Bezhta language
{{Short description|Tsezic language of southwest Dagestan, Russia}}
{{Expand language|topic=|langcode=ru|otherarticle=Бежтинский_язык|date=August 2024}}
{{Cleanup lang|date=January 2025|iso=kap}}{{Infobox language
| name = Bezhta
| altname = Kapucha
| nativename = {{lang|kap|бежкьалас миц}} {{tlit|kap|bežƛʼalas mic}}/{{tlit|kap|beƶⱡʼalas mic}}
| pronunciation = {{IPA|cau|ˈbeʒt͡ɬʼɑlɑs mit͡s|}}
| states = North Caucasus
| region = Southern Dagestan
| speakers = 6,800
| date = 2006–2010
| ref = e18
| speakers2 = 8,138 (2020 census)[https://rosstat.gov.ru/storage/mediabank/Tom5_tab7_VPN-2020.xlsx Том 5. «Национальный состав и владение языками». Таблица 7. Население наиболее многочисленных национальностей по родному языку]
| familycolor = Caucasian
| fam1 = Northeast Caucasian
| fam2 = Tsezic
| fam3 = Bezhta–Hunzib–Khwarshi
| iso3 = kap
| glotto = bezh1248
| glottorefname = Bezhta
| notice = IPA
| ethnicity = Bezhta people
| map = File:Northeast Caucasus languages map en.svg
| mapcaption = {{legend|#D45F5F|Bezhta}}
| map2 = Lang Status 60-DE.svg
| mapcaption2 = {{center|{{small|Bezhta is classified as Definitely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger (2010)}}}}
| dia1 = Bezhta proper
| dia2 = Tladal
| dia3 = Khocharkhota
| dia4 = Turk.Bezhta
}}
The Bezhta (or Bezheta) language (Bezhta: бежкьалас миц, bežƛʼalas mic, beƶⱡʼalas mic, {{IPA|cau|ˈbeʒt͡ɬʼɑlɑs mit͡s|pron}}), also known as Kapucha (from the name of a large villageShirin Akiner, Islamic Peoples of the Soviet Union, 2nd ed. (KPI, Distributed by Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1986: {{ISBN|0-7103-0188-X}}), p. 253.), belongs to the Tsezic group of the North Caucasian language family. It is spoken by about 6,200 people in southern Dagestan, Russia.
Classification
Dialects
Bezhta can be divided into three dialects – Bezhta Proper, {{ill|Tlyadal|ru|Тлядал}} and Khocharkhota – which are spoken in various villages in the region.
Phonology
Bezhta has a rich consonantal and – unlike its relatives Tsez and Avar – a relatively large vowel inventory (16 distinct vowel phonemes), compared to other languages of the same family.{{Cite book |last=Comrie |first=Bernard |url=https://www.academia.edu/36015933/Bernard_Comrie_Madzhid_Khalilov_Zaira_Khalilova_A_GRAMMAR_OF_BEZHTA_%D0%91%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B4_%D0%9A%D0%BE%D0%BC%D1%80%D0%B8_%D0%9C%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B6%D0%B8%D0%B4_%D0%A5%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2_%D0%97%D0%B0%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%B0_%D0%A5%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0_%D0%93%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D0%B1%D0%B5%D0%B6%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE_%D1%8F%D0%B7%D1%8B%D0%BA%D0%B0 |title=Grammatika Bezhtinskogo Jazyka [A grammar of Bezhta] |last2=Khalilov |first2=Madzhid |last3=Khalilova |first3=Zaira |publisher=Leipzig-Makhachkala: MPIEVA |year=2015}}
= Vowels =
Bezhta contrasts vowel length and nasalization.
