname = Uralic
| map           = Uralic languages at early 20th century.png
| mapcaption    = Distribution of the undisputed branches of the Uralic family in the early 20th century<ref name=map1>{{Cite journal |last1=Rantanen |first1=Timo |last2=Tolvanen |first2=Harri |last3=Roose |first3=Meeli |last4=Ylikoski |first4=Jussi |last5=Vesakoski |first5=Outi |date=2022-06-08 |title=Best practices for spatial language data harmonization, sharing and map creation—A case study of Uralic |journal=PLOS ONE |language=en |volume=17 |issue=6 |article-number=e0269648 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0269648|doi-access=free |pmid=35675367 |pmc=9176854 |bibcode=2022PLoSO..1769648R }}</ref><ref name=map2>{{citation | last1=Rantanen | first1=Timo | last2=Vesakoski | first2=Outi | last3=Ylikoski | first3=Jussi | last4=Tolvanen | first4=Harri | title=Geographical database of the Uralic languages | date=2021-05-25 | doi=10.5281/ZENODO.4784188 | page=}}</ref>
| ancestor      = 
| glottoname    = 
| notes         = 
}}
The '''Uralic languages''' ({{IPAc-en|j|ʊəˈr|æ|l|ɪ|k}} {{respell|yoor|AL|ik}}), sometimes called the '''Uralian languages''' ({{IPAc-en|j|ʊəˈr|ei|l|i|ə|n}} {{respell|yoor|AY|lee|ən}}),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Uralic |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/subgroup/1083/ |access-date=2024-01-22 |website=Ethnologue |language=en}}</ref> are spoken predominantly in [[Europe]] and [[North Asia]]. The Uralic languages with the most native speakers are [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]], [[Finnish language|Finnish]], and [[Estonian language|Estonian]]. Other languages with speakers above 100,000 are [[Erzya language|Erzya]], [[Moksha language|Moksha]], [[Mari language|Mari]], [[Udmurt language|Udmurt]] and [[Komi language|Komi]] spoken in the European parts of the Russian Federation. Still smaller minority languages are [[Sámi languages]] of the northern [[Fennoscandia]]; other members of the [[Finnic languages]], ranging from [[Livonian language|Livonian]] in northern [[Latvia]] to [[Karelian language|Karelian]] in northwesternmost Russia; the [[Samoyedic languages]] and the other members of the [[Ugric languages]], [[Mansi language|Mansi]] and [[Khanty language|Khanty]] spoken in [[Western Siberia]].

The name ''Uralic'' derives from the family's purported "original homeland" (''[[Urheimat]]'') hypothesized to have been somewhere in the vicinity of the [[Ural Mountains]], and was first proposed by [[Julius Klaproth]] in ''Asia Polyglotta'' (1823).<ref>{{Cite book |title=Asia Polyglotta | author-first=Julius |author-last=Klaproth |url=https://hdl.handle.net/2027/ia.ark:/13960/t2m66bs0q?urlappend=%3Bseq=7 |page=182|year=1823|language=de|location=Paris|publisher=A. Schubart| hdl=2027/ia.ark:/13960/t2m66bs0q?urlappend=%3Bseq=7 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=Finnisch-ugrische Sprachforschung von der Renaissance bis zum Neupositivismus|publisher=Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura |location=Helsinki|url=https://www.sgr.fi/sust/sust206/sust206.pdf|author-first=Günter Johannes |author-last=Stipa|year=1990|series= Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seuran Toimituksia|language=de |volume=206|page=294}}</ref>

[[Finno-Ugric languages|Finno-Ugric]] is sometimes used as a synonym for Uralic<ref name=persee>{{Cite journal |last=Bakró-Nagy |first=Marianne |author-link=Marianne Bakró-Nagy|date=2012 |title=The Uralic Languages |url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/rbph_0035-0818_2012_num_90_3_8272 |journal=Revue belge de Philologie et d'Histoire |volume=90 |issue=3 |pages=1001–1027 |doi=10.3406/rbph.2012.8272}}</ref> but more accurately refers to a disputed subdivision of the Uralic languages which excludes the Samoyedic languages.<ref>{{cite book |title=Mood in the Languages of Europe |last=Tommola |first=Hannu |year=2010 |publisher=John Benjamins Publishing Company |isbn=978-90-272-0587-2 |page=155 |chapter=Finnish among the Finno-Ugrian languages |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o3L8oKcbZtoC&pg=PA511 }}</ref> Scholars who do not accept the traditional notion that Samoyedic split first from the rest of the Uralic family may treat the terms as synonymous.{{sfn|Aikio|2022|pp=1–4}}

Uralic languages are known for their often complex [[Case system|case systems]] and [[vowel harmony]].

==Origin and evolution==
===Homeland===
{{main|Proto-Uralic homeland}}
Proposed homelands of the [[Proto-Uralic language]] include:

* The latest research by Zeng et al. (2025), places the first speakers in Northeastern Siberia (Yakutia), around 4500 years ago. It also places the first speakers of the Yeniseian language family at the southern shore of Lake Baikal. These two groups overlapped genetically and geographically in south-central Siberia, particularly along the Yenisei River basin. The region served as a contact zone where populations associated with both language families interacted and exchanged genes before the Uralic speakers began migrating westward toward the Urals and eventually into Europe. <ref>{{Cite journal |last=Zeng |first=Tian Chen |last2=Vyazov |first2=Leonid A. |last3=Kim |first3=Alexander |last4=Flegontov |first4=Pavel |last5=Sirak |first5=Kendra |last6=Maier |first6=Robert |last7=Lazaridis |first7=Iosif |last8=Akbari |first8=Ali |last9=Frachetti |first9=Michael |last10=Tishkin |first10=Alexey A. |last11=Ryabogina |first11=Natalia E. |last12=Agapov |first12=Sergey A. |last13=Agapov |first13=Danila S. |last14=Alekseev |first14=Anatoliy N. |last15=Boeskorov |first15=Gennady G. |date=August 2025 |title=Ancient DNA reveals the prehistory of the Uralic and Yeniseian peoples |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09189-3 |journal=Nature |language=en |volume=644 |issue=8075 |pages=122–132 |doi=10.1038/s41586-025-09189-3 |issn=1476-4687}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=DeSmith |first=Christy |date=2025-07-16 |title=Ancient DNA solves mystery of Hungarian, Finnish language origins |url=https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2025/07/ancient-dna-solves-mystery-of-hungarian-finnish-language-familys-origins/ |access-date=2025-11-13 |website=Harvard Gazette |language=en-US}}</ref> 
* The vicinity of the [[Volga River]], west of the Urals, close to the [[Linguistic homeland|Urheimat]] of the [[Indo-European languages]], or to the east and southeast of the Urals. Historian [[Gyula László]] places its origin in the forest zone between the [[Oka River]] and central [[Poland]]. E.N.&nbsp;Setälä and M.&nbsp;Zsirai place it between the [[Volga River|Volga]] and [[Kama River]]s. According to E.&nbsp;Itkonen, the ancestral area extended to the [[Baltic Sea]].<ref>
{{cite web
 |last=Dziebel |first=German
 |date=1 October 2012
 |title=On the homeland of the Uralic language family
 |url=http://anthropogenesis.kinshipstudies.org/blog/2012/10/01/on-the-homeland-of-the-uralic-language-family/
 |lang=en-US |type=blog
 |via=anthropogenesis.kinshipstudies.org |access-date=2019-03-21 |df=dmy-all
}}
</ref>
:
* {{ill|Péter Hajdú|hu|Hajdú Péter (nyelvész)}} has suggested a homeland in western and northwestern [[Siberia]].<ref>
{{cite book
 |last=Golden |first=Peter B.  |author-link=Peter Benjamin Golden
 |year=1990
 |chapter=The peoples of the Russian forest belt
 |editor-last=Sinor |editor-first=Denis
 |title=The Cambridge History of Early Inner Asia
 |publisher=Cambridge University Press
 |page=231
}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite book
 |last=Hajdú |first=Péter
 |year=1975
 |title=Finno-Ugrian Languages and Peoples
 |publisher=Deutsch |place=London, UK
 |isbn=978-0-233-96552-9
 |pages=62–69
 |url=http://archive.org/details/finnougrianlangu0000hajd
 |via=archive.org
}}
</ref>
:
* [[Juha Janhunen]] suggests a homeland in between the [[Ob river|Ob]] and [[Yenisei]] [[drainage basin]]s in [[Central Siberia]].<ref name=Janhunen2009/>
:
* By using linguistic, paleoclimatic and archaeological data, a group of scholars around {{harvp|Grünthal|Heyd|Holopainen|Janhunen|2022}}, including [[Juha Janhunen]], traced back the Proto-Uralic homeland to a region East of the Urals, in [[Siberia]], specifically somewhere close to the [[Minusinsk Basin]], and reject a homeland in the Volga / Kama region. They further noted that a number of traits of Uralic are
:: "''distinctive in western Eurasia. ... typological properties are eastern-looking overall, fitting comfortably into northeast Asia, Siberia, or the North Pacific Rim''".<ref>
{{cite journal
 |last1=Grünthal   |first1=Riho          |last2=Heyd      |first2=Volker
 |last3=Holopainen |first3=Sampsa        |last4=Janhunen  |first4=Juha A.
 |last5=Khanina    |first5=Olesya        |last6=Miestamo  |first6=Matti
 |last7=Nichols    |first7=Johanna       |last8=Saarikivi |first8=Janne
 |last9=Sinnemäki  |first9=Kaius  |display-authors=6
 |date=2022-08-29 |df=dmy-all
 |title=Drastic demographic events triggered the Uralic spread |lang=en
 |journal=Diachronica
 |volume=39 |issue=4 |pages=490–524
 |doi=10.1075/dia.20038.gru |doi-access=free
 |issn=0176-4225
}}
</ref>
: Uralic-speakers may have spread westwards with the [[Seima-Turbino culture|Seima-Turbino route]].<ref>
{{cite journal
 |last=Török |first=Tibor
 |date=July 2023
 |title=Integrating linguistic, archaeological and genetic perspectives unfold the origin of Ugrians |lang=en
 |journal=Genes
 |volume=14 |issue=7 |page=1345
 |doi=10.3390/genes14071345 |doi-access=free
 |issn=2073-4425 |pmc=10379071 |pmid=37510249
}}
</ref>

== History of Uralic linguistics ==

===Early attestations===
The first plausible mention of a people speaking a Uralic language is in [[Tacitus]]'s ''[[Germania (book)|Germania]]'' ({{Circa|98 AD}}),<ref>{{Cite book | editor-last = Anderson | editor-first = J.G.C.  | title = Germania | publisher = Clarendon Press | location = Oxford | year = 1938 }}</ref> mentioning the ''[[Fenni]]'' (usually interpreted as referring to the [[Sámi people|Sámi]]) and two other possibly Uralic tribes living in the farthest reaches of Scandinavia. There are many possible earlier mentions, including the [[Iyrcae]] (perhaps related to Yugra) described by [[Herodotus]] living in what is now European Russia, and the [[Budini]], described by Herodotus as notably red-haired (a characteristic feature of the [[Udmurt people|Udmurts]]) and living in northeast Ukraine and/or adjacent parts of Russia. In the late 15th century, European scholars noted the resemblance of the names ''Hungaria'' and ''[[Yugra|Yugria]]'', the names of settlements east of the Ural. They assumed a connection but did not seek linguistic evidence.<ref name="Sebeok-2002">{{cite book |last=Sebeok |first=Thomas A. |title=Portrait Of Linguists |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9wxjDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA58 |date=15 August 2002 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-1-4411-5874-1 |page=58 |oclc=956101732}}</ref>

===Uralic studies===
[[File:Herberstein-Moscovia-NE.png|thumb|The Uralic/Siberian origin of Hungarians was long hypothesized by European scholars. Here, [[Sigismund von Herberstein]]'s 1549 map of [[Tsardom of Russia|Moscovia]] shows in the top right "[[Yugra]] from where the [[Hungarians]] originated" (''Iuhra inde Ungaroru[m] origo''), east of the [[Ob River]]. The Ural Mountains in the middle of the maps are labeled ''Montes dicti Cingulus Terræ'' ("The mountains called the Girdle of the Earth")]]

