Абаза бызшва
Abaza
NW Caucasian (Abkhaz-Abaza)
Abaza (Абаза бызшва Abaza Byzšva, "Abaza language") is a Northwest Caucasian language of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic of Russia, closely related to Abkhaz (ab) — together they form the Abaza-Abkhaz subgroup, the historically northern branch of NW Caucasian. The Abaza people migrated north from the southern Caucasus over centuries, with their main 19th-century displacement during the Russian-Caucasian War sending many to Ottoman Turkey (Anatolian diaspora). Abaza is distinct from Abkhaz primarily in vowel system (Abaza has 2 vowels phonemically, Abkhaz has 3), but shares the famous NW Caucasian feature of 60+ consonants vs. 2-3 vowels.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Abaza
Water
дзы
/d͡zə/
Fire
мца
/mt͡sa/
Sun
амра
/amra/
Moon
мыза
/məza/
Mother
ан
/an/
Father
аб
/ab/
Eat
фара
/fara/
Drink
жвара
/ʒwara/
Love
бзиабара
/bziabara/
Heart
гвы
/ɡʷə/
Tree
ҵла
/t͡sʼla/
House
айни
/ajni/
Dog
ла
/la/
Cat
цгва
/t͡sɡwa/
Hand
напы
/napə/
Eye
ла
/la/
Hello
мшыбзи
/mʃəbzi/
Thank you
таабит
/taːbit/
One
заку
/zaku/
Good
бзи
/bzi/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related NW Caucasian (Abkhaz-Abaza) languages
| Meaning | Abaza | Abkhaz | Kabardian | Ubykh | Adyghe | Mandaic | Bengali |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | дзы /d͡zə/ | аӡы /adzə/ | псы /psə/ | bzə /bzə/ | псы /psə/ | ࡌࡉࡀ /mia/ | জল /d͡ʒɔl/ |
| Fire | мца /mt͡sa/ | амца /amtsa/ | мафӏэ /mafʼa/ | mzʼə /mzʼə/ | машӏо /maʃʼo/ | ࡍࡅࡓࡀ /nura/ | আগুন /aɡun/ |
| Sun | амра /amra/ | амра /amra/ | дыгъэ /dəʁa/ | dəɣʷa /dəɣʷa/ | тыгъэ /təʁa/ | ࡔࡀࡌࡔࡀ /ʃamʃa/ | সূর্য /ʃuɾd͡ʒo/ |
| Moon | мыза /məza/ | амза /amza/ | мазэ /maza/ | mazə /mazə/ | мазэ /maza/ | ࡎࡉࡓࡀ /sira/ | চাঁদ /t͡ʃãːd/ |
| Mother | ан /an/ | ан /an/ | анэ /ana/ | nan /nan/ | ны /nə/ | ࡀࡌࡀ /ama/ | মা /ma/ |
| Father | аб /ab/ | аб /ab/ | адэ /ada/ | tʷə /tʷə/ | ты /tə/ | ࡀࡁࡀ /aba/ | বাবা /baba/ |
| Eat | фара /fara/ | афара /afara/ | шхэн /ʃxan/ | — /—/ | шхэн /ʃxan/ | ࡀࡊࡀࡋ /akal/ | খাওয়া /kʰaoa/ |
| Drink | жвара /ʒwara/ | ажәра /aʒʷra/ | ефэн /jafan/ | — /—/ | ефэн /jafan/ | ࡔࡕࡀ /ʃta/ | পান করা /pan kɔɾa/ |
| Love | бзиабара /bziabara/ | абзиабара /abziabara/ | лъагъуныгъэ /ɬaʁʷənəʁa/ | — /—/ | шӏу шӏэгъу /ʃʼʷə ʃʼaʁʷə/ | ࡓࡅࡄࡌࡀ /ɾuhma/ | ভালোবাসা /bʱalobaːʃa/ |
| Heart | гвы /ɡʷə/ | агәы /aɡʷə/ | гу /ɡʷə/ | gʷə /ɡʷə/ | гу /ɡʷə/ | ࡋࡉࡁࡀ /liba/ | হৃদয় /hɾidɔe̯/ |
| Tree | ҵла /t͡sʼla/ | аҵла /atsʼla/ | жыг /ʒəɡ/ | — /—/ | чыгы /tʃəɡə/ | ࡀࡊࡀࡍࡀ /akana/ | গাছ /ɡat͡ʃʰ/ |
| House | айни /ajni/ | аҩны /aːɥnə/ | унэ /wəna/ | tʷəna /tʷəna/ | унэ /wəna/ | ࡁࡉࡕࡀ /bita/ | বাড়ি /baɽi/ |
| Dog | ла /la/ | ала /aˈlːa/ | хьэ /ħa/ | la /la/ | хьэ /ħa/ | ࡊࡀࡋࡁࡀ /kalba/ | কুকুর /kukuɾ/ |
| Cat | цгва /t͡sɡwa/ | ацгәы /atsɡʷə/ | джэду /dʒadu/ | — /—/ | чэтыу /tʃatəw/ | ࡔࡅࡍࡀࡓࡀ /ʃunara/ | বিড়াল /biɽal/ |
| Hand | напы /napə/ | анапы /anapə/ | ӏэ /ʔa/ | ɂa /ʔa/ | ӏэ /ʔa/ | ࡏࡃࡀ /ʔida/ | হাত /hat/ |
| Eye | ла /la/ | абла /abla/ | нэ /na/ | bla /bla/ | нэ /na/ | ࡏࡉࡍࡀ /ʔina/ | চোখ /t͡ʃokʰ/ |
| Hello | мшыбзи /mʃəbzi/ | мшыбзиа /mʃəbzia/ | фӏэхъус /fʼaqʷəs/ | — /—/ | шӏуфес /ʃʼwafes/ | ࡔࡋࡀࡌࡀ /ʃlama/ | নমস্কার /nɔmɔʃkaɾ/ |
| Thank you | таабит /taːbit/ | иҭабуп /itʼabup/ | фӏыщӏэ /fʼəʃʼa/ | — /—/ | тхьауегъэпсэу /tħawajaʁapsaw/ | ࡈࡀࡁࡅࡕࡀ /ʈabuta/ | ধন্যবাদ /dʱɔnnobad/ |
| One | заку /zaku/ | акы /akə/ | зы /zə/ | za /za/ | зы /zə/ | ࡄࡀࡃ /had/ | এক /ɛk/ |
| Good | бзи /bzi/ | абзиа /abzia/ | фӏы /fʼə/ | — /—/ | дэгъу /daʁʷ/ | ࡈࡀࡁࡀ /tˤaba/ | ভালো /bʱalo/ |
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