аорсилъи мец
Khvarshi
NE Caucasian (Tsezic, West Tsezic)
Khvarshi (Khwarshi) is a Tsezic (Northeast Caucasian) language with roughly 1,700–8,500 speakers in five villages of the Tsumadinsky District of western Dagestan, with diaspora communities in lowland Dagestan. It has five strongly divergent dialects (Khvarshi proper, Inkhokwari, Kwantlada, Santlada, Khwayni), four genders, and an ergative-absolutive case system; Avar serves as the written/literary cover language. Recent grammatical documentation was provided by Zaira Khalilova (2009).
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Khvarshi
Water
лъа
/ɬa/
Fire
цIа
/tsʼa/
Sun
бухъ
/buq͡χ/
Moon
буца
/butsa/
Mother
ишу
/iʃu/
Father
обу
/obu/
Eat
лацIа
/latsʼa/
Drink
цIода
/tsʼoda/
Love
гокъа
/ɡoqʼa/
Heart
локIва
/lokʼʷa/
Tree
гъван
/ʁʷan/
House
агъ
/aq/
Dog
гъве
/ʁʷe/
Cat
—
/—/
Hand
лекьа
/leʟ̌a/
Eye
эзал
/ezal/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
One
гьас
/has/
Good
логу
/loɡu/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related NE Caucasian (Tsezic, West Tsezic) languages
| Meaning | Khvarshi | Hunzib | Andi | Kryts | Tsez | Yuchi | Caucasian Albanian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | лъа /ɬa/ | лъи /ɬiː/ | лъен /ɬen/ | xed /xed/ | лъи /ɬi/ | cha /tʃa/ | xe /xe/ |
| Fire | цIа /tsʼa/ | цIə /tsʼə/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | ts'a /t͡sʼa/ | цӏи /tsʼi/ | tsoda /tsoda/ | ow /oʊ/ |
| Sun | бухъ /buq͡χ/ | бохъ /boq͡χ/ | миллӏи /milːi/ | vïrïğ /vɨrɨʁ/ | буцӏ /butsʼ/ | dethla /dɛhla/ | beɣ /beɣ/ |
| Moon | буца /butsa/ | боцо /botso/ | борцӏцӏо /bortsʼːo/ | vats /vat͡s/ | бутӏтӏи /butʼːi/ | zethla /zɛhla/ | ḳac̣ḳac̣ /kʼat͡sʼkʼat͡sʼ/ |
| Mother | ишу /iʃu/ | — /—/ | ила /ila/ | dada /dada/ | баб /bab/ | ahnʌh /ahnʌh/ | nana /nana/ |
| Father | обу /obu/ | абу /abu/ | има /ima/ | buba /buba/ | обу /obu/ | — /—/ | baba /baba/ |
| Eat | лацIа /latsʼa/ | мухъа /muq͡χa/ | икъвин /iqʷːin/ | ulkura /ulˈkura/ | ишер /iʃer/ | gʌ /ɡʌ/ | ows- /us/ |
| Drink | цIода /tsʼoda/ | хулIа /χuɬa/ | игьин /iɣin/ | hatsra /hat͡sˈra/ | жекер /ʒeker/ | — /—/ | owɣ- /uɣ/ |
| Love | гокъа /ɡoqʼa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | mukan /muˈkan/ | уйла /ujla/ | — /—/ | besown /besun/ |
| Heart | локIва /lokʼʷa/ | ракIу /rakʼu/ | рокӏо /rokʼo/ | rikʼ /rikʼ/ | ракӏ /rakʼ/ | — /—/ | ükʼ /ykʼ/ |
| Tree | гъван /ʁʷan/ | хонхе /χõχe/ | рикьва /riqʷːa/ | xer /xer/ | ачӏи /atʃʼi/ | — /—/ | xod /xod/ |
| House | агъ /aq/ | — /—/ | хъоро /qʼoro/ | xal /xal/ | ма /ma/ | tsotʔa /tsotʔa/ | ḳoǰ /kʼod͡ʒ/ |
| Dog | гъве /ʁʷe/ | вə /wə/ | хвай /χʷaj/ | xveqʼ /χveqʼ/ | жек /ʒek/ | shtsé /ʃtsɛ/ | xa /xa/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | кету /ketu/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Hand | лекьа /leʟ̌a/ | коро /koro/ | рекьа /rekʼa/ | kul /kul/ | рекь /reqʼ/ | — /—/ | kʼul /kʼul/ |
| Eye | эзал /ezal/ | гьаре /hare/ | гьаркӏо /haɾkʼo/ | ul /ul/ | оьзи /øzi/ | shela /ʃela/ | pʼul /pʼul/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | салам /salam/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | баркалла /baɾkalːa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| One | гьас /has/ | гьəнс /həns/ | цеб /tseb/ | sa /sa/ | сис /sis/ | hahgo /hahɡo/ | sa /sa/ |
| Good | логу /loɡu/ | кIотIу /kʼotʼu/ | — /—/ | yiğin /jiˈʁin/ | игу /iɡu/ | — /—/ | kʼačʼal /kʼat͡ʃʼal/ |
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