| class="wikitable" style=text-align:center
! rowspan="2" | ! colspan="3" |Oral ! colspan="3" |Nasal |
| colspan="2" |Front
!Back ! colspan="2" |Front !Back |
|---|
| align="center"
|{{IPA link|i iː}} |{{IPA link|y yː}} |{{IPA link|u uː}} |{{IPA link|ĩ ĩː}} |{{IPA link|ỹ ỹː}} |{{IPA link|ũ ũː}} |
| align="center"
!Mid |{{IPA link|e eː}} |{{IPA link|ø øː}} |{{IPA link|o oː}} |{{IPA link|ẽ ẽː}} |{{IPA link|ø̃ ø̃ː}} |{{IPA link|õ õː}} |
| align="center"
!Open | colspan="2" |{{IPA link|æ æː}} |{{IPA link|ɑ ɑː}} | colspan="2" |{{IPA link|æ̃ æ̃ː}} |{{IPA link|ɑ̃ ɑ̃ː}} |
= Consonants =
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" | ! rowspan="2" |Labial ! colspan="3" |Alveolar ! rowspan="2" |Palato- ! rowspan="2" |Velar ! rowspan="2" |Uvular ! rowspan="2" |Pharyngeal ! rowspan="2" |Glottal |
| align="center"
!{{small|central}} !{{small|sibilant}} !{{small|lateral}} |
| align="center"
! colspan="2" |Nasal |{{IPA link|m}} |{{IPA link|n}} | | | | | | | |
| align="center"
! rowspan="3" |Plosive/ | {{IPA link|p}} | {{IPA link|t}} |{{IPA link|t͡s}} |{{IPA link|t͡ɬ}} ~ {{IPA link|k͡𝼄}} |{{IPA link|t͡ʃ}} |{{IPA link|k}} |{{IPA link|q͡χ}} | | rowspan="2" |{{IPA link|ʔ}} |
| align="center"
|{{IPA link|pʼ}} |{{IPA link|tʼ}} |{{IPA link|t͡sʼ}} |{{IPA link|t͡ɬʼ}} ~ {{IPA link|k͡𝼄ʼ}} |{{IPA link|t͡ʃʼ}} |{{IPA link|kʼ}} |{{IPA link|q͡χʼ}} | |
| align="center"
|{{IPA link|b}} |{{IPA link|d}} | | | |{{IPA link|ɡ}} | | | |
| align="center"
! rowspan="2" |Fricative !voiceless | | |{{IPA link|s}} |{{IPA link|ɬ}} |{{IPA link|ʃ}} | |{{IPA link|χ}} |{{IPA link|ħ}} |{{IPA link|h}} |
| align="center"
!voiced | | |{{IPA link|z}} | |{{IPA link|ʒ}} | |{{IPA link|ʁ}} |{{IPA link|ʕ}} | |
| align="center"
! colspan="2" |Sonorant |{{IPA link|w}} |{{IPA link|r}} | |{{IPA link|l}} |{{IPA link|j}} | | | | |
Orthography
Bezhta is unwritten, but various attempts have been made to develop an official orthography for the language. The Bezhta people use Avar as the literary language. The first book ever printed in Bezhta was the Gospel of Luke (1999). The orthography used in translations of biblical texts is as follows:{{Cite book |last=Chalilov |first=Madžid Šaripovič |title=Jazyk, folʹklor i ėtnografija bežtincev |trans-title = The language, folklore and ethnography of the Bezhta people |date=2017 |publisher=Institut perevoda Biblii |isbn=978-5-91431-157-2 |location=Moskva}}{{Cite book |last=Chalilov |first=Madžid Šaripovič |title=Jazyk, folʹklor i ėtnografija bežtincev |trans-title = The language, folklore and ethnography of the Bezhta people |date=2017 |publisher=Institut perevoda Biblii |isbn=978-5-93943-240-5 |location=Moskva}}
| style="font-family:'Times New Roman',Times,'Nimbus Roman No9 L',FreeSerif,'Liberation Serif',serif; font-size:1.6em; border-color:#000000; border-width:1px; border-style:solid; border-collapse:collapse; background-color:#F8F8EF"
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |А а | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Аь аь | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Аᴴ аᴴ | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |{{nowrap|Аьᴴ аьᴴ}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |А̄ а̄ | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Б б | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |В в | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Г г |
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Гъ гъ
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Гь гь | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |ГӀ гӀ | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Д д | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Е е | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Еᴴ еᴴ | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Ж ж | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |З з |
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |И и
