Northeast Caucasian languages: Encyclopedia II - Northeast Caucasian languages - Language classification

Northeast Caucasian languages - Language classification

The classification of the Northeast Caucasian languages has undergone some reorganization in recent years. The following tree is a typical recent proposal, based on the work of linguist Bernard Comrie and others. Population data is from Ethnologue 15th ed.

Northeast Caucasian languages - Nakh family

Spoken in Chechnya, Ingushetia, and Georgia. Chechen and Ingush are official languages of their respective republics.

• Batsbi (Bats) (3400 speakers)
• Veinakh languages
  • Chechen (955,000 in 1989)
  • Ingush (230,000 in Russia in 1989)

Northeast Caucasian languages - Avar-Andi family

Spoken in the Northwest Dagestan highlands and western Dagestan. Avar is the lingua franca for these and the Tsez languages, and the only literary language.

• Avar (600,000 speakers)
• Andi languages
  • Andi (Qwannab) (10,000)
  • Botlikh (Botlix) (5000)
  • Ghodoberi (3000)
  • Karata (Kirdi) (5000)
  • Akhvakh (Axvax) (3500)
  • Bagvalal (Kvanada) (2000)
  • Tindi (Tindal) (6700)
  • Chamalal (5000)

Northeast Caucasian languages - Tsez Dido family

Spoken mostly in Southwest Dagestan. None are literary languages.

• East Tsez languages
  • Hinukh (Hinux, Ginukh) (200 speakers)
  • Bezhta (Kapuch) (3000)
• West Tsez languages
  • Tsez (Dido) (7000)
  • Khvarshi (Khvarsh, Xvarsh) (500)
  • Hunzib (Gunzib) (2000)

Northeast Caucasian languages - Lak isolate

Spoken in the Central Dagestan highlands. Lak is a literary language.

• Lak (120,000 speakers)

Northeast Caucasian languages - Dargi Dargin dialect continuum

Spoken by 370,000 in the Central Dagestan highlands. Dargwa proper is a literary language.

• Dargwa (Dargva)
• Kajtag
• Kubachi
• Itsari
• Chirag

Northeast Caucasian languages - Khinalug Xinalug isolate

Spoken in northern Azerbaijan.

• Khinalugh (Xinalug) (1500 speakers)

Northeast Caucasian languages - Lezgian family

Spoken in the Southeast Dagestan highlands and in Northern Azerbaijan. The Lezgian family includes the extinct Aghbanian language of the medieval Caucasian Albanian empire. Lezgi and Tabassaran are literary languages.

• Archi (1000 speakers)
• Udi (5700)
• Nuclear Lezgian languages
  • Aghul (Agul) (17,400)
  • Lezgi (450,000)
  • Tabasaran (Tabassaran) (96,000)
  • Rutul (20,000)
  • Kryts (Kryz) (6000 in 1975)
  • Budukh (Budux) (1000)
  • Tsakhur (Tsaxur) (20,073)

Traditionally the Nakh languages were classified as a separate North-Central Caucasian family, related to the languages of Dagestan only at a deeper level called Nakho-Dagestanian. The names Northeast Caucasian, East Caucasian, Dagestanian, and Caspian were coined for the other branches. Since then most linguists have come to accept that the Nakh languages are no more divergent than the other branches of Dagestanian.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Language classification", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki