Proto-Abazgi language
Proto Abkhaz-Abaza (or Proto-Abazgi) is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Abkhaz and Abaza languages.
Phonology
Consonants
The consonant system is reconstructed with a four-way phonation contrast in stops and affricates, and a two-way contrast in fricatives.
| Proto | Abkhaz | Cyrillic | Abaza | Cyrillic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bzyb | Abzhui | Tapant | |||
| *p | p | Ҧ ҧ | p | ||
| *b | b | Б б | b | ||
| *pʼ | pʼ | П п | pʼ | ||
| *f | f | Ф ф | f | ||
| *w | w | У у | w | ||
| *m | m | М м | m | ||
| *t | t | Ҭ ҭ | t | ||
| *d | d | Д д | d | ||
| *tʼ | tʼ | Т т | tʼ | ||
| *r | r | Р р | r | ||
| *l | l | Л л | l | ||
| *n | n | Н н | n | ||
| *tʷ | tʷ | Ҭә ҭә | tʃʷ | ||
| *dʷ | dʷ | Дә дә | dʒʷ | ||
| *ts | ts | Ц ц | ts | ||
| *dz | dz | Ӡ ӡ | dz | ||
| *tsʼ | tsʼ | Ҵ ҵ | tsʼ | ||
| *s | s | С с | s | ||
| *z | z | З з | z | ||
| *tsʲ | tsʲ | ts | Ц ц | ts | |
| *dzʲ | dzʲ | dz(~z) | Ӡ ӡ | dz(~z) | |
| *tsʼʲ | tsʼʲ | tsʼ | Ҵ ҵ | tsʼ | |
| *sʲ | sʲ | s | С с | s | |
| *zʲ | zʲ | z | З з | z | |
| *tsʷ | ts˞ | ʈʂ | tʃʷ | ||
| *dzʷ | dz˞ | ɖʐ | ʒʷ | ||
| *tsʷʼ | ts˞ʼ | ʈʂʼ | tʃʷʼ | ||
| *sʷ | s˞ | ʂ | ʃʷ | ||
| *zʷ | z˞ | ʐ | ʒʷ | ||
| *tʃ | tʃ | tʃ | |||
| *dʒ | dʒ | dʒ | |||
| *tʃʼ | tʃʼ | tʃʼ | |||
| *ʃ | ʃ | ʃ | |||
| *ʒ | ʒ | ʒ | |||
| *tɕ | tɕ | tɕ | |||
| *dʑ | dʑ | dʑ | |||
| *tɕʼ | tɕʼ | tɕʼ | |||
| *ɕ | ɕ | ɕ | |||
| *ʑ | ʑ | ʑ | |||
| *j | j | j | |||
| *tʃʷ | f | ts | |||
| *dʒʷ | v | dz | |||
| *tʃʷʼ | pʼ | tsʼ | |||
| *ʃʷ | ʂ | ʃʷ | |||
| *ʒʷ | ʐ | ʒʷ | |||
| *k | k | k | |||
| *ɡ | ɡ | ɡ | |||
| *kʼ | kʼ | kʼ | |||
| *x | x | χ | x / χ1 | ||
| *ɣ | ʁ | ɣ / ʁ1 | |||
| *kʲ | kʲ | kʲ | |||
| *ɡʲ | ɡʲ | ɡʲ | |||
| *kʲʼ | kʲʼ | kʲʼ | |||
| *xʲ | χʲ | xʲ / χʲ1 | |||
| *ɣʲ | ʁʲ | ʁʲ / χʲ1 | |||
| *kʷ | kʷ | kʷ | |||
| *ɡʷ | ɡʷ | ɡʷ | |||
| *kʷʼ | kʷʼ | kʷʼ | |||
| *xʷ | xʷ | χʷ | xʷ / χʷ1 | ||
| *ɣʷ | ʁʷ | ɣʷ / ʁʷ1 | |||
| *q | χˤ | q | |||
| *qʼ | qʼ | qʼ | |||
| *qʲʼ | qʲʼ | qʲʼ | |||
| *qʷ | χˤʷ | qʷ | |||
| *qʷʼ | qʷʼ | qʷʼ | |||
| *ʔ | qʼ | ʔ | |||
| *ħ | ħ | ħ | |||
| *ʕ | - | ʕ | |||
| *ħʷ | ħʷ | ħʷ | |||
| *ʕʷ | ɥ | ʕʷ | |||
- In some Abaza dialects the Velar consonants turned to Uvular consonants.
The most noticeable changes are:
- The velar consonants become uvular consonants in Abkhaz languages.
Grammar
| English | Proto-Abazgi | Abkhaz (Bzyb) | Abkhaz | Abaza |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| quail | ač́a | - | áč́a | ač́a |
| word | azʷa | áža | áž̌a | ažʷa |
| enemy | aɣa | - | a-ʁá | aʁa |
| snake | matǝ | - | matǝ | á-mat |
| cheese | ašʷǝ | áš̌ | áš̌ | ašʷǝ |
| English | Proto-Abazgi | Abkhaz (Bzyb) | Abkhaz (Abzhui) | Abaza (Tapant) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | za-kʼə | a-kʼə | - | za-kʼə |
| 2 | ʕʷ-ba | ɥ-ba | - | ʕʷ-ba |
| 3 | χ-ba | χ-ba | - | χ-ba |
| 4 | pɕ-ba | pɕ-ba | - | pɕ-ba |
| 5 | χʷ-ba | xʷ-ba | χʷ-ba | χʷ-ba |
| 6 | - | f-ba | - | t͡s-ba |
| 7 | bəʑ-ba | bəʑ-ba | - | bəʑ-ba |
| 8 | aʕ-ba | aa-ba | - | aʕ-ba |
| 9 | *ʑʷ-ba | ʑʷ-ba | - | ʒʷ-ba |
| 10 | *ʑʷa-ba | ʑʷa-ba | - | ʒʷa-ba |
| 11 | - | ʑʷaj-za | - | ʒʷəj-z |
| 12 | - | ʑʷaj-ɥa | - | ʒʷə-ʕʷ |
| 13 | - | ʑʷa-xa | - | ʒʷa-χ |
| 14 | - | ʑʷaj-pɕ | - | ʒʷəj-pɕ |
| 15 | - | ʑʷa-xʷ | - | ʒʷə-χʷ |
| 16 | - | ʑʷa-f | - | ʒʷaj-t͡s |
| 17 | *ʑʷaj-bəʑ̩ | ʑʷaj-bəʑ̩ | - | ʒʷaj-bəʑ̩ |
| 18 | *ʑʷ-ʕ | ʑʷ-aa | - | ʒʷa-ʕ |
| 19 | *ʒʷaj-ʑʷ | ʒʷaj-ʑʷ | - | ʒʷaj-ʒʷ |
| 20 | *ʕʷa-ʑʷa | ɥa-ʑʷa | - | ʕʷa-ʒʷa |
| 100 | - | ɕʷ-kʼə | - | ʃʷ-kʼə |
| 1000 | z-kʲə | z-kʲə | - | z-kʲə |
See also
References
- STAROSTIN, Sergei A.; NIKOLAYEV, Sergei L. (1994). A North Caucasian Etymological Dictionary: Preface.