Utlun languages

The Utlun languages (from ʊtɬʊn, "tongue") are a small of eight or nine languages spoken by some  of West Yoju in north-eastern Övlanda, primarily in the state of Utlunmia. It is divided into two or three main branches, the Naktlun and Sitlun, which are undoubtedly related but not close; the Tsisa language may be related to Utlun. Utlun has been classified as its own language family, though some argue a connection to based on similarities in  and. This linking is disputed and generally ascribed to s.

A standard based on the various Naktlun languages was developed in the 20th century. In recent decades, the use of to write Utlun languages has increased after a script was created for the language.

Demographics
The whole language family is estimated to have roughly 1,600,000 speakers and has a stable speaker base. The largest branch is Naktlun, with around 1,520,000 speakers; Sitlun languages are spoken by some 80,000 people. Almost all speakers reside in Övlanda, though small populations exist in neighboring countries and elsewhere.

Language contact
There are significant lexical similarities with the and  language families due to contact. There are also less significant similarities with a few individual languages that arrived in recent centuries, mainly, and.

Classification
The Utlun languages are:
 * Naktlun group
 * 1: North Naktlun
 * 2: South Naktlun
 * 3: River Naktlun
 * 4: Mountain Naktlun
 * Sitlun group
 * 5: Short Sitlun
 * 6: Weak Sitlun
 * 7: Tall Sitlun
 * 8: Strong Sitlun
 * 9: Tsisa, spoken by about 700 people in three villages along a stretch of the lower Tsisaw River, is either classified as a highly divergent Utlun language or as a with strong areal features.

Phonology
Like in modern, Utlun languages have a phonological distinction between oral and nasal vowels. Most Utlun languages have moderately sized vowel and consonant inventories, slightly less than their Itihasic neighbors.

Syntax
Utlun languages have with a large degree of. Proto-Utlun was an but most of its descendants have become  due to Itihasic contact.

Proto-language
Some of the reconstructed words from Proto-Utlun can be found below. As with most s, no direct attestations exist of Proto-Utlun.