Hunzib language
Hunzib | |
---|---|
Native to | Russia |
Region | Southern Dagestan |
Native speakers | 2000 |
North Caucasian
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-2 | cau |
ISO 639-3 | huz |
ELP | Hunzib |
Hunzib is a Northeast Caucasian language spoken by about 2000 people in the south of Dagestan, near the Russian border with Georgia.
Classification
Hunzib belongs to the Tsezic group of Northeast Caucasian languages. It is most closely related to Bezhta, with which it forms the Eastern branch of the Tsezic languages. Other Tsezic languages include Tsez, Hinukh, and Khvarshi.
Geographic distribution
Hunzib is not an offical language; nor is Hunzib written. It is spoken in the Tsuntinsky and Kizilyurtovsky districts in Dagestan and in two villages across the Russian border in Georgia.
Sounds
Consonants
Hunzib has 35 consonants. Three consonants, /x/, /ħ/, and /ʕ/ are only found in loanwords.
Bilabial | Alveolar | Lateral | Palatal | Velar | Uvular | Pharyngeal | Glottal | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stop | p b pʼ | t d tʼ | k g kʼ | q qʼ | ʔ | |||
Fricative | s z | ɬ | ʃ ʒ | x | χ ʁ | ħ ʕ | h | |
Affricate | ʦ ʦ' | tɬ͡ tɬ͡' | ʧ ʧ' | |||||
Nasal | m | n | ||||||
Liquid | r | l | ||||||
Semivowel | w | j |
Vowels
Vowels in Hunzib may be short, long, or nazalized.
Front | Central | Back | |
---|---|---|---|
High | i | ɨ | u |
Mid | e | ə | o |
Low | a | ɑ |
Grammar
Nouns
Nouns in Hunzib come in five noun classes: male , female, and three classes for inanimate objects. There are a number of cases in Hunzib, including nominative (or absolutive), ergative, genitive and instrumental. A number of other case-like markers indicate direction and include dative, adessive, superessive, contactive, comitative, and allative declensions.
Verbs
Verbs in Hunzib agree with their subjects in class and number.
Word Order
Hunzib follows Subject Object Verb word order.
References
Berg, Helma van den (1995). A Grammar of Hunzib (with Texts and Lexicon). München: Lincom Europa. ISBN 3-89586-006-9.