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Иᴴ иᴴ | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Ӣ ӣ | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Й й | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |К к | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Къ къ | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Кь кь | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |КӀ кӀ |
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Л л
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Лъ лъ | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |ЛӀ лӀ | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |М м | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Н н | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |О о | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Оь оь | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Оᴴ оᴴ |
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |{{nowrap|Оьᴴ оьᴴ}}
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |О̄ о̄ | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |П п | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |ПӀ пӀ | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Р р | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |С с | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Т т | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |ТӀ тӀ |
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |У у
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Уь уь | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Уᴴ уᴴ | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |{{nowrap|Уьᴴ уьᴴ}} | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Ӯ ӯ | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Х х | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Хъ хъ | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |ХӀ хӀ |
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Ц ц
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |ЦӀ цӀ | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Ч ч | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |ЧӀ чӀ | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Ш ш | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Э э | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Эᴴ эᴴ | style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Ъ ъ |
Morphology
{{expand section|date=January 2010}}
Bezhta is mostly agglutinative and the vast amount of locative cases makes its case system particularly rich. The verb morphology is relatively simple. It is an ergative language.{{citation needed|date=January 2010}}
Numerals
Unlike Tsez, Bezhta has a decimal system with the word for twenty being an exception.{{Cite web |last=Ulrich |first=Alexis |title=Bezhta numbers |url=https://www.languagesandnumbers.com/how-to-count-in-bezhta/en/kap/ |access-date=2024-10-28 |website=Of Languages and Numbers |language=en}}
|
!Latin !Cyrillic !IPA |
|---|
| 0
|nol |нол |nol |
| 1
|hõs |гьоᵸс |hõs |
| 2
|qʼona |къона |qʼona |
| 3
|łana |лъана |ɬana |
| 4
|ṏqʼönä |оьᵸкъоьнаь |ø̃qʼønæ |
| 5
|łina |лъина |ɬina |
| 6
|iłna |илъна |iɬna |
| 7
|aƛna |алIна |atɬna |
| 8
|beƛna |белIна |betɬna |
| 9
|äčʼena |аьчIена |æt͡ʃʼena |
| 10
|acʼona |ацIона |at͡sʼona |
| 20
|qona |хъона |qona |
| 100
|hõsčʼitʼ / -čʼitʼ |гьоᵸсчIитI / -чIитI |hõst͡ʃʼitʼ / -t͡ʃʼitʼ |
| 1000
|hazay |гьазай |hazaj |
- Multiples of 10 higher than 20 are formed by adding the suffix -yig (-йиг) to the multiplier. Hence, the word for 30 is łanayig (лъанайиг).
- Compound numbers are formed by juxtaposition, the smaller numbers following the greater ones. The number 47 is thus expressed as ṏqʼönäyig aƛna (оьᵸкъоьнаьйиг алIна).
Sample text
This is a passage taken from the Gospel of Luke{{Cite web |url=http://www.christusrex.org/www1/pater/JPN-bezhta.html |title=Gospel of Luke in Bezhta |access-date=2006-03-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304052229/http://www.christusrex.org/www1/pater/JPN-bezhta.html |archive-date=2016-03-04 |url-status=dead }} written in a Cyrillic orthography based on Avar and Chechen, a Latinized transcription and one in IPA.