The affinity of Hungarian and Finnish was first proposed in the late 17th century. Three candidates can be credited for the discovery: the German scholar {{ill|Martin Fogel|de|Martin Fogel (Mediziner)}}, the Swedish scholar [[Georg Stiernhielm]], and the Swedish courtier [[Bengt Skytte]]. Fogel's unpublished study of the relationship, commissioned by [[Cosimo III]] of Tuscany, was clearly the most modern of these: he established several [[grammatical]] and [[Lexical analysis|lexical]] parallels between Finnish and Hungarian as well as Sámi. Stiernhielm commented on the similarities of Sámi, Estonian, and Finnish, and also on a few similar words between Finnish and Hungarian.{{sfn|Korhonen|1986|p=29}}{{sfn|Wickman|1988|pp=793–794}} These authors were the first to outline what was to become the classification of the Finno-Ugric, and later Uralic family. This proposal received some of its initial impetus from the fact that these languages, unlike most of the other languages spoken in Europe, are not part of what is now known as the [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] family. In 1717, the Swedish professor [[Olaus Rudbeckius, Jr.|Olof Rudbeck]] proposed about 100 etymologies connecting Finnish and Hungarian, of which about 40 are still considered valid.<ref name=":0" /> Several early reports comparing Finnish or Hungarian with Mordvin, Mari or Khanty were additionally collected by [[Gottfried Leibniz]] and edited by his assistant [[Johann Georg von Eckhart]].{{sfn|Korhonen|1986|pp=29–30}}

In 1730, [[Philip Johan von Strahlenberg]] published his book {{Lang|de|Das Nord- und Ostliche Theil von Europa und Asia}} (''The Northern and Eastern Parts of Europe and Asia''), surveying the geography, peoples and languages of Russia. All the main groups of the Uralic languages were already identified here.{{sfn|Wickman|1988|pp=795–796}} Nonetheless, these relationships were not widely accepted. Hungarian intellectuals especially were not interested in the theory and preferred to assume connections with [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] tribes, an attitude characterized by [[Merritt Ruhlen]] as due to "the wild unfettered [[Romanticism]] of the epoch".<ref>{{cite book|title=A Guide to the World's Languages|last=Ruhlen|first=Merritt|publisher=Stanford University Press|year=1987|location=Stanford|pages=64–71|language=en|oclc=923421379}}</ref> Still, in spite of this hostile climate, the Hungarian [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] [[János Sajnovics]] traveled with [[Maximilian Hell]] to survey the alleged relationship between Hungarian and Sámi, while they were also on a mission to observe the [[Transit of Venus#1769 transit|1769 Venus transit]]. Sajnovics published his results in 1770, arguing for a relationship based on several grammatical features.{{sfn|Wickman|1988|pp=796–798}} In 1799, the Hungarian [[Sámuel Gyarmathi]] published the most complete work on Finno-Ugric to that date.{{sfn|Wickman|1988|p=798}}[[File:Uralic languages in the Russian Empire (1897).svg|upright=1.36|thumb|right|Uralic languages in the Russian Empire ([[Russian Empire census|Russian census of 1897]]; the census was not held in Finland because it was an autonomous area)]]

Up to the beginning of the 19th century, knowledge of the Uralic languages spoken in Russia had remained restricted to scanty observations by travelers. Already the Finnish historian [[Henrik Gabriel Porthan]] had stressed that further progress would require dedicated field missions.{{sfn|Korhonen|1986|p=32}} One of the first of these was undertaken by [[Anders Johan Sjögren]], who brought the [[Vepsians]] to general knowledge and elucidated in detail the relatedness of Finnish and Komi.{{sfn|Korhonen|1986|pp=44–46}} Still more extensive were the field research expeditions made in the 1840s by [[Matthias Castrén]] (1813–1852) and [[Antal Reguly]] (1819–1858), who focused especially on the Samoyedic and the [[Ob-Ugric languages]], respectively. Reguly's materials were worked on by the Hungarian linguist {{ill|Pál Hunfalvy|hu|Hunfalvy Pál}} (1810–1891) and German [[Josef Budenz]] (1836–1892), who both supported the Uralic affinity of Hungarian.{{sfn|Wickman|1988|pp=801–803}} Budenz was the first scholar to bring this result to popular consciousness in Hungary and to attempt a reconstruction of the Proto-Finno-Ugric grammar and lexicon.{{sfn|Wickman|1988|pp=803–804}} Another late-19th-century Hungarian contribution is that of {{ill|Ignácz Halász|hu|Halász Ignác}} (1855–1901), who published extensive comparative material of Finno-Ugric and Samoyedic in the 1890s,<ref>{{cite journal|first=Ignácz|last=Halász|title=Az ugor-szamojéd nyelvrokonság kérdése|year=1893|journal=Nyelvtudományi Közlemények|volume=23|issue=1 |pages=14–34|url=http://www.nytud.hu/nyk/reg/023.pdf|language=hu}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|first=Ignácz|last=Halász|title=Az ugor-szamojéd nyelvrokonság kérdése II|year=1893|journal=Nyelvtudományi Közlemények|volume=23|issue=3 |pages=260–278|url=http://www.nytud.hu/nyk/reg/023.pdf|language=hu}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|first=Ignácz|last=Halász|title=Az ugor-szamojéd nyelvrokonság kérdése III|year=1893|journal=Nyelvtudományi Közlemények|volume=23|issue=4 |pages=436–447|url=http://www.nytud.hu/nyk/reg/023.pdf|language=hu}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|first=Ignácz|last=Halász|title=Az ugor-szamojéd nyelvrokonság kérdése IV|year=1894|journal=Nyelvtudományi Közlemények|volume=24|issue=4 |pages=443–469|url=http://www.nytud.hu/nyk/reg/024.pdf|language=hu}}</ref> and whose work is at the base of today's wide acceptance of the inclusion of Samoyedic as a part of the Uralic family.<ref name="Szabo69">{{cite journal|last=Szabó|first=László|year=1969|title=Die Erforschung der Verhältnisses Finnougrisch–Samojedisch|journal=Ural-Altaische Jahrbücher|language=de|volume=41|pages=317–322}}</ref> Meanwhile, in the autonomous [[Grand Duchy of Finland]], a chair for Finnish language and linguistics at the [[University of Helsinki]] was created in 1850, first held by Castrén.{{sfn|Wickman|1988|pp=799–800}}

In 1883, the [[Finno-Ugrian Society]] was founded in Helsinki on the proposal of [[Otto Donner]], which would lead to Helsinki overtaking St. Petersburg as the chief northern center of research of the Uralic languages.{{sfn|Korhonen|1986|p=49}} During the late 19th and early 20th century (until the separation of Finland from Russia following the [[Russian Revolution]]), the Society hired many scholars to survey the still less-known Uralic languages. Major researchers of this period included [[Heikki Paasonen (linguist)|Heikki Paasonen]] (studying especially the [[Mordvinic languages]]), [[Yrjö Wichmann]] (studying [[Permic languages|Permic]]), {{ill|Artturi Kannisto|fi}} ([[Mansi language|Mansi]]), Kustaa Fredrik Karjalainen ([[Khanty language|Khanty]]), Toivo Lehtisalo ([[Nenets languages|Nenets]]), and [[Kai Donner]] ([[Kamassian language|Kamass]]).{{sfn|Wickman|1988|pp=810–811}} The vast amounts of data collected on these expeditions would provide over a century's worth of editing work for later generations of Finnish Uralicists.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sgr.fi/lexica/lexicaxxxv.html|title=Lexica Societatis Fenno-Ugricae XXXV|work=Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura|language=hu}}</ref>

==Classification==
{| align="right"
|-
| {{bar box
|title=Relative numbers of speakers of Uralic languages<ref>Russian figures from the 2020 census. Others from EU 2012 figures or others of comparable date.</ref>
|titlebar=#ddd
|width=280px
|bars=
{{bar percent|[[Hungarian language|Hungarian]]|#008751|61.33}}<!--12,574k-->
{{bar percent|[[Finnish language|Finnish]]|#003580|26.97}}<!--5,529k-->
{{bar percent|[[Estonian language|Estonian]]|#4891D9|5.68}}<!--1,164k-->
{{bar percent|[[Mari language|Mari]]|Purple|1.56}}<!--320k-->
{{bar percent|[[Mordvinic languages|Mordvinic]]|Red|1.34}}<!--275k-->
{{bar percent|[[Udmurt language|Udmurt]]|#008000|1.32}}<!--270k-->
{{bar percent|[[South Estonian|South Estonian]]|DeepPink|0.63}}<!--130k-->
{{bar percent|[[Komi language|Komi-Zyrian]]|Black|0.48}}<!--99k-->
{{bar percent|[[Meänkieli|Meänkieli]]|Meänkieli|0.37}}<!--75k-->
{{bar percent|[[Nenets languages|Nenets]]|Orange|0.19}}<!--38,405k-->
{{bar percent|[[Khanty language|Khanty]]|grey|0.07}}<!--14,000-->
{{bar percent|Other|Orange|0.07}}<!--~15k, = 21,106k total-->
}}
|}

The Uralic family comprises nine undisputed groups with no consensus classification between them. (Some of the proposals are listed in the next section.) An agnostic approach treats them as separate branches.<ref name=Salminen2007/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.helsinki.fi/~tasalmin/fu.html|title=Uralic (Finno-Ugrian) languages|last=Salminen|first=Tapani|date=2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110193655/http://www.helsinki.fi/~tasalmin/fu.html |archive-date=10 January 2019}}</ref>

Obsolete or native names are displayed in italics.
* '''[[Sámi languages|Sámi]]''' (Sami, Saami, Samic, Saamic, ''Lappic, Lappish'')
* '''[[Finnic languages|Finnic]]''' (Fennic, Baltic Finnic, Balto-Finnic, Balto-Fennic)
* '''[[Mordvinic languages|Mordvinic]]''' (Mordvin, Mordvinian)
* '''[[Mari language|Mari]]''' (''Cheremis'')
* '''[[Permic languages|Permic]]''' (Permian)
* '''[[Hungarian language|Hungarian]]''' (''Magyar'')
* '''[[Mansi language|Mansi]]''' (''Vogul, Ма̄ньси, Маньсь'')
* '''[[Khanty language|Khanty]]''' (''Ostyak, Handi, Hantõ, Хӑнты, Ӄӑнтәӽ'')
* '''[[Samoyedic languages|Samoyedic]]''' (Samoyed)

There is also historical evidence of a number of extinct languages of uncertain affiliation:
* [[Merya language|Merya]]
* [[Muromian language|Muromian]]
* [[Meshcherian language|Meshcherian]] (until 16th century?)

Traces of Finno-Ugric substrata, especially in toponymy, in the northern part of European Russia have been proposed as evidence for even more extinct Uralic languages.<ref>{{cite book |last=Helimski |first=Eugene |author-link=Eugene Helimski |title=The Slavicization of the Russian North (Slavica Helsingiensia 27) |editor-last=Nuorluoto |editor-first=Juhani |chapter=The «Northwestern» group of Finno-Ugric languages and its heritage in the place names and substratum vocabulary of the Russian North |year=2006 |publisher=Department of Slavonic and Baltic Languages and Literatures |location=Helsinki |isbn=978-952-10-2852-6 |pages=109–127 |chapter-url=http://www.helsinki.fi/venaja/nwrussia/eng/Conference/pdf/Helimski.pdf }}</ref>

[[File:UralicTree.svg|frameless|upright=4.1]]

===Traditional classification===
All Uralic languages are thought to have descended, through independent processes of [[language change]], from [[Proto-Uralic language|Proto-Uralic]]. The internal structure of the Uralic family has been debated since the family was first proposed.<ref name="Marcantonio-p55-68">{{cite book|title=The Uralic Language Family: Facts, Myths and Statistics|last=Marcantonio|first=Angela|publisher=Blackwell|year=2002|isbn=978-0-631-23170-7|series=Publications of the Philological Society|volume=35|location=Oxford|pages=55–68|oclc=803186861}}</ref> Doubts about the validity of most or all of the proposed higher-order branchings (grouping the nine undisputed families) are becoming more common.<ref name=Marcantonio-p55-68/><ref name="SalmTax">{{cite web|url=http://www.helsinki.fi/~tasalmin/kuzn.html|title=Problems in the taxonomy of the Uralic languages in the light of modern comparative studies|last=Salminen|first=Tapani|date=2002}}</ref>{{sfn|Aikio|2022|pp=1–4}}

A traditional classification of the Uralic languages has existed since the late 19th century.<ref>{{cite book|title=Die gegenseitige Verwandtschaft der Finnisch-ugrischen sprachen|last=Donner|first=Otto|year=1879|location=Helsinki|language=de|oclc=1014980747|author-link=Otto Donner}}</ref> It has enjoyed frequent adaptation in whole or in part in encyclopedias, handbooks, and overviews of the Uralic family. Otto Donner's model from 1879 is as follows:

{{tree list}}
* '''Uralic'''
** [[Ugric languages|Ugric]] (Ugrian)
*** [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]]
*** [[Ob-Ugric languages|Ob-Ugric]] (Ob-Ugrian)
**** [[Khanty language|Khanty]]
**** [[Mansi language|Mansi]]
** [[Finno-Permic languages|Finno-Permic]] (Permian-Finnic)
*** [[Permic languages|Permic]]
*** [[Finno-Volgaic languages|Finno-Volgaic]] (Finno-Cheremisic, Finno-Mari)
**** Volgaic
***** [[Mari language|Mari]]
***** [[Mordvinic languages|Mordvinic]]
**** [[Finno-Samic languages|Finno-Samic]] (Finno-Saamic, ''Finno-Lappic'')
***** [[Sámi languages|Sámi]]
***** [[Finnic languages|Finnic]]
{{tree list/end}}

At Donner's time, the [[Samoyedic languages]] were still poorly known, and he was not able to address their position. As they became better known in the early 20th century, they were found to be quite divergent, and they were assumed to have separated already early on. The terminology adopted for this was "Uralic" for the entire family, "[[Finno-Ugric languages|Finno-Ugric]]" for the non-Samoyedic languages (though "Finno-Ugric" has, to this day, remained in use also as a synonym for the whole family).<ref name=persee/> Finno-Ugric and Samoyedic are listed in [[ISO 639-5]] as primary branches of Uralic.

