Circassian languages

Circassian (Adyghe: Адыгабзэ; Kabardian: Адыгэбзэ), also known as Cherkess (/tʃɜːrˈkɛs/ chur-KESS), is a subdivision of the Northwest Caucasian language family, spoken by the Circassian people. There are two main variants of the Circassian language, defined by their literary standards, Adyghe (кӀахыбзэ; also known as West Circassian) and Kabardian (къэбэрдейбзэ; also known as East Circassian). The languages are highly mutually intelligible with one another, but differ to a degree where they would be considered clear-cut dialects. The earliest extant written records of the Circassian language are in the Arabic script, recorded by the Turkish traveller Evliya Çelebi in the 17th century, although the Greek and Georgian alphabets were adapted for them in ancient and medieval times.

There is consensus among the linguistic community about the fact that Adyghe and Kabardian are typologically distinct languages. However, the local terms for these languages refer to them as dialects. The Circassian people call themselves адыгэ (adyge; English: Adyghe) in their native language. In the southwestern part of European Russia, there is also a Federal Subject called Adygea (Russian: Адыгея, Adygeya), enclaved within Krasnodar Krai, which is named after the Circassian endonym. In the Russian language, the Circassian subdivision is treated as a group of languages and called адыгские (adygskie, meaning the Adyghe languages), whereas the Adyghe language is called адыгейский (adygeyskiy, meaning the language of those in [the Republic of] Adygea). The terms Circassian and Cherkess are sometimes used in several languages as synonyms for the Northwest Caucasian languages in general or the Adyghe language in particular.

Circassian languages

• Circassian languages Adyghe language The Black Sea coast dialects Zhaney dialect Natukhai dialect (Adyghe: Нэтӏхъуаджэбзэ; Netʼx́uajebze) Shapsug dialect (Adyghe: Шапсыгъабзэ; Shapsyǵabze) North Shapsugs, Great Shapsugs, Kuban Shapsugs dialect (Adyghe: Шапсыгъэ шху; Shapsyǵ shyxu) Kfar Kama dialect (Adyghe: Кфар Камэм ишапсыгъэбзэ; Kfar Kamem ishapsyǵebze): Shapsug dialect spoken by the villagers of Kfar Kama in Israel. Temirgoy-Shapsugs, Pseuşko accent (Adyghe: Кӏэмгуе-шапсыгъ; Chʼemgueý-shapsyǵ) South Shapsugs, Small Shapsugs, Coastal Shapsugs Black Sea Shapsugs (Adyghe: Шапсыгъэ-цӏыкӏу; Shapsyǵe-tsʼykʼu) dialect. Hakuchi dialect (Adyghe: ХьакӀуцубзэ, Къарацхаибзэ; Hakʼutsubze, Qaratsxaibze) The Kuban river dialects Bzhedug dialect (Adyghe: Бжъэдыгъубзэ; Bɀedyǵubze): Spoken by the Circassians in Republic of Adygea and Biga. Temirgoy (Adyghe: КӀэмыгуябзэ, КӀэмгуибзэ; Chʼemıguıyabze, Chʼemguibze): Literary Adyghe. Also spoken by the Circassians in Republic of Adygea. Abzakh dialect (Adyghe: Aбдзэхабзэ; Abźaxabze): Spoken by the Circassians in Rehaniya in Israel and the Circassians in Syria from Golan Heights. Mamkhegh dialect Yegeruqway dialect Hatuqay dialect Makhosh dialect Kabardian language Kabardian West Kabardian Kuban Kuban-Zelenchuk (Cherkess) Central Kabardian Baksan (Basis for the literary language) Malka Eastern Kabardian Terek Mozdok North Kabardian Mulka Zabardiqa (1925 until 1991 Soviet Zaparika) Baslaney dialect (Adyghe: Бэслъыныйбзэ; Besłınıýbze)

Alphabets

Adyghe Alphabet

Adyghe language (also known as West Circassian, Adyghe: КӀахыбзэ; Kʼaxıbzə, Russian: Адыгейский язык) — The language of the west Circassian tribes: Shapsug, Abzakh, Natukhai, Bzhedug, Temirgoy. The Alphabet is based on the Temirgoy dialect. The Circassian alphabet was created in 1918 by the Kabardian linguist Naguma Shora.

The Adyghe alphabet contains some inconsistencies between visual representation and pronunciation which can be a point of confusion for learners. It is tempting to read the Circassian alphabet letters phonologically, but this is not always accurate. For example:

• While the letter Кӏ appears to represent [kʼ], it is actually pronounced as [t͡ʃʼ] (Чӏ).
• Чӏ is pronounced as the retroflex [t͡ʂʼ] (Чӏъ).
• Цу is pronounced as [t͡ʂʷ] (Чъу).
• Шӏ is pronounced as [ʂʼ] (Шӏъ).
• Шӏу is pronounced as [ʂʷʼ] (Шӏъу).
• The letter Г represents the fricative [ɣ] rather than the stop [ɡ].
• The labialized Гу corresponds to the stop [ɡʷ].

These letters are not part of the official alphabet, but they may appear in books that showcase the different dialects.

Kabardian Alphabet

Kabardian language (also known as East Circassian, Adyghe: Къэбэрдейбзэ; Qeberdeýbze, Russian: Кабардино-черкесский) — The language of the east Circassian tribes : Kabarday and Baslaney. The Alphabet is based on the Kabardian dialect.

In the Kabardian alphabet, certain letters have dual pronunciations. Кӏ is pronounced either as [kʼ] or as [t͡ʃʼ] (like Чӏ), and Дж is pronounced either as [ɡʲ] (Гь) or as [d͡ʒ]. This variation is due to a historical sound shift: in Proto-Kabardian, these letters were originally [ɡʲ] and [kʼ], but they shifted to [d͡ʒ] and [t͡ʃʼ] in the majority of modern Kabardian dialects.

Sound changes

Sound changes between Adyghe (Temirgoy) and Kabardian:

Ergative–absolutive

The following example shows an ergative–absolutive case marking system while using the same verb "break" in both intransitive and transitive forms:

Here, "table" has the absolutive case mark -р /-r/ while "man" has the ergative case mark -м /-m/. The verb "break" is in the intransitive form "мэкъутэ" and the transitive form "екъутэ". The example above specifically shows SOV order, but Circassian allows any order.

Loanwords

Circassian languages contain "many loan-words from Arabic, Turkish, Persian (particularly in the area of religion) and Russian".

See also

• Circassia

Sources

• Reza, Enayotallah; Hirtenstein, Stephen; Gholami, Rahim (2021). . In Madelung, Wilferd; Daftary, Farhad (eds.). Encyclopaedia Islamica Online. Brill Online. ISSN .

Literature

• . By Dr. L. Loewe.
• Кумахов М. А. Адыгские языки // Языки мира. Кавказские языки. М., 1999. (in Russian)