Аҧсуа бызшәа
Abkhaz
NW Caucasian (Abkhaz-Abaza)
Abkhaz (аҧсуа бызшәа aṗsua byzšwa) is a Northwest Caucasian language with ~190K speakers, the official language of the partially recognized Republic of Abkhazia (de facto independent, de jure part of Georgia). It is famous in linguistics for having only 2 phonemic vowels (a, ə) but over 50 consonants — including labialized, palatalized, ejective, pharyngealized, and uvular series — and uses an extended Cyrillic alphabet of 64 letters. Almost every noun begins with the article prefix "а-" (the cat = а-цгә, "the cat"). Polypersonal verb agreement marks subject, direct object, indirect object, and applicatives. Closely related to Abaza of the North Caucasus.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Abkhaz
Water
аӡы
/adzə/
Fire
амца
/amtsa/
Sun
амра
/amra/
Moon
амза
/amza/
Mother
ан
/an/
Father
аб
/ab/
Eat
афара
/afara/
Drink
ажәра
/aʒʷra/
Love
абзиабара
/abziabara/
Heart
агәы
/aɡʷə/
Tree
аҵла
/atsʼla/
House
аҩны
/aːɥnə/
Dog
ала
/aˈlːa/
Cat
ацгәы
/atsɡʷə/
Hand
анапы
/anapə/
Eye
абла
/abla/
Hello
мшыбзиа
/mʃəbzia/
Thank you
иҭабуп
/itʼabup/
One
акы
/akə/
Good
абзиа
/abzia/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related NW Caucasian (Abkhaz-Abaza) languages
| Meaning | Abkhaz | Abaza | Kabardian | Mandaic | Adyghe | Ubykh | Tamasheq (Tuareg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | аӡы /adzə/ | дзы /d͡zə/ | псы /psə/ | ࡌࡉࡀ /mia/ | псы /psə/ | bzə /bzə/ | aman /aman/ |
| Fire | амца /amtsa/ | мца /mt͡sa/ | мафӏэ /mafʼa/ | ࡍࡅࡓࡀ /nura/ | машӏо /maʃʼo/ | mzʼə /mzʼə/ | tǝmsi /təmsi/ |
| Sun | амра /amra/ | амра /amra/ | дыгъэ /dəʁa/ | ࡔࡀࡌࡔࡀ /ʃamʃa/ | тыгъэ /təʁa/ | dəɣʷa /dəɣʷa/ | tafuk /tafuk/ |
| Moon | амза /amza/ | мыза /məza/ | мазэ /maza/ | ࡎࡉࡓࡀ /sira/ | мазэ /maza/ | mazə /mazə/ | ayor /ajor/ |
| Mother | ан /an/ | ан /an/ | анэ /ana/ | ࡀࡌࡀ /ama/ | ны /nə/ | nan /nan/ | anna /anːa/ |
| Father | аб /ab/ | аб /ab/ | адэ /ada/ | ࡀࡁࡀ /aba/ | ты /tə/ | tʷə /tʷə/ | abba /abba/ |
| Eat | афара /afara/ | фара /fara/ | шхэн /ʃxan/ | ࡀࡊࡀࡋ /akal/ | шхэн /ʃxan/ | — /—/ | ekš /əkʃ/ |
| Drink | ажәра /aʒʷra/ | жвара /ʒwara/ | ефэн /jafan/ | ࡔࡕࡀ /ʃta/ | ефэн /jafan/ | — /—/ | esu /əsu/ |
| Love | абзиабара /abziabara/ | бзиабара /bziabara/ | лъагъуныгъэ /ɬaʁʷənəʁa/ | ࡓࡅࡄࡌࡀ /ɾuhma/ | шӏу шӏэгъу /ʃʼʷə ʃʼaʁʷə/ | — /—/ | tara /tara/ |
| Heart | агәы /aɡʷə/ | гвы /ɡʷə/ | гу /ɡʷə/ | ࡋࡉࡁࡀ /liba/ | гу /ɡʷə/ | gʷə /ɡʷə/ | ul /ul/ |
| Tree | аҵла /atsʼla/ | ҵла /t͡sʼla/ | жыг /ʒəɡ/ | ࡀࡊࡀࡍࡀ /akana/ | чыгы /tʃəɡə/ | — /—/ | ašǝk /aʃək/ |
| House | аҩны /aːɥnə/ | айни /ajni/ | унэ /wəna/ | ࡁࡉࡕࡀ /bita/ | унэ /wəna/ | tʷəna /tʷəna/ | ehǝn /ehən/ |
| Dog | ала /aˈlːa/ | ла /la/ | хьэ /ħa/ | ࡊࡀࡋࡁࡀ /kalba/ | хьэ /ħa/ | la /la/ | aydi /ajdi/ |
| Cat | ацгәы /atsɡʷə/ | цгва /t͡sɡwa/ | джэду /dʒadu/ | ࡔࡅࡍࡀࡓࡀ /ʃunara/ | чэтыу /tʃatəw/ | — /—/ | amuš /amuʃ/ |
| Hand | анапы /anapə/ | напы /napə/ | ӏэ /ʔa/ | ࡏࡃࡀ /ʔida/ | ӏэ /ʔa/ | ɂa /ʔa/ | afus /afus/ |
| Eye | абла /abla/ | ла /la/ | нэ /na/ | ࡏࡉࡍࡀ /ʔina/ | нэ /na/ | bla /bla/ | tiṭṭ /titˤː/ |
| Hello | мшыбзиа /mʃəbzia/ | мшыбзи /mʃəbzi/ | фӏэхъус /fʼaqʷəs/ | ࡔࡋࡀࡌࡀ /ʃlama/ | шӏуфес /ʃʼwafes/ | — /—/ | mâ təlla /ma təlːa/ |
| Thank you | иҭабуп /itʼabup/ | таабит /taːbit/ | фӏыщӏэ /fʼəʃʼa/ | ࡈࡀࡁࡅࡕࡀ /ʈabuta/ | тхьауегъэпсэу /tħawajaʁapsaw/ | — /—/ | tanǝmmirt /tanəmːiɾt/ |
| One | акы /akə/ | заку /zaku/ | зы /zə/ | ࡄࡀࡃ /had/ | зы /zə/ | za /za/ | iyǝn /ijən/ |
| Good | абзиа /abzia/ | бзи /bzi/ | фӏы /fʼə/ | ࡈࡀࡁࡀ /tˤaba/ | дэгъу /daʁʷ/ | — /—/ | ihossǝn /ihosːən/ |
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