The following table lists nodes of the traditional family tree that are recognized in some overview sources.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!! scope=”col” | Year 
!! scope=”col” | Author(s) 
!! scope=”col” | Finno-<br/>Ugric 
!! scope=”col” | Ugric 
!! scope=”col” | Ob-Ugric 
!! scope=”col” | Finno-<br/>Permic 
!! scope=”col” | Finno-<br/>Volgaic 
!! scope=”col” | Volga-<br/>Finnic
!! scope=”col” | Finno-<br/>Samic
|-
! scope=”row” | 1910 || Szinnyei<ref>{{cite book|title=Finnisch-ugrische Sprachwissenschaft|last=Szinnyei|first=Josef|publisher=G. J. Göschen'sche Verlagshandlung|year=1910|location=Leipzig|pages=9–21|language=de}}</ref>
| {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{N&}} || {{Y&}}
|-
! scope="row" | 1921 || T. I. Itkonen<ref>{{cite book|title=Suomensukuiset kansat|last=Itkonen|first=T. I.|publisher=Tietosanakirjaosakeyhtiö|year=1921|location=Helsinki|pages=7–12|language=fi}}</ref>
| {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{N&}}
|-
! scope="row" | 1926 || Setälä<ref>{{cite book|title=Suomen suku|last=Setälä|first=E. N.|publisher=Otava|year=1926|location=Helsinki|language=fi|chapter=Kielisukulaisuus ja rotu}}</ref>
| {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{N&}}
|-
! scope="row" | 1962 || Hajdú<ref>{{cite book|title=Finnugor népek és nyelvek|last=Hájdu|first=Péter|year=1962|location=Budapest|language=hu}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Peter|last=Hajdu|title=Finno-Ugric Languages and Peoples|others=Translated by G. F. Cushing|year=1975|publisher=André Deutch Ltd.|location=London}}. English translation of Hajdú (1962).</ref>
| {{Y&}} || {{N&}}{{Ref label|hajdu|a|}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{N&}}{{Ref label|hajdu|a|}} || {{N&}}
|-
! scope="row" | 1965 || Collinder<ref name=":0">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WubvXTkjoLUC&pg=PA7|title=An Introduction to the Uralic languages|last=Collinder|first=Björn|publisher=University of California Press|year=1965|location=Berkeley|pages=8–27, 34|author-link=Björn Collinder}}</ref>
| {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{N&}} || {{N&}} || {{N&}}
|-
! scope="row" | 1966 || E. Itkonen<ref>{{cite book|title=Suomalais-ugrilaisen kielen- ja historiantutkimuksen alalta|last=Itkonen|first=Erkki|publisher=Suomalaisen kirjallisuuden seura|year=1966|series=Tietolipas|volume=20|pages=5–8|language=fi}}</ref>
| {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}}
|-
! scope="row" | 1968 || Austerlitz<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|first=Robert|last=Austerlitz|author-link=Robert Austerlitz|chapter=L'ouralien|editor-first=André|editor-last=Martinet|editor-link=André Martinet|encyclopedia=Le langage|year=1968}}</ref>
| {{N&}}{{Ref label|austerlitz|b}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{N&}}{{Ref label|austerlitz|b}} || {{N&}} || {{Y&}} || {{N&}}
|-
! scope="row" | 1977 || Voegelin & Voegelin<ref>{{cite book|first1=C. F.|first2=F. M.|last1=Voegelin|last2=Voegelin|title=Classification and Index of the World's Languages|url=https://archive.org/details/classificationin0000voeg|url-access=registration|year=1977|publisher=Elsevier|location=New York/Oxford/Amsterdam|pages=[https://archive.org/details/classificationin0000voeg/page/341 341]–343|isbn=978-0-444-00155-9}}</ref>
| {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}}
|-
! scope="row" | 2002 || Kulonen<ref>{{cite book|first=Ulla-Maija|last=Kulonen|chapter=Kielitiede ja suomen väestön juuret|editor-first=Riho|editor-last=Grünthal|title=Ennen, muinoin. Miten menneisyyttämme tutkitaan|year=2002|series=Tietolipas|volume=180|publisher=[[Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura]]|isbn=978-951-746-332-4|pages=104–108}}</ref>
| {{N&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{N&}} || {{N&}} || {{Y&}}
|-
! scope="row" | 2002 ||Michalove<ref name=Michalove/>
| {{N&}} || {{N&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || || {{N&}} || 
|-
! scope="row" | 2007 || Häkkinen<ref>Häkkinen, Jaakko 2007: Kantauralin murteutuminen vokaalivastaavuuksien valossa. Pro gradu -työ, Helsingin yliopiston Suomalais-ugrilainen laitos. https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe20071746</ref>
| {{N&}} || {{N&}}{{Ref label|hakkinen|c}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{N&}} || {{N&}} || {{N&}}{{Ref label|hakkinen|c}}
|-
! scope="row" | 2007 || Lehtinen<ref>{{cite book|last=Lehtinen|first=Tapani|year=2007|title=Kielen vuosituhannet |series=Tietolipas|volume=215|publisher=[[Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura]]|isbn=978-951-746-896-1}}</ref>
| {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{N&}} || {{Y&}}
|-
! scope="row" | 2007 || Salminen<ref name=Salminen2007>{{cite book|last=Salminen|first=Tapani|year=2007|chapter=Europe and North Asia |editor=Christopher Moseley |title=Encyclopedia of the world's endangered languages |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaworl00mose|url-access=limited|location=London |publisher=Routlegde |pages=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaworl00mose/page/n229 211]–280|isbn=978-0-7007-1197-0}}</ref>
| {{N&}} || {{N&}} || {{N&}} || {{N&}} || {{N&}} || {{N&}} || {{N&}}
|-
! scope="row" | 2009 || Janhunen<ref name=Janhunen2009>{{cite book|last=Janhunen|first=Juha|chapter=Proto-Uralic—what, where and when? |year=2009 |editor= Jussi Ylikoski |title=The Quasquicentennial of the Finno-Ugrian Society |series=Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seuran Toimituksia 258 |location=Helsinki |publisher=Société Finno-Ougrienne |isbn=978-952-5667-11-0|issn=0355-0230|chapter-url=https://www.sgr.fi/sust/sust258/sust258_janhunen.pdf}}</ref>
| {{Y&}} || {{N&}}{{Ref label|janhunen|d}} || {{N&}} || {{Y&}} || {{Y&}} || {{N&}} || {{N&}}?
|}
: {{Note label|hajdu|a. Hajdú describes the Ugric and Volgaic groups as areal units.}}
: {{Note label|austerlitz|b. Austerlitz accepts narrower-than-traditional Finno-Ugric and Finno-Permic groups that exclude Sámi}}
: {{Note label|hakkinen|c. Häkkinen groups Hungarian, Ob-Ugric and Samoyed into a Ugro-Samoyed branch, and groups Balto-Finnic, Sámi and Mordvin into a Finno-Mordvin branch}}
: {{Note label|janhunen|d. Janhunen accepts a reduced Ugric branch, called 'Mansic', that includes Hungarian and Mansi}}

Little explicit evidence has however been presented in favour of Donner's model since his original proposal, and numerous alternate schemes have been proposed. Especially in Finland, there has been a growing tendency to reject the Finno-Ugric intermediate protolanguage.<ref name="SalmTax" /><ref>Häkkinen, Kaisa 1984: Wäre es schon an der Zeit, den Stammbaum zu fällen? – Ural-Altaische Jahrbücher, Neue Folge 4.</ref> A recent competing proposal instead unites Ugric and Samoyedic in an "East Uralic" group for which shared innovations can be noted.<ref name="EastUralic">Häkkinen, Jaakko 2009: [https://www.sgr.fi/susa/92/hakkinen.pdf ''Kantauralin ajoitus ja paikannus: perustelut puntarissa'']. – ''Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seuran Aikakauskirja 92''.</ref>

The Finno-Permic grouping still holds some support, though the arrangement of its subgroups is a matter of some dispute. Mordvinic is commonly seen as particularly closely related to or part of Finno-Samic.<ref>{{cite book
 |title=Mordvalaiskielten rakenne ja kehitys
 |last=Bartens
 |first=Raija
 |year=1999
 |publisher=Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura
 |location=Helsinki
 |page=13
 |language=fi
 |isbn=978-952-5150-22-3}}</ref> The term ''[[Volga Finns|Volgaic]]'' (or ''Volga-Finnic'') was used to denote a branch previously believed to include Mari, Mordvinic and a number of the extinct languages, but it is now obsolete<ref name="SalmTax"/> and considered a geographic classification rather than a linguistic one.

Within Ugric, uniting Mansi with Hungarian rather than Khanty has been a competing hypothesis to Ob-Ugric.

===Lexical isoglosses===
[[Lexicostatistics]] has been used in defense of the traditional family tree. A recent re-evaluation of the evidence<ref name=Michalove>Michalove, Peter A. (2002) The Classification of the Uralic Languages: Lexical Evidence from Finno-Ugric. In: Finnisch-Ugrische Forschungen, vol. 57</ref> however fails to find support for Finno-Ugric and Ugric, suggesting four lexically distinct branches (Finno-Permic, Hungarian, Ob-Ugric and Samoyedic).

One alternative proposal for a family tree, with emphasis on the development of numerals, is as follows:<ref name=Janhunen2009/>

{{tree list}}
* Uralic ({{lang|urj|*kektä}} "2", {{lang|urj|*wixti}} "5" / "10")
** Samoyedic (*op "1", *ketä "2", *näkur "3", *tettə "4", *səmpəleŋkə "5", *məktut "6", *sejtwə "7", *wiət "10")
** Finno-Ugric ({{lang|fiu|*üki/*ükti}} "1", {{lang|fiu|*kormi}} "3", {{lang|fiu|*ńeljä}} "4", {{lang|fiu|*wiiti}} "5", {{lang|fiu|*kuuti}} "6", {{lang|fiu|*luki}} "10")
*** Mansic
**** Mansi
**** Hungarian (''hét'' "7"; replacement ''egy'' "1")
*** Finno-Khantic (reshaping *kolmi "3" on the analogy of "4")
**** Khanty
**** Finno-Permic (reshaping *kektä > *kakta)
***** Permic
***** Finno-Volgaic (*śećem "7"<!--*kanteksa "8", *inteksa "9"?-->)
****** Mari
****** Finno-Saamic (*kakteksa, *ükteksa "8, 9"<!--on the analogy of "1, 2"?-->)
******* Saamic
******* Finno-Mordvinic (replacement *kümmen "10" (*luki- "to count", "to read out"))
******** Mordvinic<!--(suffixation *vej > *vejkə "1")-->
******** Finnic<!--(reshaping *kakta > *kakti "2" on the analogy of "1")-->
{{tree list/end}}

===Phonological isoglosses===
Another proposed tree, more divergent from the standard, focusing on consonant isoglosses (which does not consider the position of the Samoyedic languages) is presented by Viitso (1997),<ref name=Viitso1997>Viitso, Tiit-Rein. Keelesugulus ja soome-ugri keelepuu. Akadeemia 9/5 (1997)</ref> and refined in Viitso (2000):<ref name=Viitso2000>Viitso, Tiit-Rein. Finnic Affinity. Congressus Nonus Internationalis Fenno-Ugristarum I:
Orationes plenariae & Orationes publicae. (2000)</ref>

{{tree list}}
* Finno-Ugric
** Saamic–Fennic ([[consonant gradation]])
*** Saamic
*** Fennic
** Eastern Finno-Ugric
***Mordva
***(node)
**** Mari
**** Permian–Ugric (*δ > *l)
***** Permian
***** Ugric (*s *š *ś > *ɬ *ɬ *s)
****** Hungarian
****** Khanty
****** Mansi
{{tree list/end}}

