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
31 core words in Abaza
Water
дзы
/dzə/
Fire
мца
/mtsa/
Sun
амра
/amra/
Moon
мыза
/məza/
Star
аяҵва
/ajatsʷʼa/
Mother
ан
/an/
Father
аба
/aba/
I
сара
/saˈra/
You
уара
/waˈra/
Name
хьыз
/xʲəz/
Eye
ла
/la/
Hand
напы
/napə/
Heart
гвы
/ɡʷə/
Love
бзиабара
/bziabara/
Tree
ҵла
/tsʼla/
House
айни
/ajni/
Dog
ла
/la/
Cat
цгва
/tsɡwa/
Eat
фара
/fara/
Drink
жвара
/ʒwara/
One
заку
/zaku/
Two
ҩба
/ɥba/
Hello
мшыбзи
/mʃəbzi/
Thank you
таабит
/taːbit/
Good
бзи
/bzi/
Cuckoo
квыква
/kʷǝkʷa/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related NW Caucasian (Abkhaz-Abaza) languages
| Meaning | Abaza | Abkhaz | Kabardian | Ubykh | Adyghe | Mandaic | Blin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | дзы /dzə/ | аӡы /adzə/ | псы /psə/ | bzə /bzə/ | псы /psə/ | ࡌࡉࡀ /mia/ | አኳ /akwa/ |
| Fire | мца /mtsa/ | амца /amtsa/ | мафӏэ /mafʼa/ | mzʼə /mzʼə/ | машӏо /maʃʼo/ | ࡍࡅࡓࡀ /nura/ | ላእ /laʔ/ |
| Sun | амра /amra/ | амра /amra/ | дыгъэ /dəʁa/ | dəɣʷa /dəɣʷa/ | тыгъэ /təʁa/ | ࡔࡀࡌࡔࡀ /ʃamʃa/ | ኤርሕ /erəħ/ |
| Moon | мыза /məza/ | амза /amza/ | мазэ /maza/ | mazə /mazə/ | мазэ /maza/ | ࡎࡉࡓࡀ /sira/ | ቸራ /tʃəra/ |
| Star | аяҵва /ajatsʷʼa/ | аеҵәа /ajtsʷʼa/ | вагъуэ /waːʁʷa/ | tʃʷʼakʲ /tʃʷʼakʲʼ/ | жъуагъо /ʐʷaːʁʷa/ | ࡊࡅࡊࡁࡀ /ˈkukba/ | ኰኵብ /kʷəkʷəb/ |
| Mother | ан /an/ | ан /an/ | анэ /ana/ | nan /nan/ | ны /nə/ | ࡀࡌࡀ /ama/ | እና /əna/ |
| Father | аба /aba/ | аб /ab/ | адэ /ada/ | tʷə /tʷə/ | ты /tə/ | ࡀࡁࡀ /aba/ | አባ /aba/ |
| I | сара /saˈra/ | сара /saˈra/ | сэ /sa/ | sʁʷa /sʁʷa/ | сэ /sa/ | ࡀࡍࡀ /ˈana/ | አን /an/ |
| You | уара /waˈra/ | уара /waˈra/ | уэ /wa/ | wʁʷa /wʁʷa/ | о /wə/ | ࡀࡍࡀࡕ /at/ | እንቲ /ʔənti/ |
| Name | хьыз /xʲəz/ | ахьӡ /axʲdz/ | цӀэ /tsʼə/ | pʼtsʼa /pʼtsʼa/ | цӀэ /tsʼə/ | ࡔࡅࡌࡀ /ˈʃuma/ | ስም /səm/ |
