Табасаран чӀал
Tabasaran
NE Caucasian (Lezgic)
Tabasaran (табасаран чӀал) is a Lezgic Northeast Caucasian language spoken in southern Daghestan, Russia, with ~130K speakers in the Tabasaransky and Khivsky districts. It is famous in linguistic literature for its enormous case inventory — 19th-c. and Soviet-era descriptions cited up to 46-48 cases (locative cases combining 8 directional × 6 spatial values), making it a classic textbook example of agglutinative case stacking and once cited in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest case system, though modern analyses by Alekseev and Kibrik typically recognize a smaller core inventory of ~14 cases plus regular spatial postpositions. Has 4 noun classes, polypersonal verb agreement (subject + indirect object), and a rich consonant system with ejectives and pharyngealized consonants. Co-official in Daghestan since 1928. Both Tabasaran-language newspapers and a literary tradition continue today.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Tabasaran
Water
штар
/ʃtar/
Fire
цӏа
/tsʼa/
Sun
рагъ
/raʁ/
Moon
варз
/varz/
Star
хяд
/xæd/
Mother
баб
/bab/
Father
дад
/dad/
I
узу
/uzu/
You
уву
/uvu/
Name
тӀвар
/tʼʷar/
Eye
ул
/ul/
Hand
хил
/xil/
Heart
юкӏ
/jukʼ/
Love
ккунивал
/kːunival/
Tree
гар
/ɡar/
House
хал
/xal/
Dog
хю
/xy/
Cat
кет
/ket/
Eat
ипӏуб
/ipʼub/
Drink
ужуб
/uʒub/
One
саб
/sab/
Two
кьюб
/qʼyb/
Hello
салам
/salam/
Thank you
чухсагъул
/tʃuxsaʁul/
Good
ужу
/uʒu/
Cuckoo
кукум
/kːukːum/
Computer
компьютер
/kɐmˈpjuter/
Words compared
Compared with related NE Caucasian (Lezgic) languages
| Meaning | Tabasaran | Aghul | Lezgian | Budukh | Rutul | Tsakhur | Kryts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | штар /ʃtar/ | хьед /ħed/ | яд /jad/ | хьед /ħed/ | хьед /ħed/ | хьад /ħad/ | xed /xed/ |
| Fire | цӏа /tsʼa/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | ts'a /tsʼa/ |
| Sun | рагъ /raʁ/ | рагъ /raʁ/ | рагъ /raʁ/ | рагъ /raʁ/ | варагъ /waraʁ/ | верг /verɡ/ | vïrïğ /vɨrɨʁ/ |
| Moon | варз /varz/ | ваз /vaz/ | варз /varz/ | ваз /vaz/ | ваз /waz/ | ваз /vaz/ | vats /vats/ |
| Star | хяд /xæd/ | гъед /ʁed/ | гъед /ʁed/ | хед /χed/ | хед /χed/ | хане /χanɛ/ | xed /xed/ |
| Mother | баб /bab/ | баб /bab/ | диде /dide/ | баб /bab/ | нин /nin/ | йед /jed/ | dada /dada/ |
| Father | дад /dad/ | ада /ada/ | буба /buba/ | дада /dada/ | дид /did/ | дакӏ /dakʼ/ | buba /buba/ |
| I | узу /uzu/ | зун /zun/ | зун /zun/ | зы /zɨ/ | зы /zɨ/ | зы /zɨ/ | zin /zin/ |
| You | уву /uvu/ | вун /wun/ | вун /wun/ | вы /wɨ/ | вы /wɨ/ | ғу /ʁu/ | vun /vun/ |
| Name | тӀвар /tʼʷar/ | тӀвар /tʼʷar/ | тӀвар /tʼʷar/ | тӀвар /tʼʷar/ | дур /dur/ | до /do/ | tʼʷar /tʼʷar/ |
| Eye | ул /ul/ | ул /ul/ | вил /vil/ | ул /ul/ | ул /ul/ | ул /ul/ | ul /ul/ |
| Hand | хил /xil/ | хил /xil/ | гъил /ʁil/ | кул /kul/ | хыл /χɨl/ | хыл /xəl/ | kul /kul/ |
| Heart | юкӏ /jukʼ/ | юкӏ /jukʼ/ | рикӏ /rikʼ/ | юкӏ /jukʼ/ | юкӏ /jukʼ/ | йикӏ /jikʼ/ | rikʼ /rikʼ/ |
| Love | ккунивал /kːunival/ | кӏанди /kʼandi/ | кӏан хьун /kʼan χun/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | ыкӏикна /əkʼikna/ | mukan /muˈkan/ |
| Tree | гар /ɡar/ | тар /tar/ | тар /tar/ | тар /tar/ | хыл /χɨl/ | йывон /jəvon/ | xer /xer/ |
| House | хал /xal/ | кьали /qʼali/ | кӏвал /kʼval/ | кӏул /kʼul/ | хал /χal/ | хав /xav/ | xal /xal/ |
| Dog | хю /xy/ | хвай /xwaj/ | кицӏ /kitsʼ/ | хвар /χʷar/ | хыних /χɨniχ/ | хӏвай /ħʷaj/ | xveqʼ /χveqʼ/ |
| Cat | кет /ket/ | кац /kats/ | кац /kats/ | — /—/ | гету /ɡetu/ | кӏет /kʼet/ | — /—/ |
| Eat | ипӏуб /ipʼub/ | ифи /ifi/ | тӏуьн /tʼyn/ | ухьун /uħun/ | ухьун /uħun/ | аӏкӏвыс /aʕkʷʼəs/ | ulkura /ulˈkura/ |
| Drink | ужуб /uʒub/ | ахъан /aqʼan/ | хъун /qun/ | эджи /edʒi/ | эджин /edʒin/ | ийыхьес /iijəħes/ | hatsra /hatsˈra/ |
| One | саб /sab/ | са /sa/ | сад /sad/ | са /sa/ | са /sa/ | са /sa/ | sa /sa/ |
| Two | кьюб /qʼyb/ | кьуд /qʼud/ | кьвед /qʷʼed/ | къуьд /qʼʷyd/ | кьуьд /qʼyd/ | къвад /qʼʷad/ | qʼʷad /qʼʷad/ |
| Hello | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | чухсагъул /tʃuxsaʁul/ | баркалла /baɾkalːa/ | чухсагъул /tʃuxsaʁul/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | бахытыд /baxətəd/ | — /—/ |
| Good | ужу /uʒu/ | хъвай /qwaj/ | хъсан /qsan/ | — /—/ | йишды /jiʃdɨ/ | йишда /jiʃda/ | yiğin /jiˈʁin/ |
| Cuckoo | кукум /kːukːum/ | кекку /kːekːu/ | кукупӀ /kːukːupʼ/ | гугутӀ /ɡuɡutʼ/ | гиггу /ɡiɡːu/ | гукки /ɡukːi/ | гугу /ɡuɡu/ |
| Computer | компьютер /kɐmˈpjuter/ | — | компьютер /kɐmˈpjuter/ | — | — | — | — |
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