Khinalug language

{{Short description|Northeast Caucasian language}}

{{Multiple issues|

{{Expand Lezghian|date=April 2020}}

{{Expand Russian|Хиналугский язык|date=January 2025}}

{{Expand French|Khinalug (langue)}}

{{Cleanup lang|date=October 2024|iso=kjj}}

}}

{{Infobox language

| name = Khinalug

| nativename = {{lang|kjj|каьтш мицI}} {{tlit|kjj|kätš micʼ}}
{{lang|kjj|кетш мицI}} {{tlit|kjj|ketš micʼ}}

| pronunciation = {{IPA|[kætʃ mit͡sʼ]}}

| states = Azerbaijan

| region = Quba

| speakers = 3,000

| date = 2007

| ref = e18

| familycolor = Caucasian

| fam1 = Northeast Caucasian

| fam2 = ? Lezgic

| script = Cyrillic script, Latin script

| iso3 = kjj

| glotto = khin1240

| glottorefname = Khinalug

| map = Northeast Caucasian languages.png

| mapcaption = {{legend|#FF3300|Khinalug}}(in Azerbaijan)

| notice = IPA

| map2 = Lang Status 40-SE.svg

| mapcaption2 = {{center|{{small|Khinalug is classified as Severely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger (2010)}}}}

| altname = Xinaliq

}}

Khinalug (also spelled Khinalig, Khinalugi, Xinalug(h), Xinaliq or Khinalugh) is a Northeast Caucasian language spoken by about 3,000 people in the villages of Khinalug and Gülüstan, Quba in the mountains of Quba Rayon, northern Azerbaijan. It may either belong to the Lezgic branch of the Northeast Caucasian language family, or it may form its own independent branch within that family.[http://www.ethnologue.com/show_family.asp?subid=215-16 Family tree of Northeast Caucasian languages at Ethnologue]

Khinalug is endangered,[http://www.helsinki.fi/~tasalmin/chris.html Published in: Encyclopedia of the world’s endangered languages. Edited by Christopher Moseley. London & New York: Routledge, 2007. 211–280.] and classified as "severely endangered" by UNESCO's Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger.[http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?pg=00206 UNESCO Interactive Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090222090430/http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?pg=00206 |date=2009-02-22 }}

History

Khinalug is the language of the village Khinalug in the Quba district of Azerbaijan. It has been tentatively classified by previous researchers as a member of the Lezgic branch of the Northeast Caucasian languages.{{cite report |last1=Clifton |first1=John M. |last2=Deckinga |first2=Gabriela |last3=Lucht |first3=Laura |last4=Mak |first4=Janfer |last5=Tiessen |first5=Calvin |year=2005 |title=The Sociolinguistic Situation of the Khinalug In Azerbaijan |url=https://www.sil.org/resources/publications/entry/9007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140907132650/http://www.sil.org/resources/publications/entry/9007 |archive-date=2014-09-07}} Although Khinalug is the official language of the village, it is mostly spoken by villagers in informal circumstances, while the national language Azerbaijani is used formally for educational purposes and to communicate with non-Khinalug speakers. Khinalug is considered to be a threatened language. In recent years, the road leading to the villages where it is spoken has fallen into disrepair, leaving the area mostly isolated.{{Cite journal |last=Schulze |first=Wolfgang |date=Winter 2003 |title=Xinalugsko-russkij slovar' [Khinalug-Russian Dictionary] (Faida Abubakarovna Ganieva) |journal=Anthropological Linguistics |volume=45 |issue=4 |pages=450 |jstor=30028912 |quote=The village of Khinalug is difficult to access, although in 1970 a road was constructed that links the village and the regional center. Nevertheless, the road is by now in very bad shape. As a result, a renewed tendency towards partial isolation of Khinalug can be observed.}}

Phonology

The Khinalug language previously had its own script.{{Clarify|date=August 2024}} Alexander Kibrik and a team of 13 linguists from Moscow State University visited the village in 2005.{{Cite news |author=Ivchenko, Valery |date=September 4, 2006 |title=Забытый в горах Кетш – Forgotten in the mountains of Qetsh |url=http://www.vokrugsveta.ru/vs/article/751/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230317092726/https://www.vokrugsveta.ru/vs/article/751/ |archive-date=17 Mar 2023 |publisher=Vokrug sveta}} In 2007 they developed a Latin orthography for Khinalug, in collaboration with local school teachers in the village. It is presented in angle brackets on the tables below.

