Adyghe language
Adyghe, also known as West Circassian, is a Northwest Caucasian language spoken by various tribes of the western subgroup of Circassians, the Adyghe people: Abzekh, Adamey, Bzhedug, Hatuqwai, Temirgoy, Mamkhegh, Natekuay, Shapsug, Zhaney and Yegerikuay, each with its own dialect. The language is referred to by its speakers as Adygebze or Adəgăbză, and alternatively transliterated in English as Adygean, Adygeyan or Adygei. The literary language is based on the Temirgoy dialect. It is one of two official languages of the Republic of Adygea in the Russian Federation, the other being Russian.
There are apparently around 128,000 speakers of Adyghe in Russia, almost all of them native speakers. In total, some 300,000 speak it worldwide. The largest Adyghe-speaking community is in Turkey, spoken by the post Russian–Circassian War diaspora; in addition to that, the Adyghe language is spoken by the Cherkesogai in Krasnodar Krai.
Adyghe belongs to the family of Northwest Caucasian languages. Kabardian is a very close relative, treated by some as a dialect of Adyghe or of an overarching Circassian language. Ubykh, Abkhaz and Abaza are somewhat more distantly related to Adyghe.
The language was standardised after the October Revolution in 1917. Since 1936, the Cyrillic script has been used to write Adyghe. Before that, an Arabic-based alphabet was used together with the Latin. In recent years, a new Latin script has been devised that seeks to include phonemes from all the Adyghe and Kabardian dialects, as well as other Caucasian languages.
Dialects
- The Black Sea coast dialects:
- *Shapsug dialect
- **North Shapsugs, Great Shapsugs, Kuban Shapsugs dialect
- ***Kfar Kama dialect
- **Temirgoy-Shapsugs, Pseuşko accent
- **South Shapsugs, Small Shapsugs, Coastal Shapsugs, Black Sea Shapsugs dialect
- **Hakuchi dialect
- *Natukhai dialect
- *Zhaney dialect
- The Kuban River dialects:
- *Bzhedug dialect : spoken by Circassians in the Republic of Adygea and the Biga district of the city of Çanakkale in Turkey
- *Temirgoy : literary standard of Adyghe. Also spoken by Circassians in the Republic of Adygea
- *Abzakh dialect : spoken by Circassians in the village of Rehaniya in Israel and Circassians in Syria from the Golan Heights
- *Mamkhegh dialect
- *Yegeruqay dialect
- *Hatuqwai dialect
- *Mequash dialect
Phonology
- Consonants that exist only in borrowed words.
- Note: Adyghe has many consonants that appear in dialects, and has a complex system of consonant allophony. More information on those can be found at Adyghe phonology.
| Central | |
| Close-mid | |
| Open-mid | |
| Open |
Grammar
Adyghe, like all Northwest Caucasian languages, has a basic agent–object–verb typology, and is characterised by an ergative construction of the sentence.Alphabet
Only official alphabet for Adyghe is based on Cyrillic. The other one is one of the transliterations based on the current cyrillic alphabet used in diaspora.Cyrillic:
| А а | Б б | В в | Г г or | Гу гу | Гъ гъ | Гъу гъу | Д д |
| Дж дж | Дз дз | Дзу дзу | Е е | Ё ё | Ж ж | Жъ жъ | Жъу жъу |
