Proto-Circassian language

Proto-Circassian (or Proto-Adyghe-Kabardian) is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Adyghean and Kabardian languages.

Phonology

Vocalism and accent

In bisyllabic roots, two possible places of accent are reconstructed, with the following development of structures in descendant languages:

In other words, Adyghe retains the distinction between *a and *ǝ in the 2nd syllable, if it was originally stressed; the 2nd syllable vowel is dropped in originally unstressed syllables. Kabardian retains the distinction uniformly, by dropping *ǝ but not *a. Both groups retain the quality distinction in the first syllable, and additionally display a long vowel in roots of the original shape *CaCa (regardless of stress).

Consonants

The consonant system is reconstructed with a four-way phonation contrast in stops and affricates, and a two-way contrast in fricatives.

The most noticeable changes are:

• The reflexes of a series of obstruent consonants, described as "tense" or "geminate". In Kabardian, they become simple voiced consonants, while in Adyghe, the outcome depends on the dialect: in Bzhed, these remain as tense, in Temirgoy, they become simple voiceless consonants.
• Many ejective affricates become ejective fricatives.
• A series of labialized alveolar sibilant affricates and fricatives becomes labiopalatalized in Adyghe, and labiodental in Kabardian.

References

• STAROSTIN, Sergei A.; NIKOLAYEV, Sergei L. (1994). A North Caucasian Etymological Dictionary: Preface.