The peoples of the North Caucasian language family. IV. Finno-Ugric language family. Common features of autochthonous Caucasian languages

Classification

Within the Caucasian languages, three groups are generally recognized:

• kartvelian (southern)
• Abkhaz-Adyghe (northwestern)
• Nakh-Dagestan (northeast).

Until recently, the view was widespread (especially in Soviet linguistics) about the relationship of all three groups and the existence of the so-called. Ibero-Caucasian family. However, the proximity of all three groups is explained more by typological proximity and the possible existence of a Caucasian language union, and not by genetic relationship. Another, more common view is about the relationship of the Abkhaz-Adyghe and Nakh-Dagestan languages ​​with the formation of the North Caucasian family - in Lately was supported by the release of the North Caucasian etymological dictionary. However, many foreign Caucasian scholars are skeptical about this work, and the point of view about the existence of three independent Caucasian families remains no less popular.

External Relations

Repeated attempts have been made to bring all or some of the Caucasian languages ​​closer to other language families, for example, with Semitic, Indo-European, Basque, Burushaski, Sumerian, etc. There are popular assumptions about the relationship of the Abkhaz-Adyghe languages ​​\u200b\u200bwith the ancient Hattian language of Asia Minor (Hatto-Iberian hypothesis) and the Nakh-Dagestan languages ​​\u200b\u200bwith Hurri-Urartian (Alarodian hypothesis). ). In modern macro-comparative studies, the North Caucasian family is included in the Sino-Caucasian macrofamily, and the Kartvelian family is included in the Nostratic macrofamily.

Bibliography

1. Alarodies (ethnogenetic studies). Rep. ed. Aglarov M. A. Makhachkala, DSC RAS ​​IIAE, 1995.
2. Klimov G. A. Introduction to Caucasian linguistics. M., 1986.
3. Klimov G. A. Caucasian languages. M., 1965.
4. World languages: Caucasian languages. M., 1999
5. Languages ​​of the peoples of the USSR. T. IV. Ibero-Caucasian languages. M., 1967.

1. Nikolaev S.L., Starostin S.A. A North Caucasian etymological dictionary. Moscow, 1994
2. Nostratic, Dene-Caucasian, Austric and Amerind: materials from the first international interdisciplinary symposium on language and prehistory, Ann Arbor, 8-12 November, 1988. Ed. by Vitaly V. Shevoroshkin. Bochum: Brockmeyer, 1992
3. Starostin S.A. An International Etymological Database Project. 2002.
4. The indigenous languages ​​of the Caucasus. Vol. 1. The Kartvelian languages. Ed. by Alice C. Harris. Delmar, NY: Caravan Books, 1991
5. The indigenous languages ​​of the Caucasus. Vol. 3. North East Caucasian languages. Part 1. Ed. by Michael Job. Ann Arbor, MI: Caravan Books, 2004
6. The indigenous languages ​​of the Caucasus. Vol. 4. North East Caucasian languages. Part 2. Presenting the three Nakh languages ​​and six minor Lezgian languages. Ed. by Rieks Smeets. Delmar, NY: Caravan Books, 1994

see also

Links

• Atlas of the Caucasian Languages ​​with Language Guide (by Yuri B. Koryakov)

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .

See what the "Caucasian language family" is in other dictionaries:

Language systematics is an auxiliary discipline that helps to organize the objects studied by linguistics - languages, dialects and groups of languages. The result of this ordering is also called the taxonomy of languages. At the heart of taxonomy ... ... Wikipedia

Language systematics is an auxiliary discipline that helps to organize the objects studied by linguistics - languages, dialects and groups of languages. The result of this ordering is also called the taxonomy of languages. The taxonomy of languages ​​is based on ... ... Wikipedia

Language systematics is an auxiliary discipline that helps to organize the objects studied by linguistics - languages, dialects and groups of languages. The result of this ordering is also called the taxonomy of languages. The taxonomy of languages ​​is based on ... ... Wikipedia

Language systematics is an auxiliary discipline that helps to organize the objects studied by linguistics - languages, dialects and groups of languages. The result of this ordering is also called the taxonomy of languages. The taxonomy of languages ​​is based on ... ... Wikipedia

The Caucasus is a special historical and ethnographic region with a very complex ethnic composition. Along with peoples numbering millions of people, many ethnic groups live here, whose number does not exceed several thousand people. Most of them belong to the North Caucasian family of languages. An analysis of linguistic and archaeological data suggests that the ancestors of the peoples of the North Caucasian language family are the autochthonous population of the Caucasus. The construction of the Abkhaz-Adyghe branch to the ancient Hattian language and the connection of the Nakh-Dagestan languages ​​with the Hurri-Urartian languages ​​are topics that attract many linguists. However, these connections are currently hypothetical, and today we can also speak of the origin of modern North Caucasian ethnic groups from the population of Urartu and the state of the Hutts only as a hypothesis.

