אבזה

Abaza (Абаза бызшва Abaza Byzšva, "Abaza language") is a Northwest Caucasian language of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic of Russia, closely related to Abkhaz (ab) — together they form the Abaza-Abkhaz subgroup, the historically northern branch of NW Caucasian. The Abaza people migrated north from the southern Caucasus over centuries, with their main 19th-century displacement during the Russian-Caucasian War sending many to Ottoman Turkey (Anatolian diaspora). Abaza is distinct from Abkhaz primarily in vowel system (Abaza has 2 vowels phonemically, Abkhaz has 3), but shares the famous NW Caucasian feature of 60+ consonants vs. 2-3 vowels.