Kaitag language

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Kaitag
хайдакьан кув
Pronunciationχɑjdɑqʼɑn kʰuβ
Native toNorth Caucasus
RegionDagestan
EthnicityKaitags
Native speakers
approx. 30,000 (2020)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3xdq
Glottologkajt1238

Kaitag (self des. Хайдакьан кув [χɑjdɑqʼɑn kʰuβ]; oth. des. Kaidak, Karakaitak, Karkaidak, Qaidaqlan) is a Northeast Caucasian language spoken in Dagestan, Russia. It has sometimes been considered a divergent dialect of Dargwa due to it being part of the Dargin dialect continuum. The Routledge Ethnographic Handbook (2017) divided Kaitag into two dialects: northern (Magalis-Kaitak) and southern (Karakaitak).[2] Recent results of the Association of the Russian Sociolinguists (2021) further developed it into three dialects: Lower Kaitag, Upper Kaitag and Shari.[3]

Dialects[edit]

The languages consists of eight varieties, forming three dialects. Each of the Upper varieties corresponds to a historical province of the region.[4]

  • Upper Kaitag – Хъар Хайдакь (south-west).
    • Shurkkant – "The Cliff Dwellers" – Шурккант.
    • Qattagan – "The Gorge Dwellers" – Къаттагне.
    • Irchamul – "The Land of Nine" – Ирчӏамул.
  • Lower Kaitag – Ххьар Хайдакь.
    • Barshamai – Баршамаӏъган.
    • Karatsan – Гъаӏрцӏнила.
    • Jibahni – Чӏивгьаӏн.
    • Sanchi – Сунклан.
  • Shari – Шаӏръи.

Phonology[edit]

Vowels[edit]

Front Back
close u
near-close ɪ
open-mid ɛ
near-open æ
open ɑ

Consonants[edit]

Consonants form by series of voiced, aspirated, fortis, ejective, and labialized variants. The palatal fricative [ç] might be the voiceless post-palatal fricative, which can be more precisely transcribed as [ç̠] or [x̟].[5]

Bilabial Dental Alveolar Palatal Velar Uvular Glottal
plain labialized plain labialized plain labialized plain labialized plain labialized
Nasal m n
Plosive voiced b d g ʔ
aspirated kʰʷ qʰʷ
fortis kːʷ qːʷ
ejective kʼʷ qʼʷ
Affricate aspirated t͡sʰ t͡ʃʰ t͡ʃʰʷ
fortis t͡sː t͡ʃː t͡ʃːʷ
ejective t͡sʼ t͡ʃʼ t͡ʃʼʷ
Fricative voiced β z ʒ ʒʷ ʁ ʁʷ
plain s ʃ ʃʷ ç çʷ χ χʷ h
fortis ʃː ʃːʷ çː çːʷ χː χːʷ
Trill r
Approximant l j

Alphabet[edit]

The Kaitag language is usually written in the Cyrillic script. The letters of the alphabet are (with their pronunciation given below in IPA transcription):

а

[ɑ~a]

аӏ

[æ]

б

[b]

в

[β]

г

[g]

гв

[gʷ]

гъ

[ʁ]

гъв

[ʁʷ]

гь

[h]

гьв

[hʷ]

д

[d]

е

[ɛ~e]

ж

[ʒ]

жв

[ʒʷ]

з

[z]

и

[ɪ~i]

й

[j]

к

[kʰ]

кв

[kʰʷ]

кк

[kː]

ккв

[kːʷ]

кӏ

[kʼ]

кӏв

[kʼʷ]

хъ

[qʰ]

хъв

[qʰʷ]

къ

[qː]

къв

[qːʷ]

кь

[qʼ]

кь

[qʼʷ]

л

[l]

м

[m]

н

[n]

п

[pʰ]

пп

[pː]

пӏ

[pʼ]

с

[s]

сс

[sː]

т

[tʰ]

тт

[tː]

тӏ

[tʼ]

у

[u]

х

[χ]

хв

[χʷ]

хх

[χː]

ххв

[χːʷ]

хь

[ç]

хьв

[çʷ]

ххь

[çː]

ххьв

[çːʷ]

ц

[t͡sʰ]

цц

[t͡sː]

цӏ

[t͡sʼ]

ч

[t͡ʃʰ]

чв

[t͡ʃʰʷ]

чч

[t͡ʃː]

ччв

[t͡ʃːʷ]

чӏ

[t͡ʃʼ]

чӏв

[t͡ʃʼʷ]

ш

[ʃ]

шв

[ʃʷ]

шш

[ʃː]

шшв

[ʃːʷ]

ъ

[ʔ]

Lexicon[edit]

Most of Kaitag's vocabulary stems from proto-Northeast-Caucasian roots. Like with other languages of Dagestan, there is a considerable number of Arabic, Iranian, Turkic and recently Russian loanwords.

