Кетш мицI
Khinalug
NE Caucasian (isolate within Lezgic / independent branch)
Khinalug (self-name Kətş micI "Khinalug tongue") is a Northeast Caucasian language spoken by ~3,000 villagers in the isolated mountain village of Khinalug, northern Azerbaijan. Long classified within Lezgic, it is now widely treated as an independent branch — a true language isolate within the family — with four noun classes and roughly 18 cases. Cut off above 2,300 m for much of the year, the village preserved an idiosyncratic vocabulary stratum and an extremely conservative sound system; a Latin orthography was developed in 2007 by Kibrik's Moscow team with local teachers.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Khinalug
Water
хьу
/xu/
Fire
чIаь
/tʃʼæ/
Sun
ынкь
/ɨnqʼ/
Moon
вацI
/vatsʼ/
Star
хьар
/χar/
Mother
—
/—/
Father
—
/—/
I
зы
/zɨ/
You
вы
/vɨ/
Name
цӀе
/tsʼe/
Eye
пил
/pʰil/
Hand
кул
/kʰul/
Heart
унг
/uŋ/
Love
—
/—/
Tree
виши
/viʃæ/
House
цIва
/tsʼwa/
Dog
пхра
/pχra/
Cat
—
/—/
Eat
кьанды
/qʼandæ/
Drink
цуври
/tsʰuvri/
One
са
/sa/
Two
кьуь
/kʲʼy/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
Good
ксан
/ksan/
Cuckoo
кокку
/kːokːu/
Sources
- Kibrik, A. E. et al. (1972) Хиналугский язык / Khinalug Grammar. Moscow.
- Ganieva, F. A. (2002) Хиналугско-русский словарь. Makhachkala.
- Kassian, A. (2013) Annotated Swadesh wordlist for Khinalug. Global Lexicostatistical Database / Starling.
- ASJP Wordlist: Khinalug
- Glottolog: Khinalug
Words compared
Compared with related NE Caucasian (isolate within Lezgic / independent branch) languages
| Meaning | Khinalug | Budukh | Caucasian Albanian | Hunzib | Kryts | Proto-Uto-Aztecan | Rutul |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | хьу /xu/ | хьед /ħed/ | xe /xe/ | лъи /ɬiː/ | xed /xed/ | *paʔ /paʔ/ | хьед /ħed/ |
| Fire | чIаь /tʃʼæ/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | ow /oʊ/ | цIə /tsʼə/ | ts'a /tsʼa/ | *na- /na-/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ |
| Sun | ынкь /ɨnqʼ/ | рагъ /raʁ/ | beɣ /beɣ/ | бохъ /boqχ/ | vïrïğ /vɨrɨʁ/ | *ta /ta/ | варагъ /waraʁ/ |
| Moon | вацI /vatsʼ/ | ваз /vaz/ | ḳac̣ḳac̣ /kʼatsʼkʼatsʼ/ | боцо /botso/ | vats /vats/ | *mɨca /mɨca/ | ваз /waz/ |
| Star | хьар /χar/ | хед /χed/ | — /—/ | цӀирис /tsʼiris/ | xed /xed/ | — /—/ | хед /χed/ |
| Mother | — /—/ | баб /bab/ | nana /nana/ | — /—/ | dada /dada/ | — /—/ | нин /nin/ |
| Father | — /—/ | дада /dada/ | baba /baba/ | абу /abu/ | buba /buba/ | — /—/ | дид /did/ |
| I | зы /zɨ/ | зы /zɨ/ | zu /zu/ | дə /də/ | zin /zin/ | *nɨ /nɨ/ | зы /zɨ/ |
| You | вы /vɨ/ | вы /wɨ/ | un /un/ | мə /mə/ | vun /vun/ | — /—/ | вы /wɨ/ |
| Name | цӀе /tsʼe/ | тӀвар /tʼʷar/ | cʼi /tsʼi/ | цӀе /tsʼe/ | tʼʷar /tʼʷar/ | *tewa /tewa/ | дур /dur/ |
| Eye | пил /pʰil/ | ул /ul/ | pʼul /pʼul/ | гьаре /hare/ | ul /ul/ | *pusi /pusi/ | ул /ul/ |
| Hand | кул /kʰul/ | кул /kul/ | kʼul /kʼul/ | коро /koro/ | kul /kul/ | *maʔ /maʔ/ | хыл /χɨl/ |
| Heart | унг /uŋ/ | юкӏ /jukʼ/ | ükʼ /ykʼ/ | ракIу /rakʼu/ | rikʼ /rikʼ/ | — /—/ | юкӏ /jukʼ/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | besown /besun/ | — /—/ | mukan /muˈkan/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | виши /viʃæ/ | тар /tar/ | xod /xod/ | хонхе /χõχe/ | xer /xer/ | — /—/ | хыл /χɨl/ |
| House | цIва /tsʼwa/ | кӏул /kʼul/ | ḳoǰ /kʼodʒ/ | — /—/ | xal /xal/ | *ki /ki/ | хал /χal/ |
| Dog | пхра /pχra/ | хвар /χʷar/ | xa /xa/ | вə /wə/ | xveqʼ /χveqʼ/ | — /—/ | хыних /χɨniχ/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | гету /ɡetu/ |
| Eat | кьанды /qʼandæ/ | ухьун /uħun/ | ows- /us/ | мухъа /muqχa/ | ulkura /ulˈkura/ | *kwaʔa /kwaʔa/ | ухьун /uħun/ |
| Drink | цуври /tsʰuvri/ | эджи /edʒi/ | owɣ- /uɣ/ | хулIа /χuɬa/ | hatsra /hatsˈra/ | — /—/ | эджин /edʒin/ |
| One | са /sa/ | са /sa/ | sa /sa/ | гьəнс /həns/ | sa /sa/ | *sɨmɨ /sɨmɨ/ | са /sa/ |
| Two | кьуь /kʲʼy/ | къуьд /qʼʷyd/ | pʼa /pʼa/ | къӀоно /qˤʼono/ | qʼʷad /qʼʷad/ | *wo /wo/ | кьуьд /qʼyd/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | салам /salam/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | салам /salam/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Good | ксан /ksan/ | — /—/ | kʼačʼal /kʼatʃʼal/ | кIотIу /kʼotʼu/ | yiğin /jiˈʁin/ | — /—/ | йишды /jiʃdɨ/ |
| Cuckoo | кокку /kːokːu/ | гугутӀ /ɡuɡutʼ/ | — | кӀукӀутӀо /kʼukʼutʼo/ | гугу /ɡuɡu/ | — | гиггу /ɡiɡːu/ |
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