| Eye | ла /la/ | абла /abla/ | нэ /na/ | bla /bla/ | нэ /na/ | ࡏࡉࡍࡀ /ʔina/ | ኢላ /ila/ |
| Hand | напы /napə/ | анапы /anapə/ | ӏэ /ʔa/ | ɂa /ʔa/ | ӏэ /ʔa/ | ࡏࡃࡀ /ʔida/ | አንካዕ /ankaʕ/ |
| Heart | гвы /ɡʷə/ | агәы /aɡʷə/ | гу /ɡʷə/ | gʷə /ɡʷə/ | гу /ɡʷə/ | ࡋࡉࡁࡀ /liba/ | ሊባ /liba/ |
| Love | бзиабара /bziabara/ | абзиабара /abziabara/ | лъагъуныгъэ /ɬaʁʷənəʁa/ | — /—/ | шӏу лъэгъун /ʃʷʼə ɬaʁʷən/ | ࡓࡅࡄࡌࡀ /ɾuhma/ | ኩረቦ /kurəbo/ |
| Tree | ҵла /tsʼla/ | аҵла /atsʼla/ | жыг /ʒəɡ/ | — /—/ | чыгы /tʃəɡə/ | ࡏࡋࡀࡍࡀ /ilana/ | ሐጨር /ħətʃər/ |
| House | айни /ajni/ | аҩны /aːɥnə/ | унэ /wəna/ | tʷəna /tʷəna/ | унэ /wəna/ | ࡁࡉࡕࡀ /bita/ | ጊና /ɡina/ |
| Dog | ла /la/ | ала /aˈlːa/ | хьэ /ħa/ | la /la/ | хьэ /ħa/ | ࡊࡀࡋࡁࡀ /kalba/ | ጋቢራ /ɡabira/ |
| Cat | цгва /tsɡwa/ | ацгәы /atsɡʷə/ | джэду /dʒadu/ | — /—/ | чэтыу /tʃatəw/ | ࡔࡅࡍࡀࡓࡀ /ʃunara/ | ሐራ /ħara/ |
| Eat | фара /fara/ | афара /afara/ | шхэн /ʃxan/ | — /—/ | шхэн /ʃxan/ | ࡀࡊࡀࡋ /akal/ | ምሰራ /məsəra/ |
| Drink | жвара /ʒwara/ | ажәра /aʒʷra/ | ефэн /jafan/ | — /—/ | ефэн /jafan/ | ࡔࡕࡀ /ʃta/ | መዕያ /mətʕəja/ |
| One | заку /zaku/ | акы /akə/ | зы /zə/ | za /za/ | зы /zə/ | ࡄࡀࡃ /had/ | አሬ /are/ |
| Two | ҩба /ɥba/ | ҩба /ɥba/ | тӀу /tʷʼə/ | tqʷʼa /tqʷʼa/ | тӀу /tʷʼə/ | ࡕࡓࡉࡍ /tren/ | ልኛ /ləŋa/ |
| Hello | мшыбзи /mʃəbzi/ | мшыбзиа /mʃəbzia/ | фӏэхъус /fʼaqʷəs/ | — /—/ | шӏуфес /ʃʼwafes/ | ࡔࡋࡀࡌࡀ /ʃlama/ | ኢራዋ /irawa/ |
| Thank you | таабит /taːbit/ | иҭабуп /itʰabup/ | фӏыщӏэ /fʼəʃʼa/ | — /—/ | тхьауегъэпсэу /tħawajaʁapsaw/ | ࡈࡀࡁࡅࡕࡀ /ʈabuta/ | ቀንየለይ /qənjələj/ |
| Good | бзи /bzi/ | абзиа /abzia/ | фӏы /fʼə/ | — /—/ | дэгъу /daʁʷ/ | ࡈࡀࡁࡀ /tˤaba/ | ጨጋ /tʃəɡa/ |
| Cuckoo | квыква /kʷǝkʷa/ | акәыкәы /akʷǝkʷǝ/ | кӏыгуугу /tʃʼǝɡʷuːɡʷ/ | kʷǝgʷ /kʷǝɡʷ/ | кукуу /kʷǝkʷǝw/ | — | — |
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