The grouping of the four bottom-level branches remains to some degree open to interpretation, with competing models of Finno-Saamic vs. Eastern Finno-Ugric (Mari, Mordvinic, Permic-Ugric; *k > ɣ between vowels, degemination of stops) and Finno-Volgaic (Finno-Saamic, Mari, Mordvinic; *δʲ > *ð between vowels) vs. Permic-Ugric. Viitso finds no evidence for a Finno-Permic grouping.<!-- see also [[Proto-Sámi language#From Proto-Uralic]] for two isoglosses exclusively shared by Sámi, Finnic and Mordvinic: merger of *ë with *a and of *δʲ with *δ -->

Extending this approach to cover the Samoyedic languages suggests affinity with Ugric, resulting in the aforementioned East Uralic grouping, as it also shares the same sibilant developments. A further non-trivial Ugric-Samoyedic isogloss is the reduction *k, *x, *w > ɣ when before *i, and after a vowel (cf. *k > ɣ above), or adjacent to *t, *s, *š, or *ś.<ref name = EastUralic/>

Finno-Ugric consonant developments after Viitso (2000); Samoyedic changes after Sammallahti (1988)<ref>{{cite book|title=The Uralic Languages: Description, History and Foreign Influences|url=https://archive.org/details/uraliclanguagesd00sino|url-access=limited|last=Sammallahti|first=Pekka|publisher=E.J. Brill|year=1988|isbn=978-90-04-07741-6|editor-last=Sinor|editor-first=Denis|location=Leiden|pages=[https://archive.org/details/uraliclanguagesd00sino/page/n493 478]–554|language=en|chapter=Historical phonology of the Uralic Languages|oclc=466103653}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="2"| !! Saamic !! Finnic !! Mordvinic !! Mari !! Permic !! Hungarian !! Mansi !! Khanty !! Samoyedic
|-
! colspan="2"| Medial lenition of {{IPA|*k}}
| no || no || yes || yes || yes || yes || yes || yes || yes
|-
! colspan="2"| Medial lenition of {{IPA|*p, *t}}
| no || no || yes || yes || yes || yes || no || no || no
|-
! colspan="2"| Degemination
| no || no || yes || yes || yes || yes || yes || yes || yes
|-
! colspan="2"| Consonant gradation
| yes || yes || no || no || no || no || no || no || yes*
|-
! rowspan="7" | Development of
! *δ
|rowspan="2"| *ð ||rowspan="2"| *t ||rowspan="2"| *t || ∅ || *l || l || *l || *l || *r
|-
! *δʲ
| *t, ∅ || *lʲ || ɟ ❬gy❭, j || *lʲ || *j || *j
|-
! *s
|rowspan="2"| *s || *s || *s, z || *s, z || *s, z || rowspan="2" | ∅ ||rowspan="2"| *t ||rowspan="2"| *ɬ ||rowspan="2"| *t
|-
! *š
| *h || *š, ž 
| rowspan="3" |*š, ž|| *š, ž
|-
! *ś
| rowspan="2" | *č || *s || rowspan="2" | *ś, ź || *ś, ź || s ❬sz❭ || rowspan="2" | *s, š || *s || rowspan="2"| *s
|-
! *ć
|*c
| *ć, ź || č ❬cs❭ || *ć
|-
!*č
|*c
|*t
|*č
|*č
|*č, ž
|š ❬s❭
|*š
|*č̣
|*č
|}

* *Only present in [[Nganasan language|Nganasan]].
* Note: Proto-Uralic *ś becomes Proto-Sámi *č unless before a consonant, where it becomes *š, which, in the western Sámi languages, is vocalized to *j before a stop.
* Note: Proto-Mari *s and *š in only reliably stay distinct in the Malmyž dialect of Eastern Mari. Elsewhere, *s usually becomes *š.
*Note: Proto-Khanty *ɬ in many of the dialects yields *t; Häkkinen assumes this also happened in Mansi and Samoyedic.

The inverse relationship between consonant gradation and medial lenition of stops (the pattern also continuing within the three families where gradation ''is'' found) is noted by [[Eugene Helimski|Helimski]] (1995): an original allophonic gradation system between voiceless and voiced stops would have been easily disrupted by a spreading of voicing to previously unvoiced stops as well.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Helimski |first=Eugene |author-link=Eugene Helimski |url=http://helimski.com/2.140.PDF |title=Proto-Uralic gradation: Continuation and traces |access-date=2012-02-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002150529/http://helimski.com/2.140.PDF |archive-date=2011-10-02 |journal=Congressus Octavus Internationalis Fenno-Ugristarum |place=Jyväskylä |year=1995 }}</ref>

===Honkola, et al. (2013)===
A [[computational phylogenetic]] study by Honkola, et al. (2013)<ref>{{Cite journal | doi=10.1111/jeb.12107| pmid=23675756|title = Cultural and climatic changes shape the evolutionary history of the Uralic languages| journal=Journal of Evolutionary Biology| volume=26| issue=6| pages=1244–1253|year = 2013|last1 = Honkola|first1 = T.| last2=Vesakoski| first2=O.| last3=Korhonen| first3=K.| last4=Lehtinen| first4=J.| last5=Syrjänen| first5=K.| last6=Wahlberg| first6=N.| doi-access=free}}</ref> classifies the Uralic languages as follows. [[Molecular clock|Estimated divergence dates]] from Honkola, et al. (2013) are also given.

{{tree list}}
*'''Uralic''' (5300 [[YBP]])
**[[Samoyedic languages|Samoyedic]]
**[[Finno-Ugric languages|Finno-Ugric]] (3900 [[YBP]])
***[[Ugric languages|Ugric]] (3300 YBP)
****[[Hungarian language|Hungarian]]
****[[Ob-Ugric languages|Ob-Ugric]] (1900 YBP)
*****[[Khanty language|Khanty]]
*****[[Mansi language|Mansi]]
***[[Finno-Permic languages|Finno-Permic]] (3700 YBP)
****[[Permic languages|Permian]]
*****[[Udmurt language|Udmurt]]
*****[[Komi language|Komi]]
****[[Finno-Volgaic languages|Finno-Volgaic]]
*****[[Mari language|Mari]] (3200 YBP)
*****(core branch)
******[[Erzya language|Erzya]] (2900 YBP) ([[Mordvinic languages|Mordvinic]])
******[[Finno-Samic languages|Finno-Samic]]
*******[[Sámi languages|Sámi]] (800 YBP)
*******[[Finnic languages|Finnic]] (1200 YBP)
{{tree list/end}}

==Typology==
Structural characteristics generally said to be typical of Uralic languages include:

===Grammar===
* extensive use of independent [[suffix]]es ([[agglutination]])
* a large set of [[grammatical case]]s marked with agglutinative suffixes (13–14 cases on average; mainly later developments: Proto-Uralic is reconstructed with 6 cases), e.g.:
** Erzya: 12 cases
** Estonian: 14 cases (15 cases with instructive)
** Finnish: 15 cases
** Hungarian: 18 cases (together 34 grammatical cases and case-like suffixes)
** Inari Sámi: 9 cases
** Komi: in certain dialects as many as 27 cases
** Moksha: 13 cases
** Nenets: 7 cases
** Northern Sámi: 6 cases
** Udmurt: 16 cases
** Veps: 24 cases
** Northern Mansi: 6 cases
** Eastern Mansi: 8 cases
* unique Uralic case system, from which all modern Uralic languages derive their case systems.
** nominative singular has no case suffix.
** accusative (Proto-Uralic ''*-m'') and genitive (''*-n'') suffixes are [[nasal consonant]]s. Many languages have merged the two. 
** the Uralic locative suffix ''*-nA'' exists in all Uralic languages in various cases, e.g. Hungarian [[superessive case|superessive]], Finnish [[essive case|essive]] (''-na''), Northern Sámi [[essive case|essive]], Erzyan [[inessive case|inessive]], and Nenets [[locative case|locative]].
* a lack of [[grammatical gender]], including one pronoun for both ''he'' and ''she''; for example, ''hän'' in Finnish, ''tämä'' in Votic, ''tämā'' or ''ta'' (short form for tämā) in Livonian,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://virtuallivonia.info/?page_id=134|title=Livonian pronouns|date=8 February 2020|website=Virtual Livonia}}</ref> ''tema'' or ''ta'' (short form for tema) in Estonian, ''сійӧ'' ({{IPA|[sijɘ]}}) in Komi, ''ő'' in Hungarian.
* [[negative verb]], which exists in many Uralic languages (notably absent in Hungarian)
* use of postpositions as opposed to prepositions (prepositions are uncommon).
* [[possessive suffix]]es
** the [[Genitive case|genitive]] is also used to express possession in some languages, e.g. [[Estonian language|Estonian]] ''mu koer'', [[Spoken Finnish|colloquial Finnish]] ''mun koira'', [[Northern Sámi]] ''mu beana'' 'my dog' (literally 'dog of me'). Separate [[possessive adjective]]s and [[possessive pronoun]]s, such as ''my'' and ''your'', are rare.
* [[dual (grammatical number)|dual]], in the Samoyedic, Ob-Ugric and Sámi languages and reconstructed for Proto-Uralic
* [[plural]] markers -j (i) and -t (-d, -q) have a common origin (e.g. in Finnish, Estonian, Võro, Erzya, Sámi languages, Samoyedic languages). Hungarian, however, has -i- before the possessive suffixes and -k elsewhere. The plural marker -k is also used in the Sámi languages, but there is a regular merging of final -k and -t in Sámi, so it can come from either ending.
* Possessions are expressed by a possessor in the adessive or dative case, the verb "be" (the [[copula (linguistics)|copula]], instead of the verb "have") and the possessed with or without a possessive suffix. The grammatical subject of the sentence is thus the possessed. In Finnish, for example, the possessor is in the [[adessive case]]: "Minulla on kala", literally "At me is fish", i.e. "I have a fish", whereas in Hungarian, the possessor is in the [[dative case]], but appears overtly only if it is contrastive, while the possessed has a possessive ending indicating the number and person of the possessor: "(Nekem) van egy halam", literally "(To me [dative]) is a fish-my" ("(For me) there is a fish of mine"), i.e. "(As for me,) I have a fish".
* expressions that include a [[Numeral (linguistics)|numeral]] are singular if they refer to things which form a single group, e.g. "négy csomó" in Hungarian, "njeallje čuolmma" in Northern Sámi, "neli sõlme" in Estonian, and "neljä solmua" in Finnish, each of which means "four knots", but the literal approximation is "four knot". (This approximation is accurate only for Hungarian among these examples, as in Northern Sámi the noun is in the singular [[accusative]]/[[genitive]] case and in Finnish and Estonian the singular noun is in the [[partitive]] case, such that the number points to a part of a larger mass, like "four of knot(s)".)

===Phonology===
* [[Vowel harmony]]: this is present in many but by no means all Uralic languages. It exists in Hungarian and various [[Baltic-Finnic]] languages, and is present to some degree elsewhere, such as in Mordvinic, Mari, Eastern Khanty, and Samoyedic. It is lacking in Sámi, [[Permic languages|Permic]], [[Selkup language|Selkup]] and [[Estonian language|standard Estonian]], while it does exist in [[Võro language|Võro]] and elsewhere in [[South Estonian language|South Estonian]], as well as in [[Kihnu|Kihnu Island]] subdialect of North Estonian.<ref>Austerlitz, Robert (1990). "Uralic Languages" (pp. 567–576) in Comrie, Bernard, editor. ''The World's Major Languages''. Oxford University Press, Oxford (p. 573).</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Estonian Language|url=http://www.utlib.ee/liber2012/tekstid/eestikeel.pdf|publisher=Estonian Institute|access-date=2013-04-16|page=14|archive-date=2013-09-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927041348/http://www.utlib.ee/liber2012/tekstid/eestikeel.pdf}}</ref><ref>Türk, Helen (2010). "[http://www.murre.ut.ee/arhiiv/naita_pilt.php?materjal=kasikiri&materjal_id=D1619&sari=D Kihnu murraku vokaalidest]". University of Tartu.</ref> (Although [[Two dots (diacritic)|double dot diacritics]] are used in writing Uralic languages, the languages do not exhibit [[Germanic umlaut]], a different type of vowel [[Assimilation (phonology)|assimilation]].)
* Large vowel inventories. For example, some [[Selkup language|Selkup]] varieties have over twenty different [[monophthong]]s.
* [[Palatalization (phonetics)|Palatalization]] of consonants; in this context, palatalization means a secondary articulation, where the middle of the tongue is tense. For example, pairs like {{IPA|[ɲ]}} – [n], or [c] – [t] are contrasted in Hungarian, as in ''hattyú'' {{IPA|[hɒcːuː]}} "swan". Some Sámi languages, for example [[Skolt Sámi]], distinguish three degrees: plain {{angle bracket|l}} [l], palatalized {{angle bracket|'l}} {{IPA|[lʲ]}}, and palatal {{angle bracket|lj}} {{IPA|[ʎ]}}, where {{angle bracket|'l}} has a primary alveolar articulation, while {{angle bracket|lj}} has a primary palatal articulation. Original Uralic palatalization is phonemic, independent of the following vowel and traceable to the millennia-old [[Proto-Uralic language|Proto-Uralic]]. It is different from Slavic palatalization, which is of more recent origin. The [[Finnic languages]] have lost palatalization, but several of them have reacquired it, so Finnic palatalization (where extant) was originally dependent on the following vowel and does not correlate to palatalization elsewhere in Uralic.
* Lack of phonologically contrastive [[tone (linguistics)|tone]].
* In many Uralic languages, the stress is always on the first syllable, though Nganasan shows (essentially) penultimate stress, and a number of languages of the central region (Erzya, Mari, Udmurt and Komi-Permyak) synchronically exhibit a lexical accent. The Erzya language can vary its stress in words to give specific nuances to sentential meaning.