| Жь жь | З з | И и | Й й | К к | Ку ку | Къ къ | Къу къу |
| Кӏ кӏ | Кӏу кӏу | Л л or | Лъ лъ | Лӏ лӏ | М м | Н н | О о |
| П п | Пӏ пӏ | Пӏу пӏу | Р р | С с | Т т | Тӏ тӏ | Тӏу тӏу |
| У у | Ф ф | Х х | Хъ хъ | Хъу хъу | Хь хь | Ц ц | Цу цу |
| Цӏ цӏ | Ч ч | ЧI чI | Чъ чъ | Ш ш | Шъ шъ | Шъу шъу or | Шӏ шӏ |
| Шӏу шӏу | Щ щ | Ъ ъ | Ы ы | Ь ь | Э э | Ю ю | Я я |
| ӏ | ӏу | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Latin:
| A a | B b | V v | G g or | Gu gu | Ğ ğ | Ğu Ğu | D d |
| C c | Ź ź | Źu źu | É é | Ё ё | Ɉ ɉ | Ĵ ĵ | Ĵu ĵu |
| J j | Z z | İ i | Y | K k | Ku ku | Q q | Qu qu |
| Ḉ ḉ | Ḱu ḱu | L l or | Ĺ ĺ | Ł ł | M m | N n | O o |
| P p | Ṕ ṕ | Ṕu ṕu | R r | S s | T t | T́ t́ | T́u t́u |
| U u | F f | X x | Ĥ ĥ | Ĥ ĥ | H h | Ś ś | Ç̌ ç̌ |
| S̋ s̋ | Ç ç | Ç̇ ç̇ | Ç̂ ç̂ | Ṩ ṩ | Ş̂ ş̂ | Ş̂u ş̂u or | Ş́ ş́ |
| Ş́u ş́u | Ş ş | I ı | E e | Yu yu | Ya ya | U u | - |
Orthography
| Cyrillic | Latin | IPA | Pronunciation | Words |
| А а | ā | ачъэ, апчъы | ||
| Б б | b | баджэ, бэ | ||
| В в | v | |||
| Г г | ɣ | гыны, чъыгы | ||
| Гу гу | g° | гу, гущыӏ | ||
| Гъ гъ | ġ / ǧ | гъатхэ, гъэмаф | ||
| Гъу гъу | ġ° / ǧ° | гъунэгъу, гъунджэ | ||
| Д д | d | дыджы, дахэ | ||
| Дж дж | ǯʹ | джан, лъэмыдж | ||
| Дз дз | ʒ | дзыо, дзын | ||
| Дзу дзу | ʒ° | хьандзу , хьандзуачӏ | ||
| Е е | e | ешэн, еплъын | ||
| ë | ёлк | |||
| Ж ж | ž | жэ, жакӏэ | ||
| Жъ жъ | ẑ | жъы, жъажъэ | ||
| Жъу жъу | ẑ° | жъун, жъуагъо | ||
| Жь жь | žʹ | жьыбгъэ, жьао | ||
| З з | z | занкӏэ, зандэ | ||
| И и | i | ихьан, икӏыпӏ | ||
| Й й | j | йод, бай | ||
| К к | k | кнопк, команд | ||
| Ку ку | k° | кушъэ, ку | ||
| Къ къ | q | къалэ, къэкӏон | ||
| Къу къу | q° | къухьэ, къушъхьэ | ||
| Кӏ кӏ | č̣ʹ | кӏымаф, кӏыхьэ, кӏэ, шкӏэ | ||
| Кӏу кӏу | ḳ° | кӏон, кӏуакӏэ | ||
| Л л | l | лагъэ, лы | ||
| Лъ лъ | ł | лъэбэкъу, лъащэ | ||
| Лӏ лӏ | ḷ | лӏы, лӏыгъэ | ||
| М м | m | мазэ, мэлы | ||
| Н н | n | нэ, ны | ||
| О о | o | мощ, коны, о, осы, ощхы | ||
| П п | p | пэ, сапэ | ||
| Пӏ пӏ | ṗ | пӏэ, пӏэшъхьагъ | ||
| Пӏу пӏу | ṗ° | пӏун, пӏур | ||
| Р р | r | рикӏэн, риӏон | ||
| С с | s | сэ, сэшхо | ||
| Т т | t | тэтэжъ, тэ | ||
| Тӏ тӏ | ṭ | тӏы, ятӏэ | ||
| Тӏу тӏу | ṭ° | тӏурыс, тӏурытӏу | ||
| У у | w | ушхун, убэн | ||
| Ф ф | f | фыжьы, фэен | ||
| Х х | x | хы, хасэ | ||
| Хъ хъ | χ | хъыен, пхъэн | ||
| Хъу хъу | χ° | хъун, хъурай | ||
| Хь хь | ḥ | хьэ, хьаку | ||
| Ц ц | c | цагэ, цы | ||
| Цу цу | c° | цуакъэ, цу | ||
| Цӏ цӏ | c̣ | цӏынэ, цӏыфы | ||
| Ч ч | č̍ | чэфы, чэты | ||
| Чӏ чӏ | č̣ | чӏыпӏэ, чӏыфэ | ||
| Чъ чъ | č | чъыгай, чъыӏэ | ||
| Ш ш | š | шы, шыблэ | ||
| Шъ шъ | ŝ | шъэ, шъабэ | ||
| Шъу шъу | ŝ° | шъугъуалэ, шъукъакӏу | ||
| Шӏ шӏ | ṣ̂ | Palato-alveolar ejective fricative| | шӏын, шӏэныгъ | |
| Шӏу шӏу | ṣ̂° | шӏуцӏэ, шӏуфэс | ||
| Щ щ | šʹ | щагу, щатэ | ||
| ” | ″ | |||
| Ы ы | ə | ыкӏи, зы | ||
| ’ | ′ | |||
| Э э | ă | ӏэтаж, нэнэжъ | ||
| ju | Юсыф, Юныс | |||
| Я я | jā | яй, ябгэ | ||
| ӏ | ʾ | ӏэ, кӏасэ | ||
| ӏу | ՚° | ӏукӏэн, ӏусын, ӏудан |
Labialised consonants
Гу, Гъу, Дзу, Ку, Къу, КIу, ПIу, ТIу, Хъу, Цу, Шъу, ШIу, Iу.In some dialects : Кхъу, Ху, Чъу.