Since ancient times and especially in the Middle Ages, the population North Caucasus was in constant contact with various nomadic tribes. In the 1st millennium BC and at the beginning of our era, the steppe Ciscaucasia served as a nomad camp for Iranian-speaking Cimmerians, Scythians, Sarmatians, then Alans. In the IV century. the Huns came to the Caucasus, followed by the Turkic tribal union of the Akatsirs. In the 5th century they were replaced by new Turkic Sabirs. In the VI century. the Turkic Avars came from beyond the Volga. IN early VII V. in Ciscaucasia, a powerful confederation of various Turkic tribes called Great Bulgaria arises. Then there were the Khazar Khaganate, the Pechenegs, the Alanian kingdom, the Golden Horde. All these nomads influenced the language and culture of the North Caucasian peoples. Part of the nomads (Turkic-speaking, Iranian-speaking) settled in the foothills and mountains of the Caucasus, becoming neighbors of the autochthonous population.

Languages ​​and writing

The linguist S.A. Starostin. He was guided by the presence of significant lexical similarities in these language groups. This hypothesis has enough opponents among linguists, but in ethnographic terms it is quite legitimate to consider the North Caucasian peoples as a unity due to similar living conditions and common features of material and spiritual culture.

The languages ​​of the Abkhaz-Adyghe group include Abkhaz, Abaza, Adyghe, Kabardino-Circassian and Ubykh (currently considered extinct). Abkhazians live in Abkhazia, Adzharia, Turkey and Syria. The last two countries are known as Circassians. There are Abkhazians in Russia too.

In terms of language and origin, the Abaza living in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, some regions of the Stavropol Territory and in Turkey are close to them. Adyghes, Kabardians and Circassians call themselves the same - Adyghe, Adyghe. Adyghes live in Adygea, some areas Krasnodar Territory, in Turkey, Syria, Jordan and the Balkans. Kabardins and Circassians live in Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia, as well as (like the Adyghes) in Syria and Jordan. Among the Adyghe peoples, there are also Shapsugs living in the Tuapse district, Lazorevsky district of Sochi, Krasnodar Territory, as well as in Turkey, Syria, Jordan. Outside Russia, all Circassians are known as Circassians.

The Vainakh and Dagestan languages ​​belong to the Nakh-Dagestan branch. Vainakh - the languages ​​of the Chechens, Ingush and Batsbi. Batsbi do not live in Russia, they are all concentrated in the only village of Zemo-Alvani (Akhmeta region, Georgia). Chechens live in Chechnya, as well as in Dagestan (Akkins). Settled in many regions of Russia, they also live in Kazakhstan. The Ingush live in the most mono-ethnic subject of the Federation - the Republic of Ingushetia.

The Dagestan group consists of the Avaro-Ando-Tsez, Lezgin, Lak-Dargin, as well as the Archa and Udi languages. The speakers of the Avaro-Ando-Tsez languages ​​occupy the western regions of Dagestan, the Laks and Dargins live to the east of them, the peoples speaking the Lezgi languages ​​in the south of Dagestan, in Northern Azerbaijan and in certain regions of Georgia. Modern writing of all languages ​​of the North Caucasian family is based on the Cyrillic alphabet.

Main occupations and material culture

The traditional economic sectors of the North Caucasian peoples are agriculture (they grew millet, oats, corn, barley), animal husbandry (transhumance, sheep breeding is especially popular), viticulture and winemaking. Crafts are well developed. Pottery, the production of metal utensils, chasing, the manufacture of carpets, cloaks, forging cold weapons and their decoration have long been widespread. Far beyond the borders of Dagestan, for example, the village of Kubachi is known for its craftsmen: the words “Kubachi dagger”, “Kubachi saber” not only indicate the place of manufacture of weapons, but are a world-renowned brand - a guarantee of quality and high artistic level of the product.

The type of traditional dwelling in the North Caucasus strongly depended on the type of terrain. In the mountains, these were, as a rule, one- and two-story stone houses with thick walls, flat roofs, sometimes with battle towers. The building was dense, tiered. The roof of a house built lower down the slope often served as a courtyard for a house built higher up. Relatives, as a rule, settled nearby, forming entire family quarters. On the plain, a traditional North Caucasian building is made of turluch or adobe, with a gable or four-slope roof.

