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
20 core words in Tabasaran
Water
штар
/ʃtar/
Fire
цӏа
/tsʼa/
Sun
рагъ
/raʁ/
Moon
варз
/varz/
Mother
бай
/baj/
Father
дад
/dad/
Eat
ипӏуб
/ipʼub/
Drink
ужуб
/uʒub/
Love
ккунивал
/kːunival/
Heart
юкӏ
/jukʼ/
Tree
гар
/ɡar/
House
хал
/xal/
Dog
хю
/xy/
Cat
кет
/ket/
Hand
хил
/xil/
Eye
ул
/ul/
Hello
салам
/salam/
Thank you
чухсагъул
/tʃuxsaʁul/
One
саб
/sab/
Good
ужу
/uʒu/
Words compared
Compared with related NE Caucasian (Lezgic) languages
| Meaning | Tabasaran | Aghul | Lezgian | Budukh | Tsakhur | Rutul | Dargwa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | штар /ʃtar/ | хьед /ħed/ | яд /jad/ | хьед /ħed/ | хьад /ħad/ | хьед /ħed/ | шин /ʃin/ |
| Fire | цӏа /tsʼa/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | цӏай /tsʼaj/ | цӏа /tsʼa/ |
| Sun | рагъ /raʁ/ | рагъ /raʁ/ | рагъ /raʁ/ | рагъ /raʁ/ | верг /verɡ/ | варагъ /waraʁ/ | берхӏи /beɾħi/ |
| Moon | варз /varz/ | ваз /vaz/ | варз /varz/ | ваз /vaz/ | ваз /vaz/ | ваз /waz/ | баз /baz/ |
| Mother | бай /baj/ | баб /bab/ | диде /dide/ | баб /bab/ | йед /jed/ | нин /nin/ | нес /nes/ |
| Father | дад /dad/ | ада /ada/ | буба /buba/ | дада /dada/ | дакӏ /dakʼ/ | дид /did/ | атта /atːa/ |
| Eat | ипӏуб /ipʼub/ | ифи /ifi/ | тӏуьн /tʼyn/ | ухьун /uħun/ | аӏкӏвыс /aʕkʷʼəs/ | ухьун /uħun/ | букӏан /bukʼan/ |
| Drink | ужуб /uʒub/ | ахъан /aqʼan/ | хъун /qun/ | эджи /edʒi/ | ийыхьес /iijəħes/ | эджин /edʒin/ | даркьес /daɾqʼes/ |
| Love | ккунивал /kːunival/ | кӏанди /kʼandi/ | кӏан хьун /kʼan χun/ | — /—/ | ыкӏикна /əkʼikna/ | — /—/ | дигай /diɡaj/ |
| Heart | юкӏ /jukʼ/ | юкӏ /jukʼ/ | рикӏ /rikʼ/ | юкӏ /jukʼ/ | йикӏ /jikʼ/ | юкӏ /jukʼ/ | уркӏ /uɾkʼ/ |
| Tree | гар /ɡar/ | тар /tar/ | тар /tar/ | тар /tar/ | йывон /jəvon/ | хыл /χɨl/ | галга /ɡalɡa/ |
| House | хал /xal/ | кьали /qʼali/ | кӏвал /kʼval/ | кӏул /kʼul/ | хав /xav/ | хал /χal/ | хъали /qali/ |
| Dog | хю /xy/ | хвай /xwaj/ | кицӏ /kitsʼ/ | хвар /χʷar/ | хӏвай /ħʷaj/ | хыних /χɨniχ/ | хя /xja/ |
| Cat | кет /ket/ | кац /kats/ | кац /kats/ | — /—/ | кӏет /kʼet/ | гету /ɡetu/ | гата /ɡata/ |
| Hand | хил /xil/ | хил /xil/ | гъил /ʁil/ | кул /kul/ | хыл /xəl/ | хыл /χɨl/ | някӏ /ɲækʼ/ |
| Eye | ул /ul/ | ул /ul/ | вил /vil/ | ул /ul/ | ул /ul/ | ул /ul/ | хӏули /ħuli/ |
| Hello | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ | салам /salam/ |
| Thank you | чухсагъул /tʃuxsaʁul/ | баркалла /baɾkalːa/ | чухсагъул /tʃuxsaʁul/ | — /—/ | бахытыд /baxətəd/ | — /—/ | баркалла /baɾkalːa/ |
| One | саб /sab/ | са /sa/ | сад /sad/ | са /sa/ | са /sa/ | са /sa/ | ца /tsa/ |
| Good | ужу /uʒu/ | хъвай /qwaj/ | хъсан /qsan/ | — /—/ | йишда /jiʃda/ | йишды /jiʃdɨ/ | гӏяхӏил /ʕaħil/ |
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