Writing system rules
- The letter is not written after a , or a labialised consonant. For example, : унэ "house" instead of уынэ, илъэс "year" instead of йылъэс, шӏу "well" instead of шӏуы, цумпэ "strawberry" instead of цуымпэ.
- In case the letter is the first letter of a word or when is not related to any other consonant, it is pronounced as . For example, : унэ "house" instead of уынэ, урыс "Russian" instead of уырыс, куу "deep" instead of кууы. When it's related to a consonant it becomes a vowel and pronounced as . For example, : чэту "cat" instead of чэтыу, бзу "bird" instead of бзыу, дуней "world" instead of дыуней.
- In case a labialised consonant is followed by a vowel , instead of the letter there is a. For example, : гъогу "road" instead of гъуэгу, машӏо "fire" instead of машӏуэ, шъо "you " instead of шъуэ.
- In case a labialised consonant is followed by a vowel or , the labialised consonant letter is written fully. for example : цуакъэ "shoes", гуащэ "princes", шъуи "yours.
- In case the letter is the first letter of a word or when is not related to any other consonant, it is pronounced as . For example, о "you" instead of уэ, орэд "song" instead of уэрэд, онтэгъу "heavy" instead of уэнтэгъу, зао "war" instead of зауэ, ныо "old woman" instead of ныуэ.
- In case the letter is the first letter of a word or when is not related to any other consonant, it is pronounced as . For example, : еӏо "he says" instead of йэӏо, еплъы "he sees" instead of йэплъы, мые "apple" instead of мыйэ, бае "rich" instead of байэ, шъэжъые "knife" instead of шъэжъыйэ. When it's related to a consonant it becomes a vowel and pronounced as . For example, : делэ "fool" instead of дэйлэ, къедж "read" instead of къэйдж, непэ "today" instead of нэйпэ.
- In case the letter is the first letter of a word or when is not related to any other consonant, it is pronounced as . For example, : илъэс "year" instead of йылъэс, иунэ "his house" instead of йыуын, шӏои "dirty" instead of шӏойы, дэи "bad" instead of дэйы. When it's related to a consonant it becomes a vowel and pronounced as . For example, : сиӏ "I have" instead of сыйӏ, уиунэ "your house" instead of уыйуынэ, къины "hard" instead of къыйны.
Vowels
Other letters represent diphthongs: represents, or, or, represent or or and represents or.
Writing systems
Modern Adyghe uses a Cyrillic alphabet with the addition of the letter . Previously, Arabic and Latin alphabets had been used.Adyghe outside Circassia
Adyghe is taught outside Circassia in a Jordanian school for the Jordanian Adyghes, Prince Hamza Ibn Al-Hussein Secondary School in the capital Amman. This school, which was established by the Adyghe Jordanians with support from the late king Hussein of Jordan, is one of the first schools for the Adyghe communities outside Circassia. It has around 750 Jordanian Adyghe students, and one of its major goals is to preserve Adyghe among newer Adyghe generations, while also emphasising the traditions of the Adyghes.Adyghe is spoken by Circassians in Iraq and by Circassians in Israel, where it is taught in schools in their villages. It is also spoken by many Circassians in Syria, although the majority of Syrian Circassians speak Kabardian.