Food

The basis of the daily diet of the peoples of the Caucasus for a long time were unleavened cakes and sour lavash made from wheat, barley, rye or oat flour. The Circassians often used thick millet porridge instead of bread. In the mountains, where distant pastoralism was developed, dairy products, especially cheese, were consumed. On the plain, the bread and milk diet was supplemented with vegetables. Meat was rarely eaten. To date, there has been a significant increase in consumption meat dishes, vegetables, fruits.

Society

Traces of "military democracy" have long been preserved in the social structure of the North Caucasian peoples. Self-governing rural communities "free societies" were independent of the feudal lords not only in economic but also in political terms. The custom of atalism was widespread, when a child was given to be raised in a strange family until the age of majority. No less widely among all the North Caucasian peoples were widespread (and partly preserved to this day) various customs of avoidance: by the wife - the husband in certain situations and his older relatives, the husband - the wife's older relatives, etc. Immense power have customs associated with hospitality. Almost every house has special guest rooms (kunatsky). The large patriarchal family collapsed by the end of the 19th century. Now the North Caucasus is dominated by a small family, in which, however, patriarchal relations are still strong.

Religion and spiritual culture

In ancient times, the peoples of the North Caucasus were pagans - they worshiped fire, the spirits of places, natural phenomena. From the 6th to the 18th century Orthodoxy and Islam actively rushed to the region. Today, the majority of believing representatives of the peoples of the North Caucasus are Sunni Muslims. There are also many Christians. The former beliefs, however, did not completely disappear, having merged into the local versions of the two world religions in the form of local rites and holy places, old pagan, but received a Muslim or Christian interpretation.

When searching for information on the Internet, you can stumble upon interesting user requests:

A bit of laughter and a couple of jokes on this topic were replaced by a desire to really understand the issue. We tell.

It is not that simple. More than 60 languages ​​are spoken on the territory of the modern Caucasus. Some of them include several dialects. Some languages ​​are related, others are not at all similar to each other. But all the languages ​​of the peoples of Ka Vkaza belong to larger language families. Three such families have no analogues outside the region and are called autochthonous. These include Kartvelian , West Caucasian and East Caucasian families.*

The Kartvelian family includes Georgian, Megrelian, Svan and Laz languages. These languages ​​are spoken in five countries, and the number of speakers exceeds 4 million.**

The West Caucasian (Abkhaz-Adyghe) family includes the Abaza, Abkhaz, Adyghe and Kabardino-Circassian languages. The Ubykh language also belonged to this family, but for the last twenty years it has been considered dead - according to some sources, the last Ubykh died in Turkey in 1992. Today, the number of speakers of the Abkhaz-Adyghe languages ​​in Russia and Abkhazia is about 800 thousand people.***

As for the East Caucasian (Nakh-Dagestan) family, it is the largest - this includes the Chechen, Ingush, Batsbi, Avar, Lezgin, Tsakhur, Andi, Botlikh, Godoberinsky, Karata, Akhvakh, Chamalin, Bagvalal, Tindian, Tsez, Sagadin, Ginukh, Kapuchin, Gunzib, Lak Bezhta, Khvarshi, Dargin, Tsudahar, Sirkhin, Kaitag, Kubachi, Chirag, Rutul, Agul, Archa, Tabasaran, Kryz, Budukh, Udi, Kist and several other languages.**** The Nakh-Dagestan languages ​​are divided into four branches, and the entire group includes 6 million speakers.***

But that's not all. In addition to the three autochthonous language groups, there are also languages ​​in the Caucasus whose “relatives” live outside the region. For example, Karachay-Balkarian, Kumyk, Nogai, Azerbaijani languages ​​are included in the Turkic group of languages, and Ossetian - in Iranian. In addition, in some regions of the Caucasus they speak Talysh, Tat, Kurdish, Pontic, Ukrainian and, of course, Russian is spoken everywhere.

Shed some light on the question of what languages ​​are spoken in the Caucasus, and here are the ten most difficult Caucasian words from readers:

1. Lim (Avar) - water. It seems short, but try to pronounce

2. Chalkychylarybyznykyyladanmydyl (Karachay-Balkarian). We counted 30 letters. The word contains the question: "Are they from our mowers?"

3. Khkhakhakhyari (Lak) - National dish. Haven't tried it, but they say it's delicious.

4. ZykykIuetsIyryzgedzherezykIyzhyfamygüekyym (Kabardino-Circassian). The person from whom you hear this means that he was no longer able to wriggle out.