Swadesh list for Kaitag
No. English Kaitag
1 I ду [du]
2 you (singular) и [(ʔ)ɪ]
3 he гье [hɛ]
4 we нисса [nisːɑ] (excl.), ниххьва [niçːʷɑ] (incl.)
5 you (plural) нишша [niʃːɑ]
6 they гьетти [hetːɪ]
7 this гьеж [hɛʒ]
8 that гьет [hɛtʰ]
9 here гьежин [hɛʒɪn]
10 there гьетин [hɛtʰɪn]
11 who ча [t͡ʃʰɑ]
12 what ци [t͡sʰɪ]
13 where квацци [kʰʷɑt͡sːɪ]
14 when цикъел [t͡sʰɪqːɛl]
15 how цигле [t͡sʰɪglɛ]
16 not аккву [ɑkːʷu] (n.), а(й)- [ɑ(j)-] (v.)
17 all сукке [sukːɛ]
18 many дахъ [dɑqʰ]
19 some чумилра [t͡ʃʰumɪlrɑ]
20 few кам [kʰɑm]
21 other дикӏар [dɪkʼɑr]
22 one ца [t͡sʰɑ]
23 two чӏве [t͡ʃʼʷɛ]
24 three аӏв [æβ]
25 four угъ [uʁ]
26 five шве [ʃʷɛ]
27 big хвала [χʷɑlɑ]
28 long ухъен [uqʰɛn]
29 wide баӏъу[bæʔu]
30 thick буцц [but͡sː]
31 heavy декӏ [dɛkʼ]
32 small никӏва [nɪkʼʷɑ]
33 short кутӏ [kutʼ]
34 narrow гъваӏрцӏ [ʁʷærcʼ]
35 thin букӏал [bukʼɑl]
36 woman ххьулум [çːulum]
37 man (adult male) мургул[murgul]
38 man (human being) мейдам [mɛjdɑm]
39 child даӏргьаӏ [dærhæ]
40 wife ххьади [çːɑdɪ]
41 husband сув [suβ]
42 mother уба [ubɑ]
43 father атта [ɑtːɑ]
44 animal мицӏираг [mɪcʼɪrɑg]
45 fish кӏас [kʼɑs]
46 bird ахьлиъаӏн [ɑçlɪʔæn]
47 dog ххваӏ [χːʷæ]
48 louse нез [nɛz]
49 snake цӏецӏи [cʼɛcʼɪ]
50 worm милкъваӏ [mɪlqːʷæ]
51 tree ккалкка [kːɑlkːɑ]
52 forest дуцца [dut͡sːɑ]
53 stick миргъаӏ [mɪrʁæ]
54 fruit удар [udɑr]
55 seed шва [ʃʷɑ]
56 leaf кӏаппар [kʼɑpːɑr]
57 root йамппа [jɑmpːɑ]
58 bark (of a tree) кам [kɑm]
59 flower жуже [ʒuʒɛ]
60 grass кьар [qʼɑr]
61 rope {{{wrd061}}}
62 skin {{{wrd062}}}
63 meat {{{wrd063}}}
64 blood {{{wrd064}}}
65 bone {{{wrd065}}}
66 fat (noun) {{{wrd066}}}
67 egg {{{wrd067}}}
68 horn {{{wrd068}}}
69 tail {{{wrd069}}}
70 feather {{{wrd070}}}
71 hair {{{wrd071}}}
72 head {{{wrd072}}}
73 ear {{{wrd073}}}
74 eye {{{wrd074}}}
75 nose {{{wrd075}}}
76 mouth {{{wrd076}}}
77 tooth {{{wrd077}}}
78 tongue (organ) {{{wrd078}}}
79 fingernail {{{wrd079}}}
80 foot {{{wrd080}}}
81 leg {{{wrd081}}}
82 knee {{{wrd082}}}
83 hand {{{wrd083}}}
84 wing {{{wrd084}}}
85 belly {{{wrd085}}}
86 guts {{{wrd086}}}
87 neck {{{wrd087}}}
88 back {{{wrd088}}}
89 breast {{{wrd089}}}
90 heart {{{wrd090}}}
91 liver {{{wrd091}}}
92 to drink {{{wrd092}}}
93 to eat {{{wrd093}}}
94 to bite {{{wrd094}}}
95 to suck {{{wrd095}}}
96 to spit {{{wrd096}}}
97 to vomit {{{wrd097}}}
98 to blow {{{wrd098}}}
99 to breathe {{{wrd099}}}
100 to laugh {{{wrd100}}}
101 to see {{{wrd101}}}
102 to hear {{{wrd102}}}
103 to know {{{wrd103}}}
104 to think {{{wrd104}}}
105 to smell {{{wrd105}}}
106 to fear {{{wrd106}}}
107 to sleep {{{wrd107}}}
108 to live {{{wrd108}}}
109 to die {{{wrd109}}}
110 to kill {{{wrd110}}}
111 to fight {{{wrd111}}}
112 to hunt {{{wrd112}}}
113 to hit {{{wrd113}}}
114 to cut {{{wrd114}}}
115 to split {{{wrd115}}}
116 to stab {{{wrd116}}}
