Proto-Abkhaz–Abaza language

Proto-Abkhaz-Abaza
Proto-Abazgi
Reconstruction ofAbazgi languages
Reconstructed
ancestor

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.

Below is the table of Proto-Abkhaz-Abaza Alphabet:

Proto Abkhaz Cyrillic Abaza
Bzyb Abzhui Tapant
*p pʰ Ԥ ԥ 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 tsʰ Ц ц ts
*dz dz Ӡ ӡ dz
*tsʼ tsʼ Ҵ ҵ tsʼ
*s s С с s
*z z З з z
*tś tś ts(~s) Ц ц ts(~s)
*dź dź dz(~z) Ӡ ӡ dz(~z)
*tśˀ tśˀ tsˀ Ҵ ҵ tsˀ
*ś ś s С с s
*ź ź z З з z
*tśʷʰ tśs˞ʰ ʈʂʰ tʃʷʰ
*dzʷ dz˞ ɖʐ ʒʷ
*tsʷˀ ts˞ˀ ʈʂˀ tʃʷˀ
*sʷ s˞ ʂ ʃʷ
*zʷ z˞ ʐ ʒʷ
*tʃ tʃ tʃ
*dʒ dʒ dʒ
*tʃˀ tʃˀ tʃˀ
*ʃ ʃ ʃ
*ʒ ʒ ʒ
*tɕ tɕ tɕ
*dʑ dʑ dʑ
*tɕˀ tɕˀ tɕˀ
*ɕ ɕ ɕ
*ʑ ʑ ʑ
*j j j
*fʰVtsʰV fʰ tsʰ
*dzVvV v dz
*tsˀVfˀV pˀ fˀ tsˀ
*ʃʷ ʂ ʃʷ
*ʒʷ ʐ ʒʷ
*k k k
*ɡ ɡ ɡ
*kˀ kˀ kˀ
*χ χ χ
*ʁ ʁ ʁ
*kʲ kʲ kʲ
*ɡʲ ɡʲ ɡʲ
*kʲˀ kʲˀ kʲˀ
*χʲ χʲ χʲ
*ʁʲ ʁʲ ʁʲ
*kʷ kʷ kʷ
*ɡʷ ɡʷ ɡʷ
*kʷˀ kʷˀ kʷˀ
*χʷ χʷ χʷ
*ʁʷ ʁʷ ʁʷ
*qʰ χˤ χ qʰ
*qˀ qˀ qˀ
*qʲˀ qʲˀ qʲˀ
*qʷ χˤʷ qʷ
*qʷˀ qʷˀ qʷˀ
*qˀ qˀ qˀ
*ħ ħ ħ
*ʕ ɑɑ ʕ
*ħʷ ħʷ ħʷ
*ʕʷ ɥ ʕʷ
  1. In some Abaza dialects the velar consonants turned to uvular consonants.

The most noticeable changes are:

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.