===Lexicography===
Basic vocabulary of about 200 words, including body parts (e.g. eye, heart, head, foot, mouth), family members (e.g. father, mother-in-law), animals (e.g. viper, partridge, fish), nature objects (e.g. tree, stone, nest, water), basic verbs (e.g. live, fall, run, make, see, suck, go, die, swim, know), basic pronouns (e.g. who, what, we, you, I), numerals (e.g. two, five); derivatives increase the number of common words.

====Selected cognates====

<!-- NOTE TO EDITORS: this is a table of COGNATE WORDS, not simply words of the same meaning across different languages. Cognate words are words that share the same historical origin. Do NOT add any words in this table simply on the basis of their meanings, but only if reliable sources consider them to be cognate with the other words in the row. -->

<!-- ATTENTION! Thank you for caring about the accuracy of Wikipedia. However, please do not add translations. This is a list of words of common origin. For example, it does not matter what is the translation of "to wash" to Finnish, because the Finnish word "pestä" has a different origin from "mõskma", etc., and as such, does not belong to this list. -->

The following is a very brief selection of cognates in basic vocabulary across the Uralic family, which may serve to give an idea of the sound changes involved. This is not a list of translations: cognates have a common origin, but their meaning may be shifted and loanwords may have replaced them.

<div class="overflowbugx" style="overflow-x:auto;">

{| border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse" cellpadding="3"
|-
! rowspan="2" style="background-color: #E0E0FF" | [[Proto-Uralic]]
! rowspan="2" style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | [[English language|English]]
! colspan="3" style="background-color: #EFEFFF"| [[Finnic languages|Finnic]]
! colspan="3" style="background-color: #EFEFFF"| [[Sámi languages|Sámi]]
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF"| [[Mordvinic languages|Mordvin]]
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | [[Mari language|Mari]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #EFEFFF"| [[Permic languages|Permic]]
! rowspan="2" style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]]
! colspan="3" style="background-color: #EFEFFF"| [[Mansi language|Mansi]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #EFEFFF"| [[Khanty language|Khanty]]
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF"| [[Samoyedic languages|Samoyed]]
|-
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | [[Finnish language|Finnish]]
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | [[Estonian language|Estonian]]
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | [[Võro language|Võro]]
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | [[Southern Sámi]]
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | [[Northern Sámi]]
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | [[Kildin Sámi language|Kildin]]
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | [[Erzya language|Erzya]]
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | [[Meadow Mari language|Meadow]]
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | [[Komi language|Komi]]
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | [[Udmurt language|Udmurt]]
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | [[Northern Mansi|Northern]]
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | [[Eastern Mansi|Eastern]]
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | [[Southern Mansi|Southern]]
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | Kazym
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | Vakh

! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | [[Tundra Nenets language|Tundra Nenets]]
|-
! style="background-color: #E0E0FF" | [[wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Uralic/tule|*tule]]
| ''<nowiki/>'fire'''
| tuli (tule-) || tuli (tule-) || tuli (tulõ-)
| dålle<br/>{{IPA|[tolːə]}} || dolla || то̄лл<br />{{IPA|[toːlː]}}
| тол<br />{{IPA|[tol]}}
| тул<br />{{IPA|[tul]}}
| тыв (тыл-)<br />{{IPA|[tɯʋ]}} ({{IPA|[tɯl-]}}) || тыл<br />{{IPA|[tɯl]}}
| tűz
| - || тав, тов || (täuˈt)
| тўт || tez
| ту<br />{{IPA|[tu]}}
|-
! style="background-color: #E0E0FF" | [[wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Uralic/wete|*wete]]
| ''<nowiki/>'water'''
| vesi<br/>(vete-) || vesi<br/>(vee-) || vesi<br/>(vii-)
| – || – || –
| ведь<br />{{IPA|[vedʲ]}}
| вӱд<br />{{IPA|[βyd]}}
| ва<br />{{IPA|[ʋa]}} || ву<br />{{IPA|[ʋu]}}
| víz
| вит <br/>{{IPA|[βit]}} || вить || (üt́)
| –
| –
| иˮ<br />{{IPA|[jiʔ]}}
|-
! style="background-color: #E0E0FF" | [[wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Uralic/jäŋe|*jäŋe]]
| ''<nowiki/>'ice'''
| jää || jää || ijä
| jïenge<br/>{{IPA|[jɨeŋə]}} || jiekŋa || ӣӈӈ <br />{{IPA|[jiːŋː]}}
| эй<br />{{IPA|[ej]}}
| и<br />{{IPA|[i]}}
| йи<br />{{IPA|[ji]}} || йӧ<br />{{IPA|[jɘ]}}
| jég
| я̄ӈк <br />{{IPA|[jaːŋk]}} || янгк || (ľɑ̄ŋ)/(ľäŋ)
| йєӈк || jeŋk
| –
|-
! style="background-color: #E0E0FF" | [[wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Uralic/kala|*kala]]
| ''<nowiki/>'fish'''
| kala || kala || kala
| guelie<br/>{{IPA|[kʉelie]}} || guolli || кӯлль <br />{{IPA|[kuːlʲː]}}
| кал<br />{{IPA|[kal]}}
| кол<br />{{IPA|[kol]}}
| – || –
| hal
| хӯл <br />{{IPA|[xuːl]}} || хул || (kho̰l)
| хўԓ || kul
| халя<br />{{IPA|[hʌlʲɐ]}}
|-
! style="background-color: #E0E0FF" | [[wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Uralic/pesä|*pesä]]
| ''<nowiki/>'nest'''
| pesä || pesa || pesä
| biesie<br/>{{IPA|[piesie]}} || beassi || пе̄ссь <br />{{IPA|[pʲi͜esʲː~pʲeːsʲː]}}
| пизэ<br />{{IPA|[pize]}}
| пыжаш<br />{{IPA|[pəʒaʃ]}}
| поз<br />{{IPA|[poz]}} || пуз<br />{{IPA|[puz]}}
| fészek
| пити <br />{{IPA|[pitʲi]}} || пить аня || (pit́ī)
| – || pĕl
| пидя<br />{{IPA|[pʲidʲɐ]}}
|-
! style="background-color: #E0E0FF" | [[wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Uralic/käte|*käte]]
| ''<nowiki/>'hand, arm'''
| käsi (käte-) || käsi (käe-) || käsi (käe-)
| gïete<br/>{{IPA|[kɨedə]}} || giehta || кӣдт <br />{{IPA|[kʲiːd̥ː]}}
| кедь<br />{{IPA|[kedʲ]}}
| кид<br />{{IPA|[kid]}}
| ки<br />{{IPA|[ki]}} || ки<br />{{IPA|[ki]}}
| kéz/kar
| ка̄т <br />{{IPA|[kaːt]}} || кат, коат || (kät)
| – || köt
| –
|-
! style="background-color: #E0E0FF" | [[wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Uralic/śilmä|*śilmä]]
| ''<nowiki/>'eye'''
| silmä || silm (silma-) || silm (silmä-)
| tjelmie<br/>{{IPA|[t͡ʃɛlmie]}} || čalbmi || чалльм <br />{{IPA|[t͡ʃalʲːm]}}
| сельме<br />{{IPA|[sʲelʲme]}}
| шинча<br />{{IPA|[ʃint͡ɕa]}}
| син (синм-)<br />{{IPA|[ɕin]}} ({{IPA|[ɕinm-]}} || син (синм-)<br />{{IPA|[ɕin]}} ({{IPA|[ɕinm-]}}
| szem
| сам <br />{{IPA|[sam]}} || сам || (šøm)
| сєм || sem
| сэв<br />{{IPA|[sæw(ə̥)]}}
|-
! style="background-color: #E0E0FF" | [[wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Uralic/süle|*süle]]
| ''<nowiki/>'fathom'''
| syli (syle-) || süli (süle-) || –
| sïlle<br/>{{IPA|[sʲɨllə]}} || salla || сэ̄лл <br />{{IPA|[sɛːlː]}}
| сэль<br />{{IPA|[selʲ]}}
| шӱлӧ<br />{{IPA|[ʃylø]}}
| сыв (сыл-)<br />{{IPA|[sɯʋ]}} ({{IPA|[sɯl-]}} || сул<br />{{IPA|[sul]}}
| öl(el) <!-- "öl" as in "lap", not "kill"; made clear by adding verbal derivative -->
| тал <br/>{{IPA|[tal]}} || тал  || (täl)
| ԓăԓ || lö̆l
| тибя<br />{{IPA|[tʲibʲɐ]}}
|-
! style="background-color: #E0E0FF" | [[wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Uralic/sëne|*sëne]]
| ''<nowiki/>'vein / sinew'''
| suoni (suone-) || soon (soone-) || suuń (soonõ-)
| soene<br/>{{IPA|[suonə]}} || suotna || | сӯнн <br />{{IPA|[suːnː]}}
| сан<br />{{IPA|[san]}}
| шӱн<br />{{IPA|[ʃyn]}}
| сӧн<br />{{IPA|[sɘn]}} || сӧн<br />{{IPA|[sɘn]}}
| ín/ér
| та̄н <br/>{{IPA|[taːn]}} || тан  || (tɛ̮̄n)/(tǟn)
| ԓон || lan
| тэʼ<br />{{IPA|[tɤʔ]}}
|-
! style="background-color: #E0E0FF" | [[wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Uralic/luwe|*luwe]]
| ''<nowiki/>'bone'''
| luu || luu || luu
| – || – || –
| ловажа<br />{{IPA|[lovaʒa]}}
| лу<br />{{IPA|[lu]}}
| лы<br />{{IPA|[lɯ]}} || лы<br />{{IPA|[lɯ]}}
| – <!--Not cognate: csont-->
| лув <br/>{{IPA|[luβ]}} || ласм (?) || (täuˈt)
| ԓўв || lŏγ
| лы <br/>{{IPA|[lɨ]}}
|-
! style="background-color: #E0E0FF" | [[wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Uralic/were|*were]]
| ''<nowiki/>'blood'''
| veri (vere-) || veri (vere-) || veri (vere-)
| vïrre<br/>{{IPA|[vʲɨrrə]}} || varra || вэ̄рр <br />{{IPA|[vɛːrː]}}
| верь<br />{{IPA|[verʲ]}}
| вӱр<br />{{IPA|[βyr]}}
| вир<br />{{IPA|[ʋir]}} || вир<br />{{IPA|[ʋir]}}
| vér
| - || выр (?) || (ūr)
| вўр
| wər
| –
|-
! style="background-color: #E0E0FF" | [[wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Uralic/mëksa|*mëksa]]
| ''<nowiki/>'liver'''
| maksa || maks (maksa-) || mass (massa-)
| mueksie<br/>{{IPA|[mʉeksie]}} || – || –
| максо<br />{{IPA|[makso]}}
| мокш<br />{{IPA|[mokʃ]}}
| мус (муск-)<br />{{IPA|[mus]}} ({{IPA|[musk-]}} || мус (муск-)<br />{{IPA|[mus]}} ({{IPA|[musk-]}}
| máj
| ма̄йт <br/>{{IPA|[maːjt]}} || мяйт || (majət)
| мухәԓ || muγəl
| мыд<br />{{IPA|[mɨd(ə̥)]}}
|-
! style="background-color: #E0E0FF" | [[wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Uralic/kuńśe|*kuńśe]]
| ''<nowiki/>'urine' /<br />'to urinate'''
| kusi (kuse-) || kusi (kuse-) || kusi (kusõ-)
| gadtjedh<br/>(gadtje-)<br/>{{IPA|[kɑdd͡ʒə]}}- || gožžat<br/>(gožža-) || коннч <br />{{IPA|[koɲːt͡ʃ]}}
| –
| кыж<br />{{IPA|[kəʒ]}}
| кудз<br />{{IPA|[kud͡ʑ]}} || кызь<br />{{IPA|[kɯʑ]}}
| húgy
| хуньсь<br/>{{IPA|[xunʲɕ]}} || хос-вить || (kho̰ś-üt́)
| (xŏs-) || kŏs-
| –
|-
! style="background-color: #E0E0FF" | [[wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Uralic/mene-|*mene-]]
| ''<nowiki/>'to go'''
| mennä (mene-) || minema (mine-) || minemä (mine-)
| mïnnedh<br/>{{IPA|[mʲɨnnə]}}- || mannat || мэ̄ннэ <br />{{IPA|[mɛːnːɛ]}}
| –
| мияш (мий-)<br />{{IPA|[mijaʃ]}} ({{IPA|[mij-]}})
| мунны (мун-)<br />{{IPA|[munnɯ]}} ({{IPA|[mun-]}}) || мыныны (мын-)<br />{{IPA|[mɯnɯnɯ]}} ({{IPA|[mɯn-]}})
| menni
| минуӈкве <br/>{{IPA|[minuŋkʷe]}} || мыных || (mińo̰ŋ)
| мăнты || mĕn-
| минзь (мин-)<br />{{IPA|[mʲinzʲ(ə̥)]}} ({{IPA|[mʲin-]}})
|-
! style="background-color: #E0E0FF" | [[wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Uralic/elä-|*elä-]]
| ''<nowiki/>'to live'''
| elää (elä-) || elama (ela-) || elämä (elä-)
| jieledh<br/>{{IPA|[jielə]}} || eallit || е̄лле [ji͜elʲːe~jeːlʲːe]
| ? эрямс (эря-) <br />{{IPA|[erʲams]}} ({{IPA|[erʲa-]}})
| илаш (ила-)<br />{{IPA|[ilaʃ]}} ({{IPA|[il-]}})
| овны (ол-)<br />{{IPA|[oʋnɯ]}} ({{IPA|[ol-]}}) || улыны (ул-)<br />{{IPA|[ulɯnɯ]}} ({{IPA|[ul-]}})
| élni
| ялтуӈкве<br/>{{IPA|[jaltuŋkʷe]}} || ялтых || (ilto̰ŋ)
| – || –
| илесь (иль-)<br />{{IPA|[jilʲesʲ(ə̥)]}} ({{IPA|[jilʲ-]}})
|-
! style="background-color: #E0E0FF" | [[wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Uralic/kale-|*kale-]]
| ''<nowiki/>'to die'''
| kuolla (kuole-) || koolma (koole-) (dialectal)|| kuulma (koolõ-)
| – || – || –
| куломс (кул-)<br />{{IPA|[kuloms]}} ({{IPA|[kul-]}})
| колаш (кол-)<br />{{IPA|[kolaʃ]}} ({{IPA|[kol-]}})
| кувны (кул-)<br />{{IPA|[kuʋnɯ]}} ({{IPA|[kul-]}}) || кулыны (кул-)<br />{{IPA|[kulɯnɯ]}} ({{IPA|[kul-]}})
| halni
| - || - || (khåləŋ)
| хăԓты || kăla-
| хась (ха-)<br />{{IPA|[hʌsʲ(ə̥)]}} ({{IPA|[hʌ-]}})
|-
! style="background-color: #E0E0FF" | [[wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Uralic/mośke-|*mośke-]]
| ''<nowiki/>'to wash'''
| –<!-- pestä is not a cognate. Do not show it on this table. -->|| – <!-- pesema is not a cognate. Do not show it on this table. --> || mõskma (mõsk(õ)-)
| – || – || –
| муськемс (муськ-)<br />{{IPA|[musʲkems]}} ({{IPA|[musʲk-]}})
| мушкаш (мушк-)<br />{{IPA|[muʃkaʃ]}} ({{IPA|[muʃk-]}})
| мыськыны (мыськ-)<br />{{IPA|[mɯɕkɯnɯ]}} ({{IPA|[mɯɕk-]}}) || миськыны (миськ-)<br />{{IPA|[miɕkɯnɯ]}} ({{IPA|[miɕk-]}})
| mosni
| – || - || -
| – || – 
| масась (мас-)<br />{{IPA|[mʌsəsʲ(ə̥)]}} ({{IPA|[mʌs-]}})
|}