= Consonants =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+ConsonantsKodzasov, S.V., et al., 2007. [http://www.philol.msu.ru/~languedoc/assets/texts/xin-abc.pdf Khinalug language alphabet (in: Russian)].{{Cite book |last=Khvtisiashvili |first=Tamrika |title=Principal aspects of Xinaliq phonology and morphosyntax |publisher=University of Utah |year=2013}}

colspan="2" |

!Labial

!Dental

!Postalveolar/
Palatal

!Velar

!Uvular

!Pharyngeal

!Glottal

colspan="2" |Nasal

| {{IPA link|m}} {{angbr|m}} || {{IPA link|n}} {{angbr|n}}

|

|

|

|

|

rowspan="4" |Plosive

! voiceless lenis

| {{IPA link|p}} {{angbr|p}} || {{IPA link|t}} {{angbr|t}}

|

| {{IPA link|k}} {{angbr|k}}

| {{IPA link|q}} {{angbr|q}}

|

| {{IPA link|ʔ}} {{angbr|ʔ}}

voiceless fortis

| {{IPA link|pː}} {{angbr|pp}}|| {{IPA link|tː}} {{angbr|tt}}

|

| {{IPA link|kː}} {{angbr|kk}}

| {{IPA link|qː}} {{angbr|qq}}

|

|

voiced

| {{IPA link|b}} {{angbr|b}} || {{IPA link|d}} {{angbr|d}}

|

| {{IPA link|ɡ}} {{angbr|g}}

|

|

|

ejective

| {{IPA link|pʼ}} {{angbr|p'}} || {{IPA link|tʼ}} {{angbr|t'}}

|

| {{IPA link|kʼ}} {{angbr|k'}}

|

|

|

rowspan="4" |Affricate

! voiceless lenis

| || {{IPA link|t͡s}} {{angbr|c}}

| {{IPA link|t͡ʃ}} {{angbr|ç}}

|{{IPA link|k͡x}} {{angbr|kx}}3

|{{IPA link|q͡χ}} {{angbr|x̂}}

|

|

voiceless fortis

| || {{IPA link|t͡sː}} {{angbr|cc}}

| {{IPA link|t͡ʃː}} {{angbr|çç}}

|

|

|

|

voiced

|

|

|{{IPA link|d͡ʒ}} {{angbr|j}}

|

|

|

|

ejective

| || {{IPA link|t͡sʼ}} {{angbr|c'}}

| {{IPA link|t͡ʃʼ}} {{angbr|ç'}}

|

|{{IPA link|q͡χʼ}} {{angbr|q'}}

|

|

rowspan="2" |Fricative

! voiceless

| {{IPA link|f}} {{angbr|f}} || {{IPA link|s}} {{angbr|s}}

| {{IPA link|ʃ}} {{angbr|ş}}

| {{IPA link|x}} {{angbr|kh}}2

| {{IPA link|χ}} {{angbr|x}}

|{{IPA link|ħ}} {{angbr|hh}}4

| {{IPA link|h}} {{angbr|h}}

voiced

| {{IPA link|v}} {{angbr|v}}

| {{IPA link|z}} {{angbr|z}}

| {{IPA link|ʒ}} {{angbr|z̧}}1

|{{IPA link|ɣ}} {{angbr|gh}}2

| {{IPA link|ʁ}} {{angbr|ğ}}

|{{IPA link|ʕ}} {{angbr|ʕ}}4

|

colspan="2" |Trill

|

| {{IPA link|r}} {{angbr|r}}

|

|

|

|

|

align="center"

! colspan="2" |Approximant

|

| {{IPA link|l}} {{angbr|l}}

| {{IPA link|j}} {{angbr|y}}

| {{IPA link|w}} {{angbr|w}}

|

|

1 The cedilla in the orthography is in the middle of the bottom of the , as is typical of Russian linguistics.

2 Kh and gh are rare.

3 Kx is very rare.

4 The pharyngeal sounds mostly appear in Arabic loanwords.

= Vowels =

Khinalug has nine vowels and four diphthongs.

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

! rowspan="2" |

! colspan="2" |Front

! colspan="2" |Back

{{small|unrounded}}

!{{small|rounded}}

!{{small|unrounded}}

!{{small|rounded}}

High

|{{IPA link|i}} {{angbr|i}}

|{{IPA link|y}} {{angbr|ü}}

|{{IPA link|ɯ}} {{angbr|ı}}

|{{IPA link|u}} {{angbr|u}}

Mid

|{{IPA link|e}} {{angbr|e}}

|{{IPA link|ø}} {{angbr|ö}}

|

|{{IPA link|o̞|o}} {{angbr|o}}

Low

|{{IPA link|æ}} {{angbr|ə}}

|

|{{IPA link|ä|a}} {{angbr|a}}

|

Diphthongs include: [iu] [ui] [oe] [oa].

