North Caucasian languages


The North Caucasian languages, sometimes called simply Caucasic, is a proposed language family consisting of a pair of well established language families spoken in the Caucasus, predominantly in the north, consisting of the Northwest Caucasian family and the Northeast Caucasian family.
The Kartvelian languages including Georgian, Zan and Svan once known as South Caucasian, are no longer considered genetically related to the North Caucasian languages and are classed as an independent language family.
Some linguists, notably Sergei Starostin and Sergei Nikolaev, believe that the two groups sprang from a common ancestor about five thousand years ago. However, this proposal is difficult to evaluate, and remains controversial. There are some 34 to 38 distinct North Caucasian languages.

Internal classification

Among the linguists who support the North Caucasian hypothesis, the main split between Northeast Caucasian and Northwest Caucasian is considered uncontroversial. Problems arise when it gets to the internal structure of Northeast Caucasian itself. So far no general agreement has been reached in this respect. The following classification is based on Nikolayev & Starostin :

Comparison of the two phyla

The main perceived similarities between the two phyla lie in their phonological systems. However, their grammars are quite different.

Main similarities

Both phyla are characterised by high levels of phonetic complexity, including the widespread usage of secondary articulation. Ubykh has 84 consonants, and Archi is thought to have 76.
A list of possible cognates has been proposed. However, most of them may be loanwords or simply coincidences, since most of the morphemes in both phyla are quite short.

Main differences

The Northeast Caucasian languages are characterised by great morphological complexity in the noun. For example, in Tsez, a series of locative cases intersect with a series of suffixes designating motion with regard to the location, producing an array of 126 locative suffixes.
By contrast, the Northwest Caucasian noun systems are relatively poor in morphology, usually distinguishing just two or three cases. However, they make up with a very complex verbal structure: the subject, the direct object, the indirect object, benefactive objects and most local functions are expressed in the verb.

Some comparisons

Abbreviations: PN = Proto-Nakh, PDL = Proto-Dargi-Lak, PLK = Proto-Lezgic-Khinalugh, PAAT = Proto-Avar–Andic–Tsezic, PNEC = Proto-Northeast Caucasian, PNWC = Proto-Northwest Caucasian, PNC = Proto-North Caucasian; i = inclusive, e = exclusive
NumberPNEC PNEC PNWC PNWC PNC
1*ca#cV*za*cHǝ̆
2*qʷ’a*t’qʷ’a*t’q’o*q̇Hwǟ
3*ɬeb *λ:ə*x̂ə/a*ƛHĕ
4*əmq’i*p’λ’a*hĕmq̇ɨ
5*x̂ʷə#=ƛƛi/ƛƛwi*sx̂ʷə*ćx̂ə*f_ɦä̆
6*renɬə-*ɬʷə*x̂cə*ʔrǟnƛ_E
7*u̯ərδ *bδə*ʡĕrŁ_ɨ̆
8*mbərδ---*ɣə/a*bǖnŁ_e
9*wərč’*bğʷʲə*-ɣə́*ʔĭlć̣wɨ
10*wəc’*bć’ʷə*źə́/źá*ʡĕnc̣Ĕ

Abbreviations: PNEC = Schulze, PNEC = Nichols, PNWC = Chirikba, PNWC = Colarusso, PNC = Starostin & Nikolayev

Criticism

Not all scholars accept the unity of the North Caucasian languages, and some who do believe that the two are, or may be, related do not accept the methodology used by Nikolayev and Starostin.