</div>

Orthographical notes: The hacek denotes postalveolar articulation ({{angbr|ž}} {{IPA|[ʒ]}}, {{angbr|š}} {{IPA|[ʃ]}}, {{angbr|č}} {{IPA|[t͡ʃ]}}) (In Northern Sámi, ({{angbr|ž}} {{IPA|[dʒ]}}), while the acute denotes a secondary palatal articulation ({{angbr|ś}} {{IPA|[sʲ ~ ɕ]}}, {{angbr|ć}} {{IPA|[tsʲ ~ tɕ]}}, {{angbr|l}} {{IPA|[lʲ]}}) or, in Hungarian, vowel length. The Finnish letter {{angbr|y}} and the letter {{angbr|ü}} in other languages represent the high rounded vowel {{IPA|[y]}}; the letters {{angbr|ä}} and {{angbr|ö}} are the front vowels {{IPA|[æ]}} and {{IPA|[ø]}}.
<!--(based on the ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' and Hakkinen 1979)
{| border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse" class="wikitable"
|-
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | [[English language|English]]
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | [[Finnish language|Finnish]]
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | [[Estonian language|Estonian]]
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | [[Northern Sámi]]
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | [[Mari language|Mari]]
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | [[Komi language|Komi]]
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | [[Khanty language|Khanty]]
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]]
! style="background-color: #EFEFFF" | Finno-Ugric reconstruction
|-
| heart
| {{IPA|sydän, ''sydäm''-}}
| {{IPA|süda, ''südam''-}}
| –
| {{IPA|šüm}}
| {{IPA|śələm}}
| {{IPA|səm}}
| {{IPA|szív}}
| {{IPA|*śüδä(-mɜ) (*śiδä(-mɜ))}}
|-
| louse
| {{IPA|täi}}
| {{IPA|täi}}
| {{IPA|dihkki}}
| {{IPA|tij}}
| {{IPA|toj}}
| {{IPA|tögtəm}}
| {{IPA|tetű}}
| {{IPA|*täje}}
|}-->

As is apparent from the list, Finnish is the most conservative of the Uralic languages presented here, with nearly half the words on the list above identical to their Proto-Uralic reconstructions and most of the remainder only having minor changes, such as the conflation of *ś into /s/, or widespread changes such as the loss of *x and alteration of *ï. Finnish has also preserved old Indo-European borrowings relatively unchanged. (An example is ''porsas'' ("pig"), loaned from [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]] ''*porḱos'' or pre-[[Proto-Indo-Iranian language|Proto-Indo-Iranian]] ''*porśos'', unchanged since loaning<!--NB the Uralic proto-form is *porśas--> save for loss of [[Palatalization (phonetics)|palatalization]], *ś > s.<!--Another well-known example is ''kuningas'' ("king"), a loan from the [[Proto-Germanic language|Proto-Germanic]] ''*kuniŋgaz'', again preserved unchanged since loaning except for an assimilation *ŋg > {{IPA|/ŋː/}}, contrary to any of the [[Germanic languages]].-->)

====Mutual intelligibility====
The Estonian philologist [[Mall Hellam]] proposed cognate sentences that she asserted to be mutually intelligible among the three most widely spoken Uralic languages: Hungarian, Finnish, and Estonian:<ref name="Economist">{{citation |title = The Finno-Ugrics: The dying fish swims in water |newspaper = [[The Economist]] |pages = 73–74 |date = December 24, 2005 – January 6, 2006 |url = https://www.economist.com/special-report/2005/12/20/the-dying-fish-swims-in-water |access-date=2013-01-19}}</ref>

*{{langx|et|Elav kala ujub vee all}}.
*{{langx|fi|Elävä kala ui veden alla}}.
*{{langx|hu|Eleven hal úszik a víz alatt}}.
*{{langx|en|A living fish swims underwater}}.

However, linguist [[Geoffrey Pullum]] reports that neither Finns nor Hungarians could understand the other language's version of the sentence.<ref>{{citation|last=Pullum|first=Geoffrey K.|author-link=Geoffrey Pullum|url=http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/002729.html|title=The Udmurtian code: saving Finno-Ugric in Russia|date=2005-12-26|access-date=2009-12-21|work=[[Language Log]]}}</ref>

===Comparison===
No Uralic language has exactly the idealized typological profile of the family. Typological features with varying presence among the modern Uralic language groups include:<ref>{{cite journal|first=Péter|last=Hájdu|year=1975|title=Arealógia és urálisztika|journal=Nyelvtudományi Közlemények|volume=77|pages=147–152|issn=0029-6791|url=https://archive.nytud.hu/nyk/reg/077.pdf|language=hu}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! scope=”col” | Feature
! scope=”col” | Samoyedic 
!! scope=”col” | Ob-Ugric 
!! scope=”col” | Hungarian 
!! scope=”col” | Permic 
!! scope=”col” | Mari 
!! scope=”col” | Mordvin 
!! scope=”col” | Finnic 
!! scope=”col” | Sámi
|-align="center"
! scope=”row” | Palatalization
| {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{ya}}
|-align="center"
! scope=”row” | Consonant length
| {{na}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}}
|-align="center"
! scope=”row” | Consonant gradation
| {{na}}{{Ref label|Consonant gradation|a}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}}
|-align="center"
! scope=”row” | Vowel harmony
| {{na}}{{Ref label|Vharmony Siberia|b}} || {{na}}{{Ref label|Vharmony Siberia|b}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}}{{Ref label|Vharmony estonian|c}} || {{na}}
|-align="center"
! scope=”row” | Grammatical vowel alternation<br/>([[ablaut]] or [[umlaut (linguistics)|umlaut]])
| {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}}{{Ref label|Vprocesses livonian|d}} || {{ya}}
|-align="center"
! scope=”row” | Dual number
| {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{ya}}
|-align="center"
! scope=”row” | Distinction between<br/>inner and outer local cases
| {{na}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{na}}
|-align="center"
! scope=”row” | Determinative inflection<br/>(verbal marking of [[definiteness]])
| {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{na}}
|-align="center"
! scope=”row” | [[Passive voice]]
| {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}}
|-align="center"
! scope=”row” | Negative verb
| {{ya}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{MaybeCheck}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}}
|-align="center"
! scope=”row” | [[Subject–verb–object|SVO]] word order
| {{na}} || {{na}} || {{na}} || {{MaybeCheck}}{{Ref label|SVO Komi|e}} || {{na}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}} || {{ya}}
|}
Notes:
: {{Note label|Consonant gradation|a. Clearly present only in [[Nganasan language|Nganasan]].}}
: {{Note label|Vharmony Siberia|b. Vowel harmony is present in the Uralic languages of Siberia only in some marginal archaic varieties: [[Nganasan language|Nganasan]], [[Southern Mansi]] and [[Eastern Khanty]].}}
: {{Note label|Vharmony estonian|c. Only recently lost in modern Estonian}}
: {{Note label|Vprocesses livonian|d. A number of umlaut processes are found in [[Livonian language|Livonian]].}}
: {{Note label|SVO Komi|e. In [[Komi language|Komi]], but not in [[Udmurt language|Udmurt]].}}

==Proposed relations with other language families==
Many relationships between Uralic and other language families have been suggested, but none of these are generally accepted by linguists at the present time: All of the following hypotheses are minority views at the present time in Uralic studies.

===Uralic-Yukaghir===
{{Main|Uralic–Yukaghir languages}}
The [[Uralic–Yukaghir languages|Uralic–Yukaghir]] hypothesis identifies Uralic and [[Yukaghir languages|Yukaghir]] as independent members of a single language family. Diverging views suggest that the similarities between Uralic and Yukaghir languages are due to ancient contact between the proto-languages.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Rédei, Károly |year=1999 |title=Zu den uralisch-jukagirischen Sprachkontakten |journal=Finnisch-Ugrische Forschungen |volume=55 |pages=1–58}}</ref> 

===Eskimo-Uralic===
{{Main|Eskimo–Uralic languages}}
The [[Eskimo–Uralic languages|Eskimo–Uralic]] hypothesis associates Uralic with the [[Eskimo–Aleut languages]]. This is an old thesis whose antecedents go back to the 18th century. An important restatement of it was made by [[Knut Bergsland|Bergsland]] (1959).<ref>{{cite journal |last=Bergsland |first=Knut |date=1959 |title=The Eskimo-Uralic hypothesis |journal=Journal de la Société Finno-Ougrienne |volume=61 |pages=1–29 }}</ref>

===Uralo-Siberian===
{{Main|Uralo-Siberian languages}}
[[Uralo-Siberian languages|Uralo-Siberian]] is an expanded form of the Eskimo–Uralic hypothesis. It associates Uralic with Yukaghir, [[Chukotko-Kamchatkan languages|Chukotko-Kamchatkan]], and Eskimo–Aleut. It was propounded by [[Michael Fortescue]] in 1998.<ref>{{cite book |title= Language Relations Across Bering Strait: Reappraising the Archaeological and Linguistic Evidence |last= Fortescue |first= Michael D|publisher=Cassell |year= 1998|isbn= 978-0-304-70330-2 |series= Open linguistics series |location= London |oclc=237319639 }}</ref> Michael Fortescue (2017) presented new evidence in favor for a connection between Uralic and other Paleo-Siberian languages.<ref>{{cite web |title=Correlating Palaeo-Siberian languages and populations: Recent advances in the Uralo-Siberian hypothesis |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320126371 |format=PDF |website=ResearchGate |language=en |access-date=2019-03-22 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

===Ural-Altaic===
{{Main|Ural–Altaic languages}}
Theories proposing a close relationship with the [[Altaic languages]] were formerly popular, based on similarities in vocabulary as well as in grammatical and phonological features, in particular the similarities in the Uralic and Altaic pronouns and the presence of [[agglutination]] in both sets of languages, as well as [[vowel harmony]] in some. For example, the word for "language" is similar in [[Estonian language|Estonian]] (''keel'') and [[Mongolian language|Mongolian]] (''хэл'' (''hel'')). These theories are now generally rejected<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Georg |first1=Stefan |last2=Michalove |first2=Peter A. |last3=Ramer |first3=Alexis Manaster |last4=Sidwell |first4=Paul J. |date=March 1999 |title=Telling general linguists about Altaic |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/231787164 |journal=Journal of Linguistics |volume=35 |issue=1 |pages=65–98 |issn=1469-7742 |doi=10.1017/S0022226798007312 |s2cid=144613877 }}</ref> and most such similarities are attributed to [[language contact]] or coincidence.