5. Khakhakhayenynkhjomad (Ossetian) - defense capability

6. Kalaylamak (Kumyk) - tinker (i.e. solder)

7. Chekakuhili (Georgian) - thunder. It does not look very difficult, but the hieroglyphs of the Georgian language are fraught with many sounds unknown to us.

Semitic family

Turkic group

Altai family

Finno-Ugric family

1. Ugric group: Hungarian, Khanty and Mansi (Khanty-Mansiysk). The territorial remoteness of these languages ​​from each other is explained by history. Hungarians (Magyars) lived in the Ural region, where the Khanty and Mansi live. At the end of the first millennium, in the era of the great migration of peoples, the Magyars moved to the territory of present-day Hungary.

2. Finnish group: Finnish, Karelian, Estonian, Mordovian, Mari, as well as Permian languages.

The Finno-Ugric family usually also includes Samoyedic languages: Nenets, Nganasan and Selkup (Ural region).

A) Bulgar subgroup: Chuvash language, as well as dead languages: Bulgar and Khazar.

b) Oguz subgroup: Turkmen language, Trukhmen (Northern Caucasus), Gagauz (Moldova, north of Odessa region), Azerbaijani, Turkish. Dead languages: Oguz and Seljuk.

V) Kypchak subgroup: Tatar, Bashkir, Kazakh, Karakalpak, Kyrgyz. This also includes: Altai (Gorno-Altai region), Nogai (Kazakhstan), Karaite (Crimea), Kumyk (Dagestan). The dead language here is Polovtsian.

G) Chagatai subgroup: Uzbek and Uighur (Xinjiang Province, China) languages.

e) Northeast subgroup: Yakut, Tuvan, Shor (southern Kuzbass), Khakass. Dead but written languages, which have extensive writing - the Yenisei-Orkhon languages.

2. Mongolian group: Buryat-Mongolian, Mongolian, Kalmyk.

3. Tungus-Manchu group: Evenki, Nanai, Udege ( Far East), Ulch and Oroch (lower reaches of the Amur) languages.

Arabic, Amharic (Ethiopia), Berber languages North Africa and Sahara, Cushitic languages East Africa, Chadic languages ​​(Lake Chad region). The largest among the latter (about 15 million people) is the Hausa language.

Hebrew belongs to the Semitic family ( official language Israel). There are many ancient but dead languages ​​in the Semitic family: Akkadian (the language of Assyria and Babylon; monuments date back to the 3rd millennium BC), Phoenician, Aramaic, Ancient Egyptian.

The living Semitic languages, ancient in origin (monuments from the 9th century BC) include the Aysor language (Caucasus, Turkey, Iran).

In a relatively small territory of the Caucasus, there are about 50 languages, and their assignment to one family (if one strictly follows the principles of the genealogical classification of languages) is perhaps conditional and is explained by the commonality of a relatively small territory. There are very small languages ​​here, the so-called one-aul languages, which are spoken by 300-400 people in one village. There is a legend that the god took a bag of tongues and flew over the Earth, throwing this or that tongue on it. The last place he flew over was the Caucasus. And everything that was left in his bag, God poured into it. That is why there are so many languages ​​in the Caucasus and often different ones.

There are several groups of languages ​​in the Caucasian family.

1. Kartvelian group: Georgian language, Mengrelian, Svan (region of Megrelia and Svaneti in Georgia).

2. Dagestan group: Avar, Dargin, Lak, Lezgin, Tabasaran, etc. Of the fifty Caucasian languages, thirty are in Dagestan.

3. Vainakh group: Chechen and Ingush.

4. Abkhaz-Adyghe group: Adyghe, Abkhazian, Balkar languages.

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This article contains an unfinished translation from German language. You can help the project by translating it to the end. Georgia has been known since antiquity as one of the most multinational and multilingual countries ... Wikipedia

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Not to be confused with Caucasian languages. Caucasian Taxon: geographical association of languages ​​Range: Caucasus Number of speakers: about 8 million ... Wikipedia

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Books

• Languages ​​of the world. Caucasian languages, . This book is the next volume of the multi-volume encyclopedic edition "Languages ​​of the World", being prepared at the Institute of Linguistics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The book "Caucasian Languages" describes the languages ​​and dialects of three ...
• Languages ​​of the world. Caucasian languages, . This book is another volume of the multi-volume encyclopedic publication "Languages ​​of the World" (series "Languages ​​of Eurasia"), prepared at the Institute of Linguistics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The book "Caucasian languages" ...
• Areal typology of the prefix perfective (based on the languages ​​of Europe and the Caucasus), Petr Arkadiev. This book will be produced in accordance with your order using Print-on-Demand technology. The monograph is the first generalizing typological study of prefix perfectivation -…