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
31 core words in Archi
Water
лъан
/ɬan/
Fire
цӏай
/tsʼaj/
Sun
бараг
/baɾaɡ/
Moon
батӏ
/batʼ/
Star
хӀон
/ħon/
Mother
буба
/buba/
Father
аба
/aba/
I
зон
/zon/
You
ун
/un/
Name
цӀор
/tsʼor/
Eye
пӏарак
/pʼaɾak/
Hand
кӏанас
/kʼanas/
Heart
ракӏ
/ɾakʼ/
Love
икан
/ikan/
Tree
гард
/ɡaɾd/
House
хъоʔ
/qoʔ/
Dog
хӏвай
/ħʷaj/
Cat
к̄ет
/kʼet/
Eat
аркьилӏ
/aɾqʼili/
Drink
а́ккур
/ʔakːur/
One
ос
/os/
Two
кӀетӀу
/kʼetˤːu/
Hello
аимбир
/ambiɾ/
Thank you
хӏама
/ħama/
Good
баилъи
/baiɬi/
Cuckoo
гикку
/ɡikːu/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related NE Caucasian (Lezgic — isolated within Lezgic; not part of any subgroup) languages
| Meaning | Archi | Aghul | Avar | Andi | Tsakhur | Caucasian Albanian | Bats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | лъан /ɬan/ | хьед /ħed/ | лъим /ɬim/ | лъен /ɬen/ | хьад /ħad/ | xe /xe/ | ხი /xi/ |
| Fire | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | цӏа /tsʼa/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | ow /oʊ/ | ცʼე /tsʼe/ |
| Sun | бараг /baɾaɡ/ | рагъ /raʁ/ | бакъ /baqʼ/ | миллӏи /milːi/ | верг /verɡ/ | beɣ /beɣ/ | მაცხ /matsx/ |
| Moon | батӏ /batʼ/ | ваз /vaz/ | моцӏ /motsʼ/ | борцӏцӏо /bortsʼːo/ | ваз /vaz/ | ḳac̣ḳac̣ /kʼatsʼkʼatsʼ/ | ბუცʼ /butsʼ/ |
| Star | хӀон /ħon/ | гъед /ʁed/ | цӀва /tsʼʷa/ | цӀцӀа /tsʼːa/ | хане /χanɛ/ | — /—/ | სედა /seda/ |
| Mother | буба /buba/ | баб /bab/ | эбел /ebel/ | ила /ila/ | йед /jed/ | nana /nana/ | ნანა /nana/ |
| Father | аба /aba/ | ада /ada/ | эмен /emen/ | има /ima/ | дакӏ /dakʼ/ | baba /baba/ | დადა /dada/ |
| I | зон /zon/ | зун /zun/ | дун /dun/ | ден /dẽ/ | зы /zɨ/ | zu /zu/ | სო /so/ |
| You | ун /un/ | вун /wun/ | мун /mun/ | мин /min/ | ғу /ʁu/ | un /un/ | ჰო /ħo/ |
| Name | цӀор /tsʼor/ | тӀвар /tʼʷar/ | цӀар /tsʼar/ | цӀер /tsʼeːr/ | до /do/ | cʼi /tsʼi/ | ცʼე /tsʼe/ |
| Eye | пӏарак /pʼaɾak/ | ул /ul/ | бер /ber/ | гьаркӏо /haɾkʼo/ | ул /ul/ | pʼul /pʼul/ | ბარკʼ /barkʼ/ |
| Hand | кӏанас /kʼanas/ | хил /xil/ | квер /kʷer/ | рекьа /rekʼa/ | хыл /xəl/ | kʼul /kʼul/ | კʼუჲ /kʼuj/ |
| Heart | ракӏ /ɾakʼ/ | юкӏ /jukʼ/ | ракӏ /rakʼ/ | рокӏо /rokʼo/ | йикӏ /jikʼ/ | ükʼ /ykʼ/ | დოკ /dokʼ/ |
| Love | икан /ikan/ | кӏанди /kʼandi/ | рокьи /rotɬʼi/ | — /—/ | ыкӏикна /əkʼikna/ | besown /besun/ | დაკარ /dakar/ |
| Tree | гард /ɡaɾd/ | тар /tar/ | гъветӏ /ʁʷetʼ/ | рикьва /riqʷːa/ | йывон /jəvon/ | xod /xod/ | დაჴ /daq/ |
| House | хъоʔ /qoʔ/ | кьали /qʼali/ | рукъ /ruq/ | хъоро /qʼoro/ | хав /xav/ | ḳoǰ /kʼodʒ/ | ცʼა /tsʼa/ |
| Dog | хӏвай /ħʷaj/ | хвай /xwaj/ | гьой /hoj/ | хвай /χʷaj/ | хӏвай /ħʷaj/ | xa /xa/ | ფჰუ /pʰu/ |
| Cat | к̄ет /kʼet/ | кац /kats/ | кету /ketu/ | — /—/ | кӏет /kʼet/ | — /—/ | ციცა /tsitsa/ |
| Eat | аркьилӏ /aɾqʼili/ | ифи /ifi/ | кваназе /kʷanaze/ | икъвин /iqʷːin/ | аӏкӏвыс /aʕkʷʼəs/ | ows- /us/ | ჲაა /jaː/ |
| Drink | а́ккур /ʔakːur/ | ахъан /aqʼan/ | гьекӏезе /hekʼeze/ | игьин /iɣin/ | ийыхьес /iijəħes/ | owɣ- /uɣ/ | მალარ /malar/ |
| One | ос /os/ | са /sa/ | цо /tso/ | цеб /tseb/ | са /sa/ | sa /sa/ | ცхʼა /tsʰa/ |
| Two | кӀетӀу /kʼetˤːu/ | кьуд /qʼud/ | кӀиго /kʼiɡo/ | чӀеди /tʃʼedi/ | къвад /qʼʷad/ | pʼa /pʼa/ | შინ /ʃin/ |
| Hello | аимбир /ambiɾ/ | салам /salam/ | ворчӏами /voɾtʃʼami/ | — /—/ | салам /salam/ | — /—/ | ვუჲ /vuj/ |
| Thank you | хӏама /ħama/ | баркалла /baɾkalːa/ | баркала /baɾkala/ | — /—/ | бахытыд /baxətəd/ | — /—/ | მადლობელ ვალ /madlobel val/ |
| Good | баилъи /baiɬi/ | хъвай /qwaj/ | лъикӏаб /ɬikʼab/ | — /—/ | йишда /jiʃda/ | kʼačʼal /kʼatʃʼal/ | დიკʼა /dikʼa/ |
| Cuckoo | гикку /ɡikːu/ | кекку /kːekːu/ | гагу /ɡaɡu/ | гиггу /ɡiɡːu/ | гукки /ɡukːi/ | — | გუგუტ /ɡuɡutː/ |
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