===Indo-Uralic===
{{Main|Indo-Uralic languages}}
The [[Indo-Uralic languages|Indo-Uralic]] (or "Indo-Euralic") hypothesis suggests that Uralic and [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] are related at a fairly close level or, in its stronger form, that they are more closely related than either is to any other language family.

===Uralo-Dravidian===
The hypothesis that the [[Dravidian languages]] display similarities with the Uralic language group, suggesting a prolonged period of contact in the past,<ref>{{cite journal |author=Tyler, Stephen |year=1968 |title=Dravidian and Uralian: The lexical evidence |journal=Language |volume=44 |issue=4 |pages=798–812|doi=10.2307/411899 |jstor=411899 }}</ref> is popular amongst Dravidian linguists and has been supported by a number of scholars, including [[Robert Caldwell]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Webb |first1=Edward |year=1860 |title=Evidences of the Scythian Affinities of the Dravidian Languages, Condensed and Arranged from Rev. R. Caldwell's Comparative Dravidian Grammar |journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society |volume=7 |pages=271–298 |doi=10.2307/592159 |jstor=592159}}</ref> [[Thomas Burrow]],<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Burrow |first1= T. |year=1944 |title=Dravidian Studies&nbsp;IV: The body in Dravidian and Uralian |journal=Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies |volume=11 |issue=2 |pages=328–356 |doi=10.1017/s0041977x00072517|s2cid= 246637174 }}</ref> [[Kamil Zvelebil]],<ref name="britannica">{{cite encyclopedia |author=Zvelebil, Kamil |year=2006 |contribution=Dravidian Languages |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |edition=DVD}}</ref> and Mikhail Andronov.<ref>{{cite conference |author=Andronov, Mikhail S. |year=1971 |title=Comparative studies on the nature of Dravidian-Uralian parallels: A peep into the prehistory of language families |conference=Proceedings of the Second International Conference of Tamil Studies |location=Madras |pages=267–277}}</ref> This hypothesis has, however, been rejected by some specialists in Uralic languages,<ref>{{cite book |author=Zvelebil, Kamil |year=1970 |title=Comparative Dravidian Phonology |publisher=Mouton |location=The Hauge |page=22 |quote=bibliography of articles supporting and opposing the hypothesis}}</ref> and has in recent times also been criticised by other Dravidian linguists, such as [[Bhadriraju Krishnamurti]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Krishnamurti, Bhadriraju |year=2003 |title=The Dravidian Languages |url=https://archive.org/details/dravidianlanguag00kris |url-access=limited |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge, UK |isbn=0-521-77111-0 |page=[https://archive.org/details/dravidianlanguag00kris/page/n72 43]}}</ref> [[Stefan Georg]]<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|first=Stefan|last=Georg|chapter=Connections between Uralic and other language families|year=2023|editor1-first=Daniel|editor1-last=Abondolo|editor2-first=Riitta-Liisa|editor2-last=Valijärvi|encyclopedia=The Uralic languages. Second Edition|publisher=Routledge|pages=176–209}}</ref> describes the theory as "outlandish" and "not meriting a second look" even in contrast to hypotheses such as Uralo-Yukaghir or Indo-Uralic.

===Nostratic===
{{Main|Nostratic languages}}
[[Nostratic languages|Nostratic]] associates Uralic, Indo-European, Altaic, Dravidian, Afroasiatic, and various other language families of Asia. The Nostratic hypothesis was first propounded by [[Holger Pedersen (linguist)|Holger Pedersen]] in 1903<ref>{{cite journal |last=Pedersen |first=Holger |date=1903 |title=Türkische Lautgesetze |trans-title=Turkish Phonetic Laws |journal=Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft |language=de |volume=57 |issue=3 |pages=535–561 |issn=0341-0137 |oclc=5919317968 }}</ref> and subsequently revived by [[Vladislav Illich-Svitych]] and [[Aharon Dolgopolsky]] in the 1960s.

===Eurasiatic===
{{Main|Eurasiatic languages}}
The proposed (though controversial) [[Eurasiatic languages|Eurasiatic language family]] resembles Nostratic in including Uralic, Indo-European, and Altaic, but differs from it in excluding the South Caucasian languages, Dravidian, and Afroasiatic and including Chukotko-Kamchatkan, [[Nivkh language|Nivkh]], [[Ainu languages|Ainu]], and Eskimo–Aleut. It was propounded by [[Joseph Greenberg]] in 2000–2002.<ref>{{cite book |title=Indo-European and Its Closest Relatives: The Eurasiatic Language Family |volume=1: Grammar |last=Greenberg |first=Joseph Harold |publisher=Stanford University Press |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-8047-3812-5 |location=Stanford, CA |language=en |oclc=491123067 }}
</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Indo-European and Its Closest Relatives: The Eurasiatic Language Family |volume=2: Lexicon |last=Greenberg |first=Joseph H. |publisher=Stanford University Press |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-8047-4624-3 |location=Stanford, CA |language=en |oclc=895918332 }}</ref> Similar ideas had earlier been expressed by Heinrich Koppelmann in 1933 and by [[Björn Collinder]] in 1965.<ref>{{cite book |title=Die Eurasische Sprachfamilie: Indogermanisch, Koreanisch und Verwandtes |last=Koppelmann |first=Heinrich L. |publisher=Carl Winter |year=1933 |location=Heidelberg |language=de }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WubvXTkjoLUC&pg=PA30|title=An Introduction to the Uralic Languages |last=Collinder |first=Björn |publisher=University of California Press |year=1965 |pages=30–34 |language=en }}</ref>

===Uralic skepticism===
The linguist Angela Marcantonio has argued against the validity of several subgroups of the Uralic family, as well against the family itself, claiming that many of the languages are no more closely related to each other than they are to various other Eurasian languages (e.g. Yukaghir or Turkic), and that in particular Hungarian is a language isolate.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Uralic Language Family: Facts, Myths and Statistics|last=Marcantonio|first=Angela|publisher=Blackwell|year=2002|isbn=978-0-631-23170-7|series=Publications of the Philological Society|volume=35|location=Oxford|oclc=803186861}}</ref>

Marcantonio's proposal has been strongly dismissed by most reviewers as unfounded and methodologically flawed.<ref name="Aikio re FMS">{{cite journal |last=Aikio |first=Ante |year=2003 |title=Angela Marcantonio, The Uralic Language Family: Facts, Myths and Statistics |journal=Word |volume=54 |issue=3 |pages=401–412 |department=Book review |doi=10.1080/00437956.2003.11432539 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="Bakro-Nagy re FMS">{{cite journal |last=Bakro-Nagy |first=Marianne |title=The Uralic Language Family. Facts, Myths and Statistics |year=2005 |journal=Lingua |volume=115 |issue=7 |pages=1053–1062 |department=Book review |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/256805981|doi=10.1016/j.lingua.2004.01.008 }}</ref><ref name="Georg re FMS">{{cite journal|first=Stefan|last=Georg|title=Marcantonio, Angela: The Uralic Language Family. Facts, Myths and Statistics|department=Book review|year=2004|journal=Finnisch-Ugrische Mitteilungen|volume=26/27|pages=155–168}}</ref><ref name="Kallio re FMS">{{cite journal|first=Petri|last=Kallio|title=The Uralic Language Family: Facts, Myths and Statistics. Angela Marcantonio.|department=Book review|year=2004|journal=Anthropological Linguistics|volume=46|pages=486–490}}</ref><ref name="Kulonen re FMS">{{cite journal|first=Ulla-Maija|last=Kulonen|title=Myyttejä uralistiikasta. Angela Marcantonio. The Uralic Language Family: Facts, Myths and Statistics|department=Book review|year=2004|journal=Virittäjä|issue=2/2004|pages=314–320}}</ref><ref name="Laakso re FMS">{{cite journal |last=Laakso |first=Johanna |year=2004 |title=Sprachwissenschaftliche Spiegelfechterei (Angela Marcantonio: The Uralic language family. Facts, myths and statistics) |journal=Finnisch-ugrische Forschungen |volume=58 |pages=296–307 |department=Book review |language=de |url=https://www.academia.edu/549885}}</ref> Problems identified by reviewers include:
* Misrepresentation of the amount of comparative evidence behind the Uralic family, by arbitrarily ignoring data and mis-counting the number of examples known of various regular sound correspondences<ref name="Aikio re FMS"/><ref name="Georg re FMS"/><ref name="Kallio re FMS"/><ref name="Kulonen re FMS"/><ref name="Laakso re FMS"/>
* After arguing against the proposal of a Ugric subgroup within Uralic, claiming that this would constitute evidence that Hungarian and the Ob-Ugric languages have no relationship at all<ref name="Aikio re FMS"/><ref name="Bakro-Nagy re FMS"/><ref name="Georg re FMS"/><ref name="Laakso re FMS"/>
* Excessive focus on criticizing the work of early pioneer studies on the Uralic family, while ignoring newer, more detailed work published in the 20th century<ref name="Bakro-Nagy re FMS"/><ref name="Kallio re FMS"/><ref name="Kulonen re FMS"/><ref name="Laakso re FMS"/>
* Criticizing the evidence for the Uralic family as unsystematic and statistically insignificant, yet freely proposing alternate relationships based on even scarcer and even less systematic evidence.<ref name="Aikio re FMS"/><ref name="Georg re FMS"/><ref name="Kallio re FMS"/><ref name="Kulonen re FMS"/><ref name="Laakso re FMS"/>

===Other comparisons===
Various unorthodox comparisons have been advanced. These are considered at best spurious fringe-theories by specialists:

*Finno-Basque<ref name=Trask>{{cite book |author-link=Larry Trask |author=Trask, R.L. |title=The History of Basque |publisher=Routledge |year=1997 |isbn=0-415-13116-2}}</ref>
* [[Alternative theories of Hungarian language origins#Etruscan-Hungarian|Hungarian-Etruscan]]<ref>{{cite book |author=Alinei, Mario |year=2003 |title=Etrusco: Una forma arcaica di ungherese |location=Bologna, IT |publisher=Il Mulino}}</ref>
* [[Sino-Uralic languages]]
* [[Cal-Ugrian theory]]
*Dené-Finnish ([[Sino-Tibetan languages|Sino-Tibetan]], [[Na-Dene languages|Na-Dené]] and Uralic)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Uralic-languages|title = Uralic languages &#124; Britannica| date=10 April 2024 }}</ref>
*[[Minoan language|Minoan]]-Uralic<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Revesz |first=Peter |date=2017-01-01 |title=Establishing the West-Ugric language family with Minoan, Hattic and Hungarian by a decipherment of Linear A |url=https://www.academia.edu/38843730 |journal=WSEAS Transactions on Information Science and Applications}}</ref>
* [[Alternative theories of Hungarian language origins]]

== Comparison ==

Article 1 of the [[Universal Declaration of Human Rights]] (in English): ''All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.''