Alphabet

class="wikitable"

|+ Khinalug Cyrillic alphabet

bgcolor="#BECFEB" valign=top

!1

!2

!3

!4

!5

!6

!7

!8

!9

!10

!11

!12

!13

!14

!15

!16

!17

!18

!19

!20

!21

!22

!23

!24

!25

!26

!27

!28

!29

!30

!31

!32

!33

!34

!35

!36

!37

bgcolor="#DEE7F5" valign=top align="center"

|А

|А̃

|Аь

|Б

|В

|Г

|Гъ

|ГӀ

|ГӀв

|Д

|Дж

|Дз

|Е

|Е̃

|Ж

|З

|И

|И̃

|Й

|К

|Кв

|Кк

|Кх

|Кхв

|Кхкх

|Къв

|Кь

|КьӀ

|КӀ

|КӀв

|Л

|Лъ

|М

|Н

|О

|О̃

|Оь

bgcolor="#DEE7F5" valign=top align="center"

|а

|а̃

|аь

|б

|в

|г

|гъ

|гӀ

|гӀв

|д

|дж

|дз

|е

|е̃

|ж

|з

|и

|и̃

|й

|к

|кв

|кк

|кх

|кхв

|кхкх

|къв

|кь

|кьӀ

|кӀ

|кӀв

|л

|лъ

|м

|н

|о

|о̃

|оь

class="wikitable"

!38

!39

!40

!41

!42

!43

!44

!45

!46

!47

!48

!49

!50

!51

!52

!53

!54

!55

!56

!57

!58

!59

!60

!61

!62

!63

!64

!65

!66

!67

!68

!69

!70

!71

!72

!73

!74

bgcolor="#DEE7F5" valign=top align="center"

|П

|Пв

|ПӀ

|Р

|С

|Т

|Тт

|ТӀ

|ТӀв

|ТӀтӀ

|У

|У̃

|Уь

|Ф

|Х

|Хъ

|Хъв

|Хь

|ХӀ

|Ӏ

|Ӏъ

|Ц

|Цв

|Цц

|ЦӀ

|ЦӀв

|Ч

|Чч

|ЧӀ

|ЧӀв

|Ш

|Шв

|Ъ

|Ы

|Э

|Ә

|Ә̃

bgcolor="#DEE7F5" valign=top align="center"

|п

|пв

|пӀ

|р

|с

|т

|тт

|тӀ

|тӀв

|тӀтӀ

|у

|у̃

|уь

|ф

|х

|хъ

|хъв

|хь

|хӀ

|Ӏ

|Ӏъ

|ц

|цв

|цц

|цӀ

|цӀв

|ч

|чч

|чӀ

|чӀв

|ш

|шв

|ъ

|ы

|э

|ә

|ә̃

The version below was created by scientists from Frankfurt University{{Clarify|date=January 2025}} in 2013, following research into Khinalug phonology by Moscow specialists.{{cite web |title=Alphabet – xinaliq |url=http://en.xinaliq.az/index.php/alphabet/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803232226/http://en.xinaliq.az/index.php/alphabet/ |archive-date=3 August 2018}}

style="font-family:Arial Unicode MS; font-size:1.4em; border-color:#000000; border-width:1px; border-style:solid; border-collapse:collapse; background-color:#F8F8EF"

|+ Khinalug Latin alphabet (2013)

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | a

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | b

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | c

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | ç

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | ĉ

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | ċ

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | d

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | e

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | ə

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | f

style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |g

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |ğ

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |ĝ

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |h

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |ĥ

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |ḣ

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |x

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |x̂

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |ı

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |i̇

style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |j

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |k

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |k̂

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |k̇

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |q

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |q̂

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |q̇

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |l

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |m

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |n

style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | o

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | ö

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | p

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | p̂

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | ṗ

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | r

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | s

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | ŝ

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | ş

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | t

style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |t̂

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |ṫ

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |u

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |ü

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |v

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |y

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |z

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |ẑ

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |ż

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |

Kibrik's alphabet from above is presented again, this time in table form.

style="font-family:Arial Unicode MS; font-size:1.4em; border-color:#000000; border-width:1px; border-style:solid; border-collapse:collapse; background-color:#F8F8EF"

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |A a

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |B b

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |C c

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Cc cc

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |C' c'

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Ç ç

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Çç çç

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Ç' ç'

