Lezgic languages
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(Redirected from Samur languages)
Northeast Caucasian language family
| Lezgic | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution | Dagestan Azerbaijan |
| Linguistic classification | Northeast Caucasian
|
| Proto-language | Proto-Lezgic language |
| Subdivisions | |
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | lezg1248 |
Lezgic | |
The Lezgic languages (also Lezgian or Lezghian) are one of seven branches of the Northeast Caucasian language family. Lezgin and Tabasaran are literary languages. Khinalug may either be Lezgic or an independent branch of the Northeast Caucasian family.
Classification
[edit]- Peripheral: Archi - 1,700 speakers[1]
- Samur[2] (Nuclear Lezgic)
- Eastern Samur[1]
- Caucasian Albanian + - extinct
- Udi - 6,600 speakers
- Lezgin-Aghul-Tabasaran[2]
- Caucasian Albanian + - extinct
- Southern Samur
- Western Samur
- Eastern Samur[1]
The voicing of ejective consonants
[edit]The Lezgic languages are relevant to the glottalic theory of Indo-European, because several have undergone the voicing of ejectives that have been postulated but widely derided as improbable in that family. The correspondences have not been well worked out (Rutul is inconsistent in the examples), but a few examples are:
- Non-Lezgic: Avar tsts'ar; Lezgic: Rutul dur, Tsakhur do 'name'
- Non-Lezgic: Archi motS'or, Lak tS'iri; Lezgic: Rutul mitS'ri, Tabassaran midZir, Agul mudZur 'beard'
- Non-Lezgic: Avar mots'; Lezgic: Tabassaran vaz 'moon'
A similar change has taken place in non-initial position in the Nakh languages.[3]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b 7. NASELENIE NAIBOLEE MNOGOChISLENNYKh NATsIONAL'NOSTEI PO RODNOMU IaZYKU
- ^ a b Languages in the Caucasus, by Wolfgang Schulze (2009) Archived 2011-06-10 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Paul Fallon, 2002. The synchronic and diachronic phonology of ejectives, p 245.