Comparison of the text in prominent Uralic languages:<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ohchr.org/EN/UDHR/Pages/SearchByLang.aspx |title=UN Human Rights |access-date=2023-02-20 |archive-date=2016-08-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160810081327/http://www.ohchr.org/EN/UDHR/Pages/SearchByLang.aspx }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://omniglot.com/udhr/uralic.htm | title=Article 1 of the UDHR in Uralic languages }}</ref>
* {{langx|fi|Kaikki ihmiset syntyvät vapaina ja tasavertaisina arvoltaan ja oikeuksiltaan. Heille on annettu järki ja omatunto, ja heidän on toimittava toisiaan kohtaan veljeyden hengessä.}}
* {{langx|olo|Kai rahvas roittahes vällinny da taza-arvozinnu omas arvos da oigevuksis. Jogahizele heis on annettu mieli da omatundo da heil vältämättäh pidäy olla keskenäh, kui vellil.}}
* {{langx|vep|Kaik mehed sünduba joudajin i kohtaižin, ühtejiččin ičeze arvokahudes i oiktusiš. Heile om anttud mel' i huiktusentund i heile tariž kožuda toine toiženke kut vel'l'kundad.}}
* {{langx|et|Kõik inimesed sünnivad vabadena ja võrdsetena oma väärikuselt ja õigustelt. Neile on antud mõistus ja südametunnistus ja nende suhtumist üksteisesse peab kandma vendluse vaim.}}
* {{langx|liv|Amād rovzt attõ sindõnd brīd ja īdlizt eņtš vǟrtitõks ja õigiztõks. Näntõn um andtõd mūoštõks ja sidāmtundimi, ja näntõn um īdtuoisõ tuoimõmõst veļkub vaimsõ.}}
* {{langx|se|Buot olbmot leat riegádan friddjan ja olmmošárvvu ja olmmošvuoigatvuođaid dáfus. Sii leat jierbmalaš olbmot geain lea oamedovdu ja sii gálggaše leat dego vieljačagat.}}
* {{langx|myv|Весе ломантне чачить олякс ды правасост весе вейкетекс. Сынст улить превест-чарьксчист ды визькстэ чарькодемаст, вейке-вейкень коряс прясь тенст ветяма братонь ёжо марто.|translit=Veśe lomańt́ńe čačit́ oĺaks di pravasost veśe vejket́eks. Sinst uĺit́ pŕevest-čaŕksčist di viźkste čaŕkod́emast, vejke-vejkeń koŕas pŕaś t́eńst vet́ama bratoń jožo marto.}}
* {{langx|koi|Быдӧс отирыс чужӧны вольнӧйезӧн да ӧткоддезӧн достоинствоын да правоэзын. Нылӧ сетӧм мывкыд да совесть овны ӧтамӧдныскӧт кыдз воннэзлӧ.|translit=Bydös oťirys ćužöny voľnöjjezön da ötkoďďezön dostoinstvoyn da pravoezyn. Nylö śetöm myvkyd da sovesť ovny ötamödnysköt kydź vonnezlö.}}
* {{langx|yrk|Ет хибяри ненэць соямарианта хуркари правада тнява, ӈобой ненэця ниду нись токалба, ӈыбтамба илевату тара.
|lit=Each person is born with all the rights, one person to another one should relate similarly.|translit=Jet° x́ibaŕi ńeneć° sojamaŕianta xurkaŕi pravada tńawa, ŋoboj° ńeneća ńidu ńiś° tokalba, ŋibtamba iľewatu tara.}}
* {{langx|hu|Minden emberi lény szabadon születik és egyenlő méltósága és joga van. Az emberek, ésszel és lelkiismerettel bírván, egymással szemben testvéri szellemben kell hogy viseltessenek.}}

Comparison of the text in other Uralic languages:<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Мā янытыл о̄лнэ мир мāгыс хансым мāк потыр - Всеобщая декларация прав человека |journal=Лӯима̄ сэ̄рипос |url=https://khanty-yasang.ru/luima-seripos/no-18-1084/2140 |last=Помбандеева |first=Светлана |date=2014-09-17 |issue=18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |title= Хӑннєхә вәԯты щир оԯӑңӑн декларация нєпек - Всеобщая декларация прав человека |journal=Хӑнты ясӑң |url=https://khanty-yasang.ru/khanty-yasang/no-18-3414/2123 |last=Решетникова |first=Раиса |date=2014-09-17 |issue=18}}</ref>
* Northern {{langx|mns|Ма̄ янытыл о̄лнэ мир пуссын аквхольт самын патэ̄гыт, аквтēм вос о̄лэ̄гыт, аквтēм нё̄тмил вос кинсэ̄гыт. Та̄н пуӈк о̄ньщēгыт, номсуӈкве вēрмēгыт, э̄сырма о̄ньщэ̄гыт, халанылт ягпыгыӈыщ-яга̄гиӈыщ вос о̄лэ̄гыт.|translit=Mā ânytyl ōlnè mir pussyn akvholʹt samyn patè̄gyt, akvtēm vos ōlè̄gyt, akvtēm në̄tmil vos kinsè̄gyt. Tān puňk ōnʹsēgyt, nomsuňkve vērmēgyt, è̄syrma ōnʹsʹè̄gyt, halanylt âgpygyňysʹ-âgāgiňysʹ vos ōlè̄gyt.}}
* Northern {{langx|kca|Хуԯыева мирӑт вәԯьня па имуртӑн вәԯты щира сєма питԯӑт. Ԯыв нумсаңӑт па ԯывеԯа еԯєм атум ут вєрты па кўтэԯн ԯыв ԯәхсӑңа вәԯԯӑт.|translit=Xułyewa mirăt wəł'nâ pa imurtăn wəłty ŝira sêma pitłăt. Ływ numsan̦ăt pa ływeła ełêm atum ut wêrty pa kŭtèłn ływ łəxsăn̦a wəłłăt.}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Language}}
*[[List of Uralic languages]]

==Citations==
{{reflist|25em}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin|25em|small=yes}}
* {{cite book
 |editor-last=Abondolo |editor-first=Daniel M.
 |year=1998
 |title=The Uralic Languages
 |place=London, UK, and New York, NY
 |publisher=Routledge
 |isbn=0-415-08198-X
}}

* {{cite book
 |last=Aikio |first=Ante |author-link=Ante Aikio
 |date=24 March 2022
 |chapter={{nobr|Chapter 1: Proto-Uralic}}
 |editor1-last=Bakró-Nagy |editor1-first=Marianne
 |editor2-last=Laakso |editor2-first=Johanna
 |editor3-last=Skribnik |editor3-first=Elena
 |title=The Oxford Guide to the Uralic Languages
 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]
 |isbn=978-0-19-876766-4 
 |chapter-url=https://www.academia.edu/40193033
 |via=academia.edu
}}

* {{cite book
 |editor-last=Collinder |editor-first=Björn
 |orig-date=1955 |year=1977
 |title=Fenno-Ugric Vocabulary: An etymological dictionary of the Uralic languages
 |edition=rev. 2nd 
 |place=(1955) Stockholm, SV / (1977) Hamburg, DE
 |publisher=(1955) Almqvist & Viksell / (1977) Helmut Buske Verlag
}}

* {{cite book |last=Collinder |first=Björn |year=1957 |title=Survey of the Uralic Languages |place=Stockholm, SV }}

* {{cite book |last=Collinder |first=Björn |year=1960 |title=Comparative Grammar of the Uralic Languages |place=Stockholm, SV |publisher=Almqvist & Wiksell }}

* {{cite book |last=Comrie |first=Bernhard |year=1988 |section=General features of the Uralic languages |title=The Uralic Languages |editor-first=Denis |editor-last=Sinor |pages=451–477 |place=Leiden |publisher=Brill }}

* {{cite book |last=Décsy |first=Gyula |year=1990 |title=The Uralic Proto-Language: A comprehensive reconstruction |place=Bloomington, IN }}

* {{cite book |last=Hajdu |first=Péter |year=1963 |title=Finnugor népek és nyelvek |place=Budapest, HU |publisher=Gondolat kiadó }}

* [[Eugene Helimski|Helimski, Eugene]]. 2000. ''Comparative Linguistics, Uralic Studies. Lectures and Articles.'' Moscow. ({{langx|ru|link=no|Хелимский Е.А. Компаративистика, уралистика. Лекции и статьи. М., 2000.}})

* {{cite book |author-link=Johanna Laakso |last=Laakso |first=Johanna |year=1992 |title=Uralilaiset kansat |lang=fi |trans-title=Uralic Peoples |place=Porvoo – Helsinki – Juva |isbn=951-0-16485-2 }}

* {{cite book |last=Korhonen |first=Mikko |year=1986 |title=Finno-Ugrian Language Studies in Finland 1828–1918 |place=Helsinki, FI |publisher=Societas Scientiarum Fennica |isbn=951-653-135-0 }}

* [[Vladimir Napolskikh|Napolskikh, Vladimir]].  1991. The First Stages of Origin of People of Uralic Language Family: Material of mythological reconstruction. Moscow, RU ({{langx|ru|link=no|Напольских В. В. Древнейшие этапы происхождения народов уральской языковой семьи: данные мифологической реконструкции. М., 1991.}})

* {{cite book
 |editor-last=Rédei |editor-first=Károly
 |year=1986–1988
 |title=Uralisches etymologisches Wörterbuch |lang=de
 |trans-title=Uralic Etymological Dictionary
 |place=Budapest, HU
}}

* {{cite book
 |last=Wickman  |first=Bo
 |year=1988
 |chapter=The history of Uralic linguistics
 |editor-last=Sinor |editor-first=Denis
 |title=The Uralic Languages: Description, history, and foreign influences
 |location=Leiden  |publisher=Brill
 |oclc=16580570  |isbn=978-90-04-07741-6
 |pages=792–818
}}


; External classification
* {{cite book |last=Sauvageot |first=Aurélien |year=1930 |title=Recherches sur le vocabulaire des langues ouralo-altaïques |lang=fr |trans-title=Research on the Vocabulary of the Uralo-Altaic Languages |place=Paris, FR }}


; Linguistic issues
* {{cite book |last=Künnap |first=A. |year=2000 |title=Contact-Induced Perspectives in Uralic Linguistics |series=LINCOM Studies in Asian Linguistics |volume=39 |place=München, DE |publisher=LINCOM Europa |isbn=3-89586-964-3 }}

* {{cite book |last=Wickman |first=Bo |year=1955 |title=The Form of the Object in the Uralic Languages |place=Uppsala, SV |publisher=Lundequistska bokhandeln }}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
* Preda-Balanica, Bianca Elena. "[https://ia903209.us.archive.org/24/items/contacts-abstract-book_202005/CONTACTS_abstract_book.pdf Contacts: Programme and Abstracts]." ''University of Helsinki'' (2019).
* {{cite journal | last=Bakró-Nagy | first=Marianne | title=The Uralic Languages | journal=Revue belge de philologie et d'histoire | volume=90 | issue=3 | date=2012 | issn=0035-0818 | doi=10.3406/rbph.2012.8272 | pages=1001–1027 | language=fr |url=http://www.persee.fr/doc/rbph_0035-0818_2012_num_90_3_8272}}
* {{cite book| last=Kallio | first=Petri |author-link=:nn:Petri Kallio | chapter=The Language Contact Situation in Prehistoric Northeastern Europe | editor1=Robert Mailhammer|editor2=Theo Vennemann gen. Nierfeld |editor3=Birgit Anette Olsen |title=The Linguistic Roots of Europe: Origin and Development of European Languages |pages=77–102 |series=Copenhagen Studies in Indo-European |volume=6 | date=2015-01-01 | chapter-url=https://www.academia.edu/20252178}}
* {{cite book |last=Holopainen |first=S. |chapter=The RUKI Rule in Indo-Iranian and the Early Contacts with Uralic |title=Internal and External Causes of Language Change: The Naxos Papers |editor1=Nikolaos Lavidas |editor2=Alexander Bergs |editor3=Elly van Gelderen |editor4=Ioanna Sitaridou |publisher=Springer Nature |date=2023 |pages=315–346 |isbn=978-3-031-30976-2 |doi=10.1007/978-3-031-30976-2_11}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Uralic languages}}
*{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/download/early-indo-iranic-loans-in-uralic-sounds/Early_Indo_Iranic_loans_in_Uralic_Sounds.pdf|title=Early Indo-Iranic loans in Uralic: Sounds and strata|work=Martin Joachim Kümmel, Seminar for Indo-European Studies}}
*Syrjänen, Kaj, Lehtinen, Jyri, Vesakoski, Outi, de Heer, Mervi, Suutari, Toni, Dunn, Michael, … Leino, Unni-Päivä. (2018). lexibank/uralex: UraLex basic vocabulary dataset (Version v1.0) [Data set]. Zenodo. {{doi|10.5281/zenodo.1459402}}


{{Uralic languages}}
{{Language families}}
{{Eurasian languages}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Uralic Languages}}
[[Category:Uralic languages| ]]
[[Category:Agglutinative languages]]
[[Category:Language families]]
[[Category:Languages of Russia]]
[[Category:Languages of Finland]]
[[Category:Languages of Hungary]]
[[Category:Languages of Estonia]]