Publications
The New Testament and many books of the Old Testament have been published in Adyghe in Cyrillic script by the Institute for Bible Translation in Moscow.UNESCO 2009 map of endangered languages
According to the UNESCO 2009 map entitled "UNESCO Map of the World's Languages in Danger", the status of the Adyghe language in 2009, along with all its dialects and, is classified as vulnerable.Sample text
Ублапӏэм ыдэжь Гущыӏэр щыӏагъ. Ар Тхьэм ыдэжь щыӏагъ, а Гущыӏэри Тхьэу арыгъэ. Ублапӏэм щегъэжьагъэу а Гущыӏэр Тхьэм ыдэжь щыӏагъ. Тхьэм а Гущыӏэм зэкӏэри къыригъэгъэхъугъ. Тхьэм къыгъэхъугъэ пстэуми ащыщэу а Гущыӏэм къыримыгъгъэхъугъэ зи щыӏэп. Мыкӏодыжьын щыӏэныгъэ а Гущыӏэм хэлъыгъ, а щыӏэныгъэри цӏыфхэм нэфынэ афэхъугъ. Нэфынэр шӏункӏыгъэм щэнэфы, шӏункӏыгъэри нэфынэм текӏуагъэп.Wıblap’em ıdez̨ Gus̨ıꜧer s̨ıꜧaǵ. Ar Them ıdez̨ s̨ıꜧaǵ, a Gus̨ıꜧeri Thew arıǵe. Wılap’em s̨yaǵez̨aǵew a Gus̨ıꜧer Them ıdez̨ s̨ıꜧaǵ. Them a Gus̨ıꜧer zeç’eri qıriǵeǵex́uǵ. Them qıǵex́uǵe pstewmi as̨ıs̨ew a Gus̨ıꜧem qırimıǵǵex́uǵe zi s̨ıꜧep. Mıku’edız̨ın s̨ıꜧenıǵe a Gus̨ıꜧem xełıǵ, a s̨ıꜧenıǵeri c’ıfxem nefıne afex́uǵ. Nefıner şu’nç’ıǵem s̨enefı, şu’nç’ıǵeri nefınem tyeku’aǵep.
Translation: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god. This one was in the beginning With God. All things came into existence through him, and apart from him not even one thing came into existence. What has come into existence by means of him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light is shining in the darkness, but the darkness has not overpowered it.
Example
The following texts are excerpts from the official translations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Adyghe and Kabardian, along with the original declaration in English.| English | Adyghe | Kabardian |
| Universal Declaration of Human Rights | Цlыф Фэшъуашэхэм Афэгъэхьыгъэ Дунэепстэу Джэпсалъ C’ıf Feȿuaşexem Afeǵehıǵe Dúneyapstew Jepsał | Цlыху Хуэфащэхэм Теухуа Дунейпсо Джэпсалъэ C’ıxu Xuefas̨exem Tyewxua Dúnyaýpsew Jepsałe |
| Article 1 | 1-нэрэ пычыгъу 1-nere pıçıǵu | 1-нэ пычыгъуэ 1-ne pıçıǵue |
| All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. | ЦIыф пстэури шъхьэфитэу, ялъытэныгъэрэ яфэшъуашэхэмрэкIэ зэфэдэу къалъфы. Акъылрэ зэхэшIыкI гъуазэрэ яIэшъы, зыр зым зэкъош зэхашІэ азфагу дэлъэу зэфыщытынхэ фае. C’ıf pstewri ȿhefitew, yałıtenıǵere yafeȿuaşexemreç’e zefedew qalfı. Aqılre zexeş’ıç’ ǵuazere yaꜧeȿı, zır zım zequeş zexaş’e azfagu dełew zefıs̨ıtınxe faye. | ЦIыху псори щхьэхуиту, я щIыхьымрэ я хуэфащэхэмрэкIэ зэхуэдэу къалъхур. Акъылрэ зэхэщIыкI гъуазэрэ яIэщи, зыр зым зэкъуэш зэхащІэ яку дэлъу зэхущытын хуейхэщ. C’ıxu psweri s̨hexuitu, ya s̨’ıhımre ya xuefas̨exemreç’e zexuedew qałxur. Aqılre zexes̨’ıç’ ǵuazere yaꜧes̨i, zır zım zequeş zexas̨’e yaqu dełu zexus̨ıtın xuyeýxes̨. |