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Ə ə

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |F f

style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |G g

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Gh gh

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Ğ ğ

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |H h

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Hh hh

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |İ i

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |I ı

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |J j

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |K k

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Kk kk

style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |K' k'

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Kh kh

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Kx kx

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |L l

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |M m

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |N n

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |O o

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Ö ö

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |P p

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Pp pp

style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |P' p'

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Q q

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Qq qq

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Q' q'

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |R r

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |S s

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Ş ş

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |T t

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Tt tt

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |T' t'

style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |U u

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Ü ü

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |V v

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |X x

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Y y

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Z z

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Z̧ z̧

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |ʕ

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |

| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |

Vocabulary

The following words were phonetically transcribed from Khinalug:{{cite book |last=Lubotsky |first=Alexander |last2=de Vaan |first2=Michiel |title=Van Sanskriet tot Spijkerschrift: Breinbrekers uit alle talen |language=nl |trans-title=From Sanskrit to Cuneiform: Brain teasers from all languages |pages=12, 58–59 |access-date=30 April 2016 |publisher=Amsterdam University Press |year = 2010 |isbn=978-9089641793 |url=http://dare.uva.nl/cgi/arno/show.cgi?fid=174594 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011224905/http://dare.uva.nl/cgi/arno/show.cgi?fid=174594 |archive-date=2016-10-11}}

class="wikitable"
Khinalug singularKhinalug pluralTranslation
arhazarhazırdırpen (enclosure for livestock)
c’imirc’imirdirsparrow
izinizindirgingiva
kırabkırabırdırgaloshes
mısırmısırdırrope
nek’idnek’idirdirback
t’uk’unt’uk’undurcheek
t’umbolt’umboldurprune
ustotustoturdurpepper
ustulustuldurtable
dalıgdalιgιrdιrwork
culozculozurdurtooth
jalkanjalkandιrmane
kotukkotukurdurtree stump
mektebmektebirdirschool (compare: maktab)
mizermizerdirtextile

Note: ı is roughly pronounced as the e in "fallen". u is roughly pronounced as the ou in "coup".

Audio samples

class="wikitable"
| File:AUDIO-2024-12-08-18-59-29-JULIET.flac’s Romeo and Juliet, 2.2.2–3]]

| Khinalug (phonetic):
Iylesh toxun, ment’ekhiyly talashpy chshyi yaza?
De inq’qalsh me Juliet’dam inq’me.

| English:
But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.

| File:AUDIO-2024-12-08-18-59-45-HAMLET.flac, 3.1.57 & 84]]

| Khinalug (phonetic):
Tagvual sam Tagondaval lishirji deme […]
De kin k’ulluqurval, kin bitiyn inqxer kir me.

| English:
To be, or not to be, that is the question […]
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all.

| File:AUDIO-2024-12-08-18-59-58-SON36.flac, ll.1–2]]

| Khinalug (phonetic):
Yaxe chkne yem, kin djyre kotka djmin
q’iq’aly djyresh konde mheppetysh saj me.

| English:
Let me confess that we two must be twain,
Although our undivided loves are one[.]

| File:AUDIO-2024-12-08-19-00-17-GATTO.flac from Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s The Leopard]]

| Khinalug (phonetic):
Djym q’yy kin yag’yqalm Chendj kui ukkoetti q’yy, kin hoz shyspqrt koa.

| English:
If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.

See also

References

{{reflist}}

Further reading

  • {{cite book |last=Desheryev |first=Ju. D. |year=1959 |title=Grammatika xinalugskogo jazyka |publisher=Izdatel'stvo Akademii Nauk SSSR |location=Moscow}}
  • {{cite book |last=Hewitt |first=George |year=2004 |title=Introduction to the Study of the Languages of the Caucasus |publisher=LINCOM |location=Munich |page=29}}
  • {{cite book |last=Kibrik |first=Aleksandr E. |year=1972 |title=Fragmenty grammatiki xinalugskogo jazyka |publisher=Izdatel'stvo Moskovskogo Universiteta |location=Moscow}}
  • {{cite book |last=Kibrik |first=Aleksandr E. |year=1994 |chapter=Khinalug |title=The Indigenous Languages of the Caucasus |volume=4 |editor-first=Rieks |editor-last=Smeets |publisher=Caravan Books |location=Delmar, NY |pages=367–406}}
  • {{cite book |last=Khvisiashvili |first=Tamrika |year=2013 |title=Principal Aspects of Xinaliq Phonology and Morphosyntax (PhD dissertation) |publisher=University of Utah |location=The Language Archive

|url=https://hdl.handle.net/1839/00-0000-0000-001F-CD5F-2 (Accessed 2024-11-18)

}}