Tsakhur language

Tsakhur (Azerbaijani: Saxur dili; Russian: Цахурский язык) is a Northeast Caucasian language spoken by the Tsakhurs in northern Azerbaijan and southwestern Dagestan (Russia). It is spoken by about 11,700 people in Azerbaijan and by about 10,600 people in Russia.[1] The word Tsakhur derives from the name of a Dagestani village where speakers of this language make up the majority.

Tsakhur
цӀаӀхна миз, ts'əxna miz
Pronunciation/t͡sʼaˤχna miz/
Native toNorth Caucasus
Azerbaijan
EthnicityTsakhurs
Native speakers
22,300 (2010-2011)[1]
Latin in Azerbaijan, Cyrillic in Russia
Official status
Official language in
 Russia
Language codes
ISO 639-3tkr
Glottologtsak1249
ELPTsakhur
Tsakhur is classified as Definitely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger (2010)

Although Tsakhur is endangered in communities in closest contact with Azerbaijani, it is vigorous in other communities, gaining prominence in the region, seen in the growth of interest in learning Tsakhur in school and a growing body of Tsakhur-learning materials.[2] Tsakhur is classified as "definitely endangered" by UNESCO's Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger.[3]

Classification

Tsakhur belongs to the Lezgic group of the Northeast Caucasian language family. The Tsakhurs call their language C'a'χna miz.

History

The first written documentation of Tsakhur dates back to 1895 and is attributed to Roderich von Erckert. The first description of Tsakhur grammar was published by Adolf Dirr in 1913.[2]

In the 1930s, a literary form of Tsakhur was developed. Starting from 1934, the language was taught in primary schools in Azerbaijan and Dagestan. In 1938, the use of literary Tsakhur in Azerbaijan was discontinued but regained its status in 1989.[2]

The Tsakhur alphabet in Azerbaijan is based on the Latin script, whereas in Dagestan the language uses Cyrillic. In the past (as early as the 11th century) there have been attempts to write Tsakhur in the Arabic script.[4]

In 2008, Asif Rustamov directed the first and so far only feature film in Tsakhur called Facing Back to the Qibla.[5]

Geographic distribution

Tsakhur is spoken mostly in rural areas of Azerbaijan's Zaqatala and Qakh rayons, as well as mountainous parts of Dagestan's Rutul region. There are 15,900 Tsakhurs in Azerbaijan (1999 census) and 10,400 in Russia (2002 census). In 1989, 93% of them reported Tsakhur as their first language.[2]

Official status

In Azerbaijan and Russia, Tsakhur is taught as a subject in primary schools (grades 1 to 4) in Tsakhur-populated regions. Newspapers and radio broadcast in Tsakhur are also available. It is one of twelve official languages of the Dagestan region in Russia where it is spoken. However, the language does not have an official status in Azerbaijan.[2]

Among the languages of the Lezgic group, Rutul appears to be the closest one to Tsakhur. Other than these two, there are eight more languages in the Lezgic group, namely: Lezgian, Tabasaran, Aghul, Budukh, Kryts, Khinalugh, Udi, and Archi.

Phonology

Similar to many Northeast Caucasian languages, Tsakhur is known for its complex phonology and a large number of vowel phonemes (including 7 simple, 5 pharyngealized and 3 umlauted vowels). Its first in-depth phonological description was provided by Nikolai Trubetzkoy in 1931.

Consonants

The consonant inventory, according to Shulze's study of the language, of Tsakhur is shown below. Forms are phonemic unless numbered, in which case they are suspected to be phonemes but currently with incomplete evidence for this.[6] The inventory shows some asymmetries, but exhibits series of palatalized, labialized, and pharyngealized phonemes.


