Гӏалгӏай мотт
Ingush
NE Caucasian (Nakh)
Ingush (ГӀалгӀай мотт ʻalġai mott) is a Northeast Caucasian language of the Nakh branch with ~350K speakers — co-official with Russian in the Republic of Ingushetia (capital Magas). Sister to Chechen (ce); together they form the Vainakh subgroup with ~80% mutual intelligibility, having diverged in the medieval period. Cyrillic script since 1938 (after Latin 1923-1938 and earlier Arabic-derived attempts). Ergative-absolutive case system with up to eight cases, four gender classes (B/D/J/V) marked on verbs, polysynthetic verb morphology, and a complex consonant inventory featuring ejectives, pharyngealized consonants, and uvulars. The Ingush diaspora was tragically affected by Stalin's 1944 deportation to Central Asia (Aardakh, returned 1957). Rich oral tradition of Nart epic sagas shared with neighboring Caucasian peoples.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Ingush
Water
хий
/xij/
Fire
цӏе
/tsʼe/
Sun
малх
/malx/
Moon
бутт
/butː/
Mother
наьна
/næna/
Father
да
/da/
Eat
даа
/daː/
Drink
мала
/mala/
Love
безам
/bezam/
Heart
дог
/doɡ/
Tree
га
/ɡa/
House
цӏа
/tsʼa/
Dog
жӏали
/ʒˤali/
Cat
циск
/tsisk/
Hand
куьг
/kyɡ/
Eye
бӏаьрг
/bˤæɾɡ/
Hello
моаршал
/moaɾʃal/
Thank you
баркал
/baɾkal/
One
цаӀ
/tsaʔ/
Good
дика
/dika/
Words compared
Compared with related NE Caucasian (Nakh) languages
| Meaning | Ingush | Chechen | Bats | Lak | Dan | Dargwa | Archi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | хий /xij/ | хи /xi/ | ხი /xi/ | щин /ʃin/ | yi /ji/ | шин /ʃin/ | лъан /ɬan/ |
| Fire | цӏе /tsʼe/ | цӏе /tsʼe/ | ცʼე /tsʼe/ | цӏу /tsʼu/ | siŋ /siŋ/ | цӏа /tsʼa/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ |
| Sun | малх /malx/ | малх /malx/ | მაცხ /matsx/ | бургъ /burʁ/ | lai /lai/ | берхӏи /beɾħi/ | бараг /baɾaɡ/ |
| Moon | бутт /butː/ | бутт /butː/ | ბუცʼ /butsʼ/ | барз /barz/ | siŋ /siŋ/ | баз /baz/ | батӏ /batʼ/ |
| Mother | наьна /næna/ | нана /nana/ | ნანა /nana/ | нину /ninu/ | da /da/ | нес /nes/ | буба /buba/ |
| Father | да /da/ | да /da/ | დადა /dada/ | ппу /pːu/ | de /de/ | атта /atːa/ | аба /aba/ |
| Eat | даа /daː/ | даа /daː/ | ჲაა /jaː/ | ккаву /kːavu/ | dɛ /dɛ/ | букӏан /bukʼan/ | аркьилӏ /aɾqʼili/ |
| Drink | мала /mala/ | мала /mala/ | მალარ /malar/ | гьавхь /ʕavħ/ | mi /mi/ | даркьес /daɾqʼes/ | а́ккур /ʔakːur/ |
| Love | безам /bezam/ | безам /bezam/ | დაკარ /dakar/ | ччан /tʃːan/ | be /be/ | дигай /diɡaj/ | икан /ikan/ |
| Heart | дог /doɡ/ | дог /doɡ/ | კარტʼ /kʼartʼ/ | дакӏ /dakʼ/ | gbɔɔ /ɡbɔː/ | уркӏ /uɾkʼ/ | ракӏ /ɾakʼ/ |
| Tree | га /ɡa/ | дитт /ditː/ | დაჴ /daq/ | мурхь /muɾħ/ | gbe /ɡbe/ | галга /ɡalɡa/ | гард /ɡaɾd/ |
| House | цӏа /tsʼa/ | цӏа /tsʼa/ | ცʼა /tsʼa/ | къатта /qatːa/ | kɔ /kɔ/ | хъали /qali/ | хъоʔ /qoʔ/ |
| Dog | жӏали /ʒˤali/ | жӏала /ʒˤala/ | ფჰუ /pʰu/ | ккун /kːun/ | gbɛ /ɡbɛ/ | хя /xja/ | хӏвай /ħʷaj/ |
| Cat | циск /tsisk/ | цициг /tsitsiɡ/ | ციცა /tsitsa/ | ккац /kːats/ | nyaa /ɲaː/ | гата /ɡata/ | к̄ет /kʼet/ |
| Hand | куьг /kyɡ/ | куьг /kyɡ/ | კʼუჲ /kʼuj/ | ка /ka/ | kɔ /kɔ/ | някӏ /ɲækʼ/ | кӏанас /kʼanas/ |
| Eye | бӏаьрг /bˤæɾɡ/ | бӏаьрг /bˤæɾɡ/ | ბარკʼ /barkʼ/ | я /ja/ | ŋkɛ̃ /ŋkɛ̃/ | хӏули /ħuli/ | пӏарак /pʼaɾak/ |
| Hello | моаршал /moaɾʃal/ | маршалла /maɾʃalːa/ | ვუჲ /vuj/ | салам /salam/ | daka /daka/ | салам /salam/ | аимбир /ambiɾ/ |
| Thank you | баркал /baɾkal/ | баркалла /baɾkalːa/ | მადლობელ ვალ /madlobel val/ | барчаллагь /baɾtʃalːaʁ/ | kpe /kpe/ | баркалла /baɾkalːa/ | хӏама /ħama/ |
| One | цаӀ /tsaʔ/ | цхьа /t͡sʜa/ | ცхʼა /tsʰa/ | ца /tsa/ | do /do/ | ца /tsa/ | ос /os/ |
| Good | дика /dika/ | дика /dika/ | დიკʼა /dikʼa/ | хъинсса /qinsːa/ | ka /ka/ | гӏяхӏил /ʕaħil/ | баилъи /baiɬi/ |
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