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
20 core words in Budukh
Water
хьед
/ħed/
Fire
цӏай
/tsʼaj/
Sun
рагъ
/raʁ/
Moon
ваз
/vaz/
Mother
баб
/bab/
Father
дада
/dada/
Eat
ухьун
/uħun/
Drink
эджи
/edʒi/
Love
—
/—/
Heart
юкӏ
/jukʼ/
Tree
тар
/tar/
House
кӏул
/kʼul/
Dog
хвар
/χʷar/
Cat
—
/—/
Hand
кул
/kul/
Eye
ул
/ul/
Hello
салам
/salam/
Thank you
—
/—/
One
са
/sa/
Good
—
/—/
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 | Tabasaran | Kryts | Lezgian | Andi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | хьед /ħed/ | хьед /ħed/ | хьед /ħed/ | штар /ʃtar/ | xed /xed/ | яд /jad/ | лъен /ɬen/ |
| Fire | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | цӏа /tsʼa/ | ts'a /t͡sʼa/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ |
| Sun | рагъ /raʁ/ | варагъ /waraʁ/ | рагъ /raʁ/ | рагъ /raʁ/ | vïrïğ /vɨrɨʁ/ | рагъ /raʁ/ | миллӏи /milːi/ |
| Moon | ваз /vaz/ | ваз /waz/ | ваз /vaz/ | варз /varz/ | vats /vat͡s/ | варз /varz/ | борцӏцӏо /bortsʼːo/ |
| Mother | баб /bab/ | нин /nin/ | баб /bab/ | бай /baj/ | dada /dada/ | диде /dide/ | ила /ila/ |
| Father | дада /dada/ | дид /did/ | ада /ada/ | дад /dad/ | buba /buba/ | буба /buba/ | има /ima/ |
| Eat | ухьун /uħun/ | ухьун /uħun/ | ифи /ifi/ | ипӏуб /ipʼub/ | ulkura /ulˈkura/ | тӏуьн /tʼyn/ | икъвин /iqʷːin/ |
| Drink | эджи /edʒi/ | эджин /edʒin/ | ахъан /aqʼan/ | ужуб /uʒub/ | hatsra /hat͡sˈra/ | хъун /qun/ | игьин /iɣin/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | кӏанди /kʼandi/ | ккунивал /kːunival/ | mukan /muˈkan/ | кӏан хьун /kʼan χun/ | — /—/ |
| Heart | юкӏ /jukʼ/ | юкӏ /jukʼ/ | юкӏ /jukʼ/ | юкӏ /jukʼ/ | rikʼ /rikʼ/ | рикӏ /rikʼ/ | рокӏо /rokʼo/ |
| Tree | тар /tar/ | хыл /χɨl/ | тар /tar/ | гар /ɡar/ | xer /xer/ | тар /tar/ | рикьва /riqʷːa/ |
| House | кӏул /kʼul/ | хал /χal/ | кьали /qʼali/ | хал /xal/ | xal /xal/ | кӏвал /kʼval/ | хъоро /qʼoro/ |
| Dog | хвар /χʷar/ | хыних /χɨniχ/ | хвай /xwaj/ | хю /xy/ | xveqʼ /χveqʼ/ | кицӏ /kitsʼ/ | хвай /χʷaj/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | гету /ɡetu/ | кац /kats/ | кет /ket/ | — /—/ | кац /kats/ | — /—/ |
| Hand | кул /kul/ | хыл /χɨl/ | хил /xil/ | хил /xil/ | kul /kul/ | гъил /ʁil/ | рекьа /rekʼa/ |
| Eye | ул /ul/ | ул /ul/ | ул /ul/ | ул /ul/ | ul /ul/ | вил /vil/ | гьаркӏо /haɾkʼo/ |
| Hello | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ | — /—/ | салам /salam/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | баркалла /baɾkalːa/ | чухсагъул /tʃuxsaʁul/ | — /—/ | чухсагъул /tʃuxsaʁul/ | — /—/ |
| One | са /sa/ | са /sa/ | са /sa/ | саб /sab/ | sa /sa/ | сад /sad/ | цеб /tseb/ |
| Good | — /—/ | йишды /jiʃdɨ/ | хъвай /qwaj/ | ужу /uʒu/ | yiğin /jiˈʁin/ | хъсан /qsan/ | — /—/ |
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