Labial Dental Alveolar Palatal Velar Uvular Laryngeal
plain pal. lab. plain pal. lab. plain lab. plain pal. lab. plain lab. phar. plain lab. phar.
Nasal m n nʲ1
Plosive /
Affricate		 voiceless p t tʲ1 tʷ ts tsʲ1 tsʷ1 tʃ tʃʷ k kʲ kʷ1 q qʷ qˤ
ejective pʼ tʼ tʲʼ1 tʷʼ1 tsʼ tsʲʼ1 tsʷʼ1 tʃʼ tʃʼʷ kʼ kʲʼ1 kʷʼ1 qʼ qʷʼ qˤʼ ʔ ʕʼ
geminate pː tː tsː tʃːʼ1 tʃːʷ1 kː kːʲ1 qː qːʷ1 qːˤ1
voiced b d dʲ dz dʒ dʒʷ1 g gʲ gʷ ɢ ɢʷ1 ɢˤ
Fricative voiceless f s sʲ1 ʃ ʃʷ1 x xʲ xʷ χ χʷ χˤ h hʷ1 hˤ
geminate sː sːʲ1 ʃː ʃːʷ1 xː xːʲ1 xːʷ1 χː χːʷ1 χːˤ1
voiced β ~ w1 z zʲ1 zʷ1 ɣ ʁ ʁʷ1 ʁˤ
Approximant/Trill l lʲ r j
1
  1. Suspected to be phonemes.

Vowels
Plain vowels
Front Central Back
Close i ~ iː u
Mid e ~ eː ə o
Open a ~ aː
Pharyngealized vowels
Front Central Back
Close iˤ uˤ
Mid eˤ əˤ oˤ ~ oːˤ
Open aˤ ~ aːˤ

Writing
Tsakhur alphabet 1934-1938

The alphabet for the Tsakhur language based on the Latin alphabet was compiled by A. N. Genko in 1934. 8 textbooks have been published. However, after 4 years, teaching and publishing books in the Tsakhur language ceased. It was resumed only in 1989, but already in a new, Cyrillic alphabet. Since the 1990s, the Tsakhur script has been functioning in the Latin alphabet in Azerbaijan,[7] it was later reformed..

Tsakhur Alphabet, used in Russia:

А а АӀ аӀ Б б В в Г г ГӀ гӀ Гъ гъ Гь гь Д д Дж дж
Е е Ё ё Ж ж З з И и Й й К к КӀ кӀ Къ къ Кь кь
Л л М м Н н О о ОӀ оӀ П п ПӀ пӀ Р р С с Т т
ТӀ тӀ У у УӀ уӀ Ф ф Х х Хъ хъ Хь хь Ц ц ЦӀ цӀ Ч ч
ЧӀ чӀ Ш ш Щ щ Ъ ъ Ы ы ЫӀ ыӀ Э э Ь ь Ю ю Я я

Tsakhur Alphabet, used in Azerbaijan (2010s version):[8]

A a Ә ә B b C c Ç ç Ç' ç' D d E e F f G g G' g'
Gh gh Ğ ğ H h X x Xh xh I ı I' ı' İ i J j K k K' k'
Q q Q' q' L l M m N n O o Ö ö P p P' p' R r S s
Ş ş T t T' t' Ts ts Ts' ts' U u Ü ü V v Y y Z z '

Comparison Chart
CyrillicLatin
2015		Latin
1996		Latin
1930s		IPA[9]
А аA a/a/
АI аIӘ әAI aIӘ ә/aˤ/
Б бB bB в/b/
В вV v/w/
Г гG gG g, Q qG g/g/
ГI гIGh ghQI qIƢ̵ ƣ̵/ɣ/
Гъ гъĞ ğQъ qъƢ ƣ/ʁ/
Гь гьH h/h/
Д дD d/d/
Дж джC cÇ ç/d͡ʒ/
Е еE e/e/
Ё ё-
Ж жJ j-/ʒ/
З зZ z/z/
И иİ iI i/i/
Й йY yJ j/j/
К кK k/k/
КI кIK' k'KI kIⱩ ⱪ/k'/
Къ къG' g'Kъ kъQ q/ɢ/
Кь кьQ' q'Kь kьꝖ ꝗ/q'/
Л лL l/l/
М мM m/m/
Н нN n/n/
О оO o/o/
ОI оIÖ öOI oIӨ ө/oˤ/
CyrillicLatin
2015		Latin
1996		Latin
1930s		IPA
П пP p/p/
ПI пIP' p'PI pIꞂ ꞃ/p'/
Р рR r/ɾ/
С сS s/s/
Т тT t/t/
ТI тIT' t'TI tIŢ ţ/t'/
У уU u/u/
УI уIÜ üUI uIY y/uˤ/
Ф фF f/f/
Х хX x/χ/
Хъ хъQ qXъ xъӾ ӿ/q/
Хь хьXh xhXь xьҲ ҳ/x/
Ц цTs tsƵ ƶS̷ s̷/t͡s/
ЦI цITs' ts'ƵI ƶIⱫ ⱬ/t͡s'/
Ч чÇ çC c/t͡ʃ/
ЧI чIÇ' ç'ÇI çIⱫ̵ ⱬ̵/t͡ʃ'/
Ш шŞ ş/ʃ/
Щ щ-
Ъ ъ'’/ʔ/
Ы ыI ıЬ ь/ɨ/
ЫI ыII' ı'II ıIШ ш/ɨˤ/
Э эE e/e/
Ь ь-
Ю ю-
Я я-

