Будад мез
Budukh
NE Caucasian (Lezgic, Shahdagh subgroup)
Budukh (Будад мез / Budad mez) is a critically endangered Northeast Caucasian language of the Shahdagh subgroup of the Lezgic branch, spoken by approximately 200 people in the single village of Buduq in the Quba District of northeastern Azerbaijan. Within Lezgic, Budukh forms a small Shahdagh cluster together with its closest relative Kryts (kry), both descending from a common proto-Shahdagh ancestor. Typologically Budukh has the Lezgic hallmarks — large consonant inventory with ejectives and pharyngealized phonemes, ergative-absolutive alignment, three to four noun classes, and a complex spatial case system — but unlike Lezgian or Tabasaran has no official orthography, and intergenerational transmission has largely shifted to Azerbaijani.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Budukh
Water
хьед
/ħed/
Fire
цӏай
/tsʼaj/
Sun
рагъ
/raʁ/
Moon
ваз
/vaz/
Star
хед
/χed/
Mother
баб
/bab/
Father
дада
/dada/
I
зы
/zɨ/
You
вы
/wɨ/
Name
тӀвар
/tʼʷar/
Eye
ул
/ul/
Hand
кул
/kul/
Heart
юкӏ
/jukʼ/
Love
—
/—/
Tree
тар
/tar/
House
кӏул
/kʼul/
Dog
хвар
/χʷar/
Cat
—
/—/
Eat
ухьун
/uħun/
Drink
эджи
/edʒi/
One
са
/sa/
Two
къуьд
/qʼʷyd/
Hello
салам
/salam/
Thank you
—
/—/
Good
—
/—/
Cuckoo
гугутӀ
/ɡuɡutʼ/
Sources
- Talibov (2007) Budukhsko-russkij slovar'
- Alekseev (1994) Budukh, in The Indigenous Languages of the Caucasus, vol. 4
- Glottolog: Budukh
- Ethnologue: bdk
Words compared
Compared with related NE Caucasian (Lezgic, Shahdagh subgroup) languages
| Meaning | Budukh | Rutul | Aghul | Kryts | Tabasaran | Lezgian | Tsakhur |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | хьед /ħed/ | хьед /ħed/ | хьед /ħed/ | xed /xed/ | штар /ʃtar/ | яд /jad/ | хьад /ħad/ |
| Fire | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | ts'a /tsʼa/ | цӏа /tsʼa/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ |
| Sun | рагъ /raʁ/ | варагъ /waraʁ/ | рагъ /raʁ/ | vïrïğ /vɨrɨʁ/ | рагъ /raʁ/ | рагъ /raʁ/ | верг /verɡ/ |
| Moon | ваз /vaz/ | ваз /waz/ | ваз /vaz/ | vats /vats/ | варз /varz/ | варз /varz/ | ваз /vaz/ |
| Star | хед /χed/ | хед /χed/ | гъед /ʁed/ | xed /xed/ | хяд /xæd/ | гъед /ʁed/ | хане /χanɛ/ |
| Mother | баб /bab/ | нин /nin/ | баб /bab/ | dada /dada/ | баб /bab/ | диде /dide/ | йед /jed/ |
| Father | дада /dada/ | дид /did/ | ада /ada/ | buba /buba/ | дад /dad/ | буба /buba/ | дакӏ /dakʼ/ |
| I | зы /zɨ/ | зы /zɨ/ | зун /zun/ | zin /zin/ | узу /uzu/ | зун /zun/ | зы /zɨ/ |
| You | вы /wɨ/ | вы /wɨ/ | вун /wun/ | vun /vun/ | уву /uvu/ | вун /wun/ | ғу /ʁu/ |
| Name | тӀвар /tʼʷar/ | дур /dur/ | тӀвар /tʼʷar/ | tʼʷar /tʼʷar/ | тӀвар /tʼʷar/ | тӀвар /tʼʷar/ | до /do/ |
| Eye | ул /ul/ | ул /ul/ | ул /ul/ | ul /ul/ | ул /ul/ | вил /vil/ | ул /ul/ |
| Hand | кул /kul/ | хыл /χɨl/ | хил /xil/ | kul /kul/ | хил /xil/ | гъил /ʁil/ | хыл /xəl/ |
| Heart | юкӏ /jukʼ/ | юкӏ /jukʼ/ | юкӏ /jukʼ/ | rikʼ /rikʼ/ | юкӏ /jukʼ/ | рикӏ /rikʼ/ | йикӏ /jikʼ/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | кӏанди /kʼandi/ | mukan /muˈkan/ | ккунивал /kːunival/ | кӏан хьун /kʼan χun/ | ыкӏикна /əkʼikna/ |
| Tree | тар /tar/ | хыл /χɨl/ | тар /tar/ | xer /xer/ | гар /ɡar/ | тар /tar/ | йывон /jəvon/ |
| House | кӏул /kʼul/ | хал /χal/ | кьали /qʼali/ | xal /xal/ | хал /xal/ | кӏвал /kʼval/ | хав /xav/ |
| Dog | хвар /χʷar/ | хыних /χɨniχ/ | хвай /xwaj/ | xveqʼ /χveqʼ/ | хю /xy/ | кицӏ /kitsʼ/ | хӏвай /ħʷaj/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | гету /ɡetu/ | кац /kats/ | — /—/ | кет /ket/ | кац /kats/ | кӏет /kʼet/ |
| Eat | ухьун /uħun/ | ухьун /uħun/ | ифи /ifi/ | ulkura /ulˈkura/ | ипӏуб /ipʼub/ | тӏуьн /tʼyn/ | аӏкӏвыс /aʕkʷʼəs/ |
| Drink | эджи /edʒi/ | эджин /edʒin/ | ахъан /aqʼan/ | hatsra /hatsˈra/ | ужуб /uʒub/ | хъун /qun/ | ийыхьес /iijəħes/ |
| One | са /sa/ | са /sa/ | са /sa/ | sa /sa/ | саб /sab/ | сад /sad/ | са /sa/ |
| Two | къуьд /qʼʷyd/ | кьуьд /qʼyd/ | кьуд /qʼud/ | qʼʷad /qʼʷad/ | кьюб /qʼyb/ | кьвед /qʷʼed/ | къвад /qʼʷad/ |
| Hello | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ | — /—/ | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | баркалла /baɾkalːa/ | — /—/ | чухсагъул /tʃuxsaʁul/ | чухсагъул /tʃuxsaʁul/ | бахытыд /baxətəd/ |
| Good | — /—/ | йишды /jiʃdɨ/ | хъвай /qwaj/ | yiğin /jiˈʁin/ | ужу /uʒu/ | хъсан /qsan/ | йишда /jiʃda/ |
| Cuckoo | гугутӀ /ɡuɡutʼ/ | гиггу /ɡiɡːu/ | кекку /kːekːu/ | гугу /ɡuɡu/ | кукум /kːukːum/ | кукупӀ /kːukːupʼ/ | гукки /ɡukːi/ |
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