| CYRILLIC
!LATIN TRANSCRIPTION !IPA TRANSCRIPTION !TRANSLATION |
|---|
| Гьогцо гьоллохъа нисос:
|Hogco holloqa nisos: |{{IPA|[hoɡ.t͡so holː.o.qɑ ni.sos}} |Jesus said to the followers: |
| Доьъа богьцалаъ вагьда̄ ниса:
|Dö'a bohcala' wahdā nisa: |{{IPA|dɜʔ.ɑ boh.t͡sɑ.lɑʔ wɑh.dɑː ni.sɑ}} |When you pray, pray like this: |
| «Йа̄ Або, Дибо ца̄ᵸ аьдамла̄ илагьияб бикӀзи йовала,
|«Yā Abo, Dibo cā̃ ädamlā ilahiyab bikʼzi yowala, |{{IPA|jɑː ʔɑ.bo, di.bo t͡sɑ̃ː ʔa.dɑm.lɑː ʔi.lɑ.hi.jɑb bikʼzi jo.wɑ.lɑ}} |"O Father, we pray that your name will always be kept holy, |
| Дибо Парчагьлъи йоᵸкъала;
|Dibo Parčahłi yõqʼala; |{{IPA|di.bo pɑr.t͡ʃɑh.ɬi jõ.qʼɑ.lɑ}} |we pray that your kingdom will come; |
| Шибаб водиъ баццас баьба илол нилӀа;
|Šibab wodi' baccas bäba ilol niƛa; |{{IPA|ʃi.bɑb wo.diʔ bɑt͡sː.ɑs ba.bɑ ʔi.lol ni.tɬɑ}} |give us the food we need for each day; |
| Илла мунагьла̄кьас кьодос тилӀки, судлӀо нисода илена къацӀцӀола илол кешлъи йо̄вакьас кьодос тилӀбакца.
|Illa munahlāƛʼas ƛʼodos tiƛki, sudƛo nisoda ilena qʼacʼcʼola ilol kešłi yōwaƛʼas ƛʼodos tiƛbakca. |{{IPA|ʔi.lːɑ mu.nɑh.lɑːtɬʼ.ɑs tɬʼo.dos ti.tɬki, sud.tɬo ni.sɔ.dɑ ʔi.le.nɑ qʼɑt͡sʼː.o.lɑ ʔi.lol keʃ.ɬi joː.wɑ.tɬʼɑs tɬʼo.dos ti.tɬbɑk.t͡sɑ}} |forgive us the sins we have done, because we forgive every person that has done wrong to us. |
| Ми илос гьаьл бикъелална уьᵸхолъа̄къа.»
|Mi ilos häl biqʼelalna ü̃xołāqʼa.» |{{IPA|mi ʔi.los hal bi.qʼe.lɑl.nɑ ʔɨ̃.χo.ɬɑː.qʼɑ]}} |And don't let us be tempted." |
References
{{cite web |title=Languages in the Caucasus |url=http://www.lrz.de/~wschulze/lgxcauc.pdf |author=Schulze, Wolfgang |year=2009 |access-date=7 May 2012 |page=6 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120608144303/http://www.lrz.de/~wschulze/lgxcauc.pdf |archive-date=8 June 2012 }}
External links
- {{cite web |author1=Margus Kolga |author2=Igor Tõnurist |author3=Lembit Vaba |author4=Jüri Viikberg |title=The Bezhtas |work=The Red Book of the Peoples of the Russian Empire |year=1993 |url=http://www.eki.ee/books/redbook/bezhtas.shtml }}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20021010123415/http://www.armazi.com/bezhta The Bezhta People and Language] (P.J. Hillery)
- [http://wold.clld.org/vocabulary/15 Bezhta Vocabulary List] (from the World Loanword Database)
- [http://starling.rinet.ru/cgi-bin/response.cgi?root=new100&morpho=0&basename=new100\ncc\tsz&limit=-1 Bezhta basic lexicon at the Global Lexicostatistical Database]
{{Northeast Caucasian languages}}
{{Languages of the Caucasus}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bezhta Language}}
Category:Agglutinative languages