Grammar

Tsakhur has 18 grammatical cases and has retained suffixaufnahme. Verbs may have singular and plural forms, and 7 grammatical moods. The tense system is complex. In contrast to the related languages, Tsakhur sentences can be formed by affective construction.[4]

Noun case

Tsakhur exhibits a number of noun cases, including grammatical and local cases. The ergative and genitive cases show agreement with the head noun class, as shown below.[6]

CaseMarker
Absolutive-∅
Ergative-e(ː)1 / -(V)n2
Genitive-(V)na3, -(V)n4, -(V)ni5
Dative-(V)s
  1. Human nouns
  2. Nonhuman nouns
  3. Head noun ABS, classes I-III
  4. Head noun ABS, classes IV
  5. Head noun OBL
Example inflections
CaseSg.Pl.Sg.Pl.
Absolutivebalkanbalkanarzerzerbə
Ergativebalkananbalkanāššezeranzerbən
Genitivebalkananabalkanāššinazeranazerbəna
Dativebalkanusbalkanāššiszeruszerbəs
horsecow

Dialects

The two major dialects of the Tsakhur language are Tsakh and Gelmets.[2]

See also

References
  1. "Tsakhur". Ethnologue. Archived from the original on 2019-07-29. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  2. Clifton, John M.; Tiessen, Calvin; Deckinga, Gabriela; Lucht, Laura (2005). The Sociolinguistic Situation of the Tsakhur in Azerbaijan (PDF). SIL International. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-14.
  3. "UNESCO Interactive Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger". United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Archived from the original on 2009-02-22. Retrieved 2010-03-25.
  4. "Tsakhurskiy (Tsakhskiy) yazyk [Tsaxur (Sakhur, Tsaxur, Tsakhury, Caxur, Tsakur, Chakhur)] /TKR (ISO/FDIS 639-3); CAU (ISO 639-2)/" Цахурский (Цахский) язык [Tsaxur (Sakhur, Tsaxur, Tsakhury, Caxur, Tsakur, Chakhur)] /TKR (ISO/FDIS 639-3); CAU (ISO 639-2) [Tsakhur (Tsakh) language Tsaxur (Sakhur, Tsaxur, Tsakhury, Caxur, Tsakur, Chakhur)] /TKR (ISO/FDIS 639-3); CAU (ISO 639-2)/]. etheo.org (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 26 December 2006.
  5. "Zavershilis syemki filma na tsakhurskom yazyke «Spinoy k Kible»" Завершились съемки фильма на цахурском языке «Спиной к Кибле» [Shooting of the Tsakhur language film "Facing Back to the Qiblah" finished]. Novosti-Azerbaydzhan Новости-Азербайджан (in Russian). 1 April 2009. Archived from the original on 2013-07-12.
  6. Schulze, Wolfgang (1997). Tsakhur. München: LINCOM Europa. ISBN 3-89586-150-2.
  7. Aibdulla Qarayev (1996). Aılifbey. Bakı: Maarif nәşriyyatı.
  8. Ts'əxni mizelin şikılbişikvan luğat. Bakı: Üfüq-S. 2015. p. 52.
  9. Kathleen D. Sackett (2017). Community-Driven, Goal-Centred Orthography Development: A Tsakhur Case Study. pp. 88–108. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
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