117 to scratch {{{wrd117}}}
118 to dig {{{wrd118}}}
119 to swim {{{wrd119}}}
120 to fly {{{wrd120}}}
121 to walk {{{wrd121}}}
122 to come {{{wrd122}}}
123 to lie (as in a bed) {{{wrd123}}}
124 to sit {{{wrd124}}}
125 to stand {{{wrd125}}}
126 to turn (intransitive) {{{wrd126}}}
127 to fall {{{wrd127}}}
128 to give {{{wrd128}}}
129 to hold {{{wrd129}}}
130 to squeeze {{{wrd130}}}
131 to rub {{{wrd131}}}
132 to wash {{{wrd132}}}
133 to wipe {{{wrd133}}}
134 to pull {{{wrd134}}}
135 to push {{{wrd135}}}
136 to throw {{{wrd136}}}
137 to tie {{{wrd137}}}
138 to sew {{{wrd138}}}
139 to count {{{wrd139}}}
140 to say {{{wrd140}}}
141 to sing {{{wrd141}}}
142 to play {{{wrd142}}}
143 to float {{{wrd143}}}
144 to flow {{{wrd144}}}
145 to freeze {{{wrd145}}}
146 to swell {{{wrd146}}}
147 sun {{{wrd147}}}
148 moon {{{wrd148}}}
149 star {{{wrd149}}}
150 water {{{wrd150}}}
151 rain {{{wrd151}}}
152 river {{{wrd152}}}
153 lake {{{wrd153}}}
154 sea {{{wrd154}}}
155 salt {{{wrd155}}}
156 stone {{{wrd156}}}
157 sand {{{wrd157}}}
158 dust {{{wrd158}}}
159 earth {{{wrd159}}}
160 cloud {{{wrd160}}}
161 fog {{{wrd161}}}
162 sky {{{wrd162}}}
163 wind {{{wrd163}}}
164 snow {{{wrd164}}}
165 ice {{{wrd165}}}
166 smoke {{{wrd166}}}
167 fire {{{wrd167}}}
168 ash {{{wrd168}}}
169 to burn {{{wrd169}}}
170 road {{{wrd170}}}
171 mountain {{{wrd171}}}
172 red {{{wrd172}}}
173 green {{{wrd173}}}
174 yellow {{{wrd174}}}
175 white {{{wrd175}}}
176 black {{{wrd176}}}
177 night {{{wrd177}}}
178 day {{{wrd178}}}
179 year {{{wrd179}}}
180 warm {{{wrd180}}}
181 cold {{{wrd181}}}
182 full {{{wrd182}}}
183 new {{{wrd183}}}
184 old {{{wrd184}}}
185 good {{{wrd185}}}
186 bad {{{wrd186}}}
187 rotten {{{wrd187}}}
188 dirty {{{wrd188}}}
189 straight {{{wrd189}}}
190 round {{{wrd190}}}
191 sharp (as a knife) {{{wrd191}}}
192 dull (as a knife) {{{wrd192}}}
193 smooth {{{wrd193}}}
194 wet {{{wrd194}}}
195 dry {{{wrd195}}}
196 correct {{{wrd196}}}
197 near {{{wrd197}}}
198 far {{{wrd198}}}
199 right {{{wrd199}}}
200 left {{{wrd200}}}
201 at {{{wrd201}}}
202 in {{{wrd202}}}
203 with {{{wrd203}}}
204 and {{{wrd204}}}
205 if {{{wrd205}}}
206 because {{{wrd206}}}
207 name {{{wrd207}}}

References[edit]

  1. ^ Kaitag at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
  2. ^ Ronald Wixman, Peoples of the USSR: An Ethnographic Handbook, Routledge, 28 Jul 2017, p.89
  3. ^ Mutalov, R.O. The classification of the Dargin languages and dialects [online] // Sociolinguistics, 2021. No. 3 (7). Pp.8–25. (In Russ.) DOI: 10.37892/2713-2951-3-7-8-25
  4. ^ Temirbulatova, Sapiyahanum (2006). Kaitag dialect of Dargwa. Makhachkala: Dagestani State University. pp. 5–22.
  5. ^ Temirbulatova, Sapiyahanum (2006). Kaitag dialect of Dargwa. Makhachkala: Dagestani State University. pp. 26–30.