Kaitag language

Kaitag (self des. Хайдакьан кув [χɑjdɑqʼɑn kʰuβ]; oth. des. Kaidak, Karakaitak, Karkaidak, Qaidaqlan) is a Northeast Caucasian language spoken in Dagestan, Russia. It has sometimes been considered a divergent dialect of Dargwa due to it being part of the Dargin dialect continuum. The Routledge Ethnographic Handbook (2017) divided Kaitag into two dialects: northern (Magalis-Kaitak) and southern (Karakaitak).[2] Recent results of the Association of the Russian Sociolinguists (2021) further developed it into three dialects: Lower Kaitag, Upper Kaitag and Shari.[3]

Not to be confused with with the Kajtak dialect of Judeo-Tat.
Kaitag
хайдакьан кув
Pronunciationχɑjdɑqʼɑn kʰuβ
Native toNorth Caucasus
RegionDagestan
EthnicityKaitags
Native speakers
approx. 30,000 (2020)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3xdq
Glottologkajt1238

Dialects

The languages consists of eight varieties, forming three dialects. Each of the Upper varieties corresponds to a historical province of the region.[4]

  • Upper Kaitag – Хъар Хайдакь (south-west).
    • Shurkkant – "The Cliff Dwellers" – Шурккант.
    • Qattagan – "The Gorge Dwellers" – Къаттагне.
    • Irchamul – "The Land of Nine" – Ирчӏамул.
  • Lower Kaitag – Ххьар Хайдакь.
    • Barshamai – Баршамаӏъган.
    • Karatsan – Гъаӏрцӏнила.
    • Jibahni – Чӏивгьаӏн.
    • Sanchi – Сунклан.
  • Shari – Шаӏръи.

Phonology

Vowels
Front Back
close u
near-close ɪ
open-mid ɛ
near-open æ
open ɑ

Consonants

Consonants form by series of voiced, aspirated, fortis, ejective, and labialized variants. The palatal fricative [ç] might be the voiceless post-palatal fricative, which can be more precisely transcribed as [ç̠] or [x̟].[5]

Bilabial Dental Alveolar Palatal Velar Uvular Glottal
plain labialized plain labialized plain labialized plain labialized plain labialized
Nasal m n
Plosive voiced b d g gʷ ʔ
aspirated pʰ tʰ kʰ kʰʷ qʰ qʰʷ
fortis pː tː kː kːʷ qː qːʷ
ejective pʼ tʼ kʼ kʼʷ qʼ qʼʷ
Affricate aspirated t͡sʰ t͡ʃʰ t͡ʃʰʷ
fortis t͡sː t͡ʃː t͡ʃːʷ
ejective t͡sʼ t͡ʃʼ t͡ʃʼʷ
Fricative voiced β z ʒ ʒʷ ʁ ʁʷ
plain s ʃ ʃʷ ç çʷ χ χʷ h hʷ
fortis sː ʃː ʃːʷ çː çːʷ χː χːʷ
Trill r
Approximant l j

Alphabet

The Kaitag language is usually written in the Cyrillic script. The letters of the alphabet are (with their pronunciation given below in IPA transcription):

а

[ɑ]

 аӏ

[æ]

 б

[b]

 в

[β]

 г

[g]

 гв

[gʷ]

 гъ

[ʁ]

 гъв

[ʁʷ]

 гь

[h]

 гьв

[hʷ]

 д

[d]

 е

[ɛ]

 ж

[ʒ]

 жв

[ʒʷ]

 з

[z]

 и

[ɪ]

 й

[j]

к

[kʰ]

 кв

[kʰʷ]

 кк

[kː]

 ккв

[kːʷ]

 кӏ

[kʼ]

 кӏв

[kʼʷ]

 хъ

[qʰ]

 хъв

[qʰʷ]

 къ

[qː]

 къв

[qːʷ]

 кь

[qʼ]

 кь

[qʼʷ]

 л

[l]

 м

[m]

 н

[n]

 п

[pʰ]

 пп

[pː]

пӏ

[pʼ]

 с

[s]

 сс

[sː]

 т

[tʰ]

 тт

[tː]

 тӏ

[tʼ]

 у

[u]

 х

[χ]

 хв

[χʷ]

 хх

[χː]

 ххв

[χːʷ]

 хь

[ç]

 хьв

[çʷ]

 ххь

[çː]

 ххьв

[çːʷ]

 ц

[t͡sʰ]

 цц

[t͡sː]

цӏ

[t͡sʼ]

 ч

[t͡ʃʰ]

 чв

[t͡ʃʰʷ]

 чч

[t͡ʃː]

 ччв

[t͡ʃːʷ]

 чӏ

[t͡ʃʼ]

 чӏв

[t͡ʃʼʷ]

 ш

[ʃ]

 шв

[ʃʷ]

 шш

[ʃː]

 шшв

[ʃːʷ]

 ъ

[ʔ]

Lexicon

Most of Kaitag's vocabulary stems from proto-Northeast-Caucasian roots. Like with other languages of Dagestan, there is a considerable number of Arabic, Iranian, Turkic and recently Russian loanwords.

