Аршаттен чӀат
Archi
NE Caucasian (Lezgic — isolated within Lezgic; not part of any subgroup)
Archi (Аршаттен чӀат Aršatten Tʼat) is a Northeast Caucasian language isolated within the Lezgic branch — it does not cluster with Lezgian-Tabasaran-Tsakhur, Aghul, or any other Lezgic subgroup, occupying its own taxonomic position. Spoken by ~1,000 people in the single village of Archi (Charoda District, Daghestan), Archi is famous in linguistic literature for having one of the most morphologically complex inflectional systems documented: Kibrik's 1977 reference grammar calculated up to 1.5 million possible verb forms per single root through combination of TAM markers, polypersonal agreement, evidentiality, and modality. The Archi consonant inventory includes ~70 phonemes with extensive use of pharyngealization and ejectives.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Archi
Water
лъан
/ɬan/
Fire
цӏай
/tsʼaj/
Sun
бараг
/baɾaɡ/
Moon
батӏ
/batʼ/
Mother
буба
/buba/
Father
аба
/aba/
Eat
аркьилӏ
/aɾqʼili/
Drink
а́ккур
/ʔakːur/
Love
икан
/ikan/
Heart
ракӏ
/ɾakʼ/
Tree
гард
/ɡaɾd/
House
хъоʔ
/qoʔ/
Dog
хӏвай
/ħʷaj/
Cat
к̄ет
/kʼet/
Hand
кӏанас
/kʼanas/
Eye
пӏарак
/pʼaɾak/
Hello
аимбир
/ambiɾ/
Thank you
хӏама
/ħama/
One
ос
/os/
Good
баилъи
/baiɬi/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related NE Caucasian (Lezgic — isolated within Lezgic; not part of any subgroup) languages
| Meaning | Archi | Tsez | Dargwa | Andi | Tsakhur | Aghul | Bats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | лъан /ɬan/ | лъи /ɬi/ | шин /ʃin/ | лъен /ɬen/ | хьад /ħad/ | хьед /ħed/ | ხი /xi/ |
| Fire | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | цӏи /tsʼi/ | цӏа /tsʼa/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | ცʼე /tsʼe/ |
| Sun | бараг /baɾaɡ/ | буцӏ /butsʼ/ | берхӏи /beɾħi/ | миллӏи /milːi/ | верг /verɡ/ | рагъ /raʁ/ | მაცხ /matsx/ |
| Moon | батӏ /batʼ/ | бутӏтӏи /butʼːi/ | баз /baz/ | борцӏцӏо /bortsʼːo/ | ваз /vaz/ | ваз /vaz/ | ბუცʼ /butsʼ/ |
| Mother | буба /buba/ | баб /bab/ | нес /nes/ | ила /ila/ | йед /jed/ | баб /bab/ | ნანა /nana/ |
| Father | аба /aba/ | обу /obu/ | атта /atːa/ | има /ima/ | дакӏ /dakʼ/ | ада /ada/ | დადა /dada/ |
| Eat | аркьилӏ /aɾqʼili/ | ишер /iʃer/ | букӏан /bukʼan/ | икъвин /iqʷːin/ | аӏкӏвыс /aʕkʷʼəs/ | ифи /ifi/ | ჲაა /jaː/ |
| Drink | а́ккур /ʔakːur/ | жекер /ʒeker/ | даркьес /daɾqʼes/ | игьин /iɣin/ | ийыхьес /iijəħes/ | ахъан /aqʼan/ | მალარ /malar/ |
| Love | икан /ikan/ | уйла /ujla/ | дигай /diɡaj/ | — /—/ | ыкӏикна /əkʼikna/ | кӏанди /kʼandi/ | დაკარ /dakar/ |
| Heart | ракӏ /ɾakʼ/ | ракӏ /rakʼ/ | уркӏ /uɾkʼ/ | рокӏо /rokʼo/ | йикӏ /jikʼ/ | юкӏ /jukʼ/ | კარტʼ /kʼartʼ/ |
| Tree | гард /ɡaɾd/ | ачӏи /atʃʼi/ | галга /ɡalɡa/ | рикьва /riqʷːa/ | йывон /jəvon/ | тар /tar/ | დაჴ /daq/ |
| House | хъоʔ /qoʔ/ | ма /ma/ | хъали /qali/ | хъоро /qʼoro/ | хав /xav/ | кьали /qʼali/ | ცʼა /tsʼa/ |
| Dog | хӏвай /ħʷaj/ | жек /ʒek/ | хя /xja/ | хвай /χʷaj/ | хӏвай /ħʷaj/ | хвай /xwaj/ | ფჰუ /pʰu/ |
| Cat | к̄ет /kʼet/ | кету /ketu/ | гата /ɡata/ | — /—/ | кӏет /kʼet/ | кац /kats/ | ციცა /tsitsa/ |
| Hand | кӏанас /kʼanas/ | рекь /reqʼ/ | някӏ /ɲækʼ/ | рекьа /rekʼa/ | хыл /xəl/ | хил /xil/ | კʼუჲ /kʼuj/ |
| Eye | пӏарак /pʼaɾak/ | оьзи /øzi/ | хӏули /ħuli/ | гьаркӏо /haɾkʼo/ | ул /ul/ | ул /ul/ | ბარკʼ /barkʼ/ |
| Hello | аимбир /ambiɾ/ | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ | — /—/ | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ | ვუჲ /vuj/ |
| Thank you | хӏама /ħama/ | баркалла /baɾkalːa/ | баркалла /baɾkalːa/ | — /—/ | бахытыд /baxətəd/ | баркалла /baɾkalːa/ | მადლობელ ვალ /madlobel val/ |
| One | ос /os/ | сис /sis/ | ца /tsa/ | цеб /tseb/ | са /sa/ | са /sa/ | ცхʼა /tsʰa/ |
| Good | баилъи /baiɬi/ | игу /iɡu/ | гӏяхӏил /ʕaħil/ | — /—/ | йишда /jiʃda/ | хъвай /qwaj/ | დიკʼა /dikʼa/ |
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