Kaitag language

Kaitag (self des. Qaidaqlan; oth. des. Kaidak, Karakaitak, Karkaidak) is a language in the Dargin dialect continuum spoken in Dagestan, Russia. It is often considered a divergent dialect of Dargwa. The Ethnologue lists it under the dialects of Dargwa but recognizes that it may be a separate language.[1] Until 1930 Kaitak was considered a distinct language. Kaitak is divided into two dialects: northern (Magalis-Kaitak) and southern (Karakaitak).[2]

Not to be confused with with the Kajtak dialect of Judeo-Tat.
Kaitag
хайдакьан гъай
Native toNorth Caucasus
RegionDagestan
Language codes
ISO 639-3–
Glottologkajt1238

Dialects

The languages consists of 7 varieties, forming two groups. Each of the varieties corresponds to a historical province of the region.[3]

  • Upper Kaitag – Шибахӏ Хайдакь (south-west).
    • Shurkkant – "The Cliff Dwellers" – Шурккантла лугъат (north-west).
    • Qattagan – "The Gorge Dwellers" – Къаттаган лугъат (central).
    • Irchamul – "The Land of Nine" – Ирчӏамалла лугъат (south).
  • Lower Kaitag – Убахӏ Хайдакь (north-east).
    • Barshamai – Баршамагӏган лугъат (north).
    • Karatsan – Гъаӏрцӏнила лугъат.
    • Jibahni – Чӏивхӏан лугъат.
    • Sanchi – Сунклан лугъат.

Phonology

Vowels

There are 4 basic vowels, and 4 pharyngealized counterparts. Phonemes adjacent to pharyngeal consonants /ʡ/ and /ħ/ are always pharyngealized.[4] Additionally, vowel harmony, where pivoting pharyngealized vowels propagate the effect onto adjacent ones.

Vowel phonemes of Kaitag
Front Back
plain pharyngealized plain pharyngealized
close [u] у u [uˤ] уӏ ü
near-close [ɪ] и i [ɪˤ] иӏ ï
open-mid [ɛ] е e [ɛˤ] еӏ ë
open [ɑ] а a [ɑˤ] аӏ ä

Consonants

There are 62 consonants, formed 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]

Consonant phonemes of Kaitag
Bilabial Dental Alveolar Palatal Velar Uvular Pharyngeal Glottal
plain labialized plain labialized plain labialized plain labialized plain labialized
Nasal [m] м m [n] н n
Plosive voiced [b] б b [d] д d [g] г g [gʷ] гв gw [ʡ] гӏ ÿ [ʔ] ъ y
aspirated [pʰ] п p [tʰ] т t [kʰ] к k [kʰʷ] кв kw [qʰ] къ q [qʰʷ] къв qw
fortis [pː] пп pp [tː] тт tt [kː] кк kk [kːʷ] ккв kkw [qː] ккъ qq [qːʷ] ккъв qqw
ejective [pʼ] пӏ pʼ [tʼ] тӏ tʼ [kʼ] кӏ kʼ [kʼʷ] кӏв kʼw [qʼ] кь qʼ [qʼʷ] кьв qʼw
Affricate aspirated [t͡sʰ] ц c [t͡ʃʰ] ч ç [t͡ʃʰʷ] чв çw [q͡χʰ] хъ qx [q͡χʰʷ] хъв qxw
fortis [t͡sː] цц cc [t͡ʃː] чч çç [t͡ʃːʷ] ччв çw
ejective [t͡sʼ] цӏ cʼ [t͡ʃʼ] чӏ çʼ [t͡ʃʼʷ] чӏв çʼw
Fricative voiced [β] в v [z] з z [ʒ] ж ẑ [ʒʷ] жв ẑw [ʁ] гъ ĝ [ʁʷ] гъв ĝw [ħ] хӏ ħ [h] гь h [hʷ] гьв hw
plain [ɸ] ф f [s] с s [ʃ] ш ş [ʃʷ] шв şw [ç] хь ĵ [çʷ] хьв ĵw [χ] х x [χʷ] хв xw
fortis [sː] сс ss [ʃː] шш şş [ʃːʷ] шшв şşw [çː] ххь ĵĵ [çːʷ] ххьв ĵĵw [χː] хх xx [χːʷ] ххв xxw
Trill [r] р r
Approximant [l] л l [j] й j

References
  1. Ethnologue report for Dargwa
  2. Ronald Wixman, Peoples of the USSR: An Ethnographic Handbook, Routledge, 28 Jul 2017, p.89
  3. Temirbulatova, Sapiyahanum (2006). Kaitag dialect of Dargwa. Makhachkala: Dagestani State University. pp. 5–22.
  4. Temirbulatova, Sapiyahanum (2006). Kaitag dialect of Dargwa. Makhachkala: Dagestani State University. pp. 22–26.
  5. Temirbulatova, Sapiyahanum (2006). Kaitag dialect of Dargwa. Makhachkala: Dagestani State University. pp. 26–30.
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