Swadesh list for Kaitag
No. English Kaitag
1 I ду [du]
2 you (singular) и [(ʔ)ɪ]
3 he гье [hɛ]
4 we нисса [nisːɑ] (excl.), ниххьва [niçːʷɑ] (incl.)
5 you (plural) нишша [niʃːɑ]
6 they гьетти [hetːɪ]
7 this гьеж [hɛʒ]
8 that гьет [hɛtʰ]
9 here гьежин [hɛʒɪn]
10 there гьетин [hɛtʰɪn]
11 who ча [t͡ʃʰɑ]
12 what ци [t͡sʰɪ]
13 where квацци [kʰʷɑt͡sːɪ]
14 when цикъел [t͡sʰɪqːɛl]
15 how цигле [t͡sʰɪglɛ]
16 not аккву [ɑkːʷu] (n.), а(й)- [ɑ(j)-] (v.)
17 all сукке [sukːɛ]
18 many дахъ [dɑqʰ]
19 some чумилра [t͡ʃʰumɪlrɑ]
20 few кам [kʰɑm]
21 other дикӏар [dɪkʼɑr]
22 one ца [t͡sʰɑ]
23 two чӏве [t͡ʃʼʷɛ]
24 three аӏв [æβ]
25 four угъ [uʁ]
26 five шве [ʃʷɛ]
27 big хвала [χʷɑlɑ]
28 long ухъен [uqʰɛn]
29 wide баӏъу[bæʔu]
30 thick буцц [but͡sː]
31 heavy декӏ [dɛkʼ]
32 small никӏва [nɪkʼʷɑ]
33 short кутӏ [kutʼ]
34 narrow гъваӏрцӏ [ʁʷærcʼ]
35 thin букӏал [bukʼɑl]
36 woman ххьулум [çːulum]
37 man (adult male) мургул[murgul]
38 man (human being) мейдам [mɛjdɑm]
39 child даӏргьаӏ [dærhæ]
40 wife ххьади [çːɑdɪ]
41 husband сув [suβ]
42 mother уба [ubɑ]
43 father атта [ɑtːɑ]
44 animal мицӏираг [mɪcʼɪrɑg]
45 fish кӏас [kʼɑs]
46 bird ахьлиъаӏн [ɑçlɪʔæn]
47 dog ххваӏ [χːʷæ]
48 louse нез [nɛz]
49 snake цӏецӏи [cʼɛcʼɪ]
50 worm милкъваӏ [mɪlqːʷæ]
51 tree ккалкка [kːɑlkːɑ]
52 forest дуцца [dut͡sːɑ]
53 stick миргъаӏ [mɪrʁæ]
54 fruit удар [udɑr]
55 seed шва [ʃʷɑ]
56 leaf кӏаппар [kʼɑpːɑr]
57 root йамппа [jɑmpːɑ]
58 bark (of a tree) кам [kɑm]
59 flower жуже [ʒuʒɛ]
60 grass кьар [qʼɑr]
61 rope {{{wrd061}}}
62 skin {{{wrd062}}}
63 meat {{{wrd063}}}
64 blood {{{wrd064}}}
65 bone {{{wrd065}}}
66 fat (noun) {{{wrd066}}}
67 egg {{{wrd067}}}
68 horn {{{wrd068}}}
69 tail {{{wrd069}}}
70 feather {{{wrd070}}}
71 hair {{{wrd071}}}
72 head {{{wrd072}}}
73 ear {{{wrd073}}}
74 eye {{{wrd074}}}
75 nose {{{wrd075}}}
76 mouth {{{wrd076}}}
77 tooth {{{wrd077}}}
78 tongue (organ) {{{wrd078}}}
79 fingernail {{{wrd079}}}
80 foot {{{wrd080}}}
81 leg {{{wrd081}}}
82 knee {{{wrd082}}}
83 hand {{{wrd083}}}
84 wing {{{wrd084}}}
85 belly {{{wrd085}}}
86 guts {{{wrd086}}}
87 neck {{{wrd087}}}
88 back {{{wrd088}}}
89 breast {{{wrd089}}}
90 heart {{{wrd090}}}
91 liver {{{wrd091}}}
92 to drink {{{wrd092}}}
93 to eat {{{wrd093}}}
94 to bite {{{wrd094}}}
95 to suck {{{wrd095}}}
96 to spit {{{wrd096}}}
97 to vomit {{{wrd097}}}
98 to blow {{{wrd098}}}
99 to breathe {{{wrd099}}}
100 to laugh {{{wrd100}}}
101 to see {{{wrd101}}}
102 to hear {{{wrd102}}}
103 to know {{{wrd103}}}
104 to think {{{wrd104}}}
105 to smell {{{wrd105}}}
106 to fear {{{wrd106}}}
107 to sleep {{{wrd107}}}
108 to live {{{wrd108}}}
109 to die {{{wrd109}}}
110 to kill {{{wrd110}}}
111 to fight {{{wrd111}}}
112 to hunt {{{wrd112}}}
113 to hit {{{wrd113}}}
114 to cut {{{wrd114}}}
115 to split {{{wrd115}}}
116 to stab {{{wrd116}}}
117 to scratch {{{wrd117}}}
118 to dig {{{wrd118}}}
119 to swim {{{wrd119}}}
120 to fly {{{wrd120}}}
121 to walk {{{wrd121}}}
122 to come {{{wrd122}}}
123 to lie (as in a bed) {{{wrd123}}}
124 to sit {{{wrd124}}}
125 to stand {{{wrd125}}}
126 to turn (intransitive) {{{wrd126}}}
127 to fall {{{wrd127}}}
128 to give {{{wrd128}}}
129 to hold {{{wrd129}}}
130 to squeeze {{{wrd130}}}
131 to rub {{{wrd131}}}
132 to wash {{{wrd132}}}
133 to wipe {{{wrd133}}}
134 to pull {{{wrd134}}}
135 to push {{{wrd135}}}
136 to throw {{{wrd136}}}
137 to tie {{{wrd137}}}
138 to sew {{{wrd138}}}
139 to count {{{wrd139}}}
140 to say {{{wrd140}}}
141 to sing {{{wrd141}}}
142 to play {{{wrd142}}}
143 to float {{{wrd143}}}
144 to flow {{{wrd144}}}
145 to freeze {{{wrd145}}}
146 to swell {{{wrd146}}}
147 sun {{{wrd147}}}
148 moon {{{wrd148}}}
149 star {{{wrd149}}}
150 water {{{wrd150}}}
151 rain {{{wrd151}}}
152 river {{{wrd152}}}
153 lake {{{wrd153}}}
154 sea {{{wrd154}}}
155 salt {{{wrd155}}}
156 stone {{{wrd156}}}
157 sand {{{wrd157}}}
158 dust {{{wrd158}}}
159 earth {{{wrd159}}}
160 cloud {{{wrd160}}}
161 fog {{{wrd161}}}
162 sky {{{wrd162}}}
163 wind {{{wrd163}}}
164 snow {{{wrd164}}}
165 ice {{{wrd165}}}
166 smoke {{{wrd166}}}
167 fire {{{wrd167}}}
168 ash {{{wrd168}}}
169 to burn {{{wrd169}}}
170 road {{{wrd170}}}
171 mountain {{{wrd171}}}
172 red {{{wrd172}}}
173 green {{{wrd173}}}
174 yellow {{{wrd174}}}
175 white {{{wrd175}}}
176 black {{{wrd176}}}
177 night {{{wrd177}}}
178 day {{{wrd178}}}
179 year {{{wrd179}}}
180 warm {{{wrd180}}}
181 cold {{{wrd181}}}
182 full {{{wrd182}}}
183 new {{{wrd183}}}
184 old {{{wrd184}}}
185 good {{{wrd185}}}
186 bad {{{wrd186}}}
187 rotten {{{wrd187}}}
188 dirty {{{wrd188}}}
189 straight {{{wrd189}}}
190 round {{{wrd190}}}
191 sharp (as a knife) {{{wrd191}}}
192 dull (as a knife) {{{wrd192}}}
193 smooth {{{wrd193}}}
194 wet {{{wrd194}}}
195 dry {{{wrd195}}}
196 correct {{{wrd196}}}
197 near {{{wrd197}}}
198 far {{{wrd198}}}
199 right {{{wrd199}}}
200 left {{{wrd200}}}
201 at {{{wrd201}}}
202 in {{{wrd202}}}
203 with {{{wrd203}}}
204 and {{{wrd204}}}
205 if {{{wrd205}}}
206 because {{{wrd206}}}
207 name {{{wrd207}}}

References
  1. Kaitag at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) closed access
  2. Ronald Wixman, Peoples of the USSR: An Ethnographic Handbook, Routledge, 28 Jul 2017, p.89
  3. Mutalov, R.O. The classification of the Dargin languages and dialects [online] // Sociolinguistics, 2021. No. 3 (7). Pp.8–25. (In Russ.) DOI: 10.37892/2713-2951-3-7-8-25
  4. Temirbulatova, Sapiyahanum (2006). Kaitag dialect of Dargwa. Makhachkala: Dagestani State University. pp. 5–22.
  5. Temirbulatova, Sapiyahanum (2006). Kaitag dialect of Dargwa. Makhachkala: Dagestani State University. pp. 26–30.
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