Avar language 394894 223896095 2008-07-06T11:37:49Z Lightbot 7178666 Units/dates/other {{otheruses4|Avar language|Avar people|Caucasian Avars}} {{language |name=Avar |nativename='''Авар мац{{unicode|Ӏ}}'''<br>Awar macʼ |familycolor=Caucasian |states=[[Russia]], [[Azerbaijan]], [[Kazakhstan]] and [[Turkey]] |region=Republic of [[Dagestan]] |speakers=~600,000 |fam1=[[North Caucasian languages|North Caucasian]] ''(disputed)'' |fam2=[[Northeast Caucasian languages|Northeast Caucasian]] |fam3=[[Avar-Andic languages|Avar-Andic]] |iso1=av|iso2=ava|iso3=ava}} The modern '''Avar language''' (self-designation '''маг{{unicode|Ӏ}}арул мац{{unicode|Ӏ}}''' {{IPA|[maʕarul maʦʼ]}} "language of the mountains" or '''Авар мац{{unicode|Ӏ}}''' {{IPA|[awar maʦʼ]}} "Avar language") belongs to the Avar-Andi-Tsez subgroup of the Alarodian Northeast-Caucasian (or Nakh-Dagestani) language family. ==Geographic distribution== It is spoken mainly in the eastern and southern parts of the Russian Caucasus republic of [[Dagestan]], and the Balaken, Zakatala north-west region of [[Azerbaijan]]. Some population of Avars live in other regions of Russia. There are also small communities of speakers living in the Russian republics of [[Chechnya]] and [[Kalmykia]]; in [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Kazakhstan]], [[Jordan]], and the [[Marmara Sea]] region of [[Turkey]]. It has more than 1,400,000 speakers worldwide. ===Official status=== It is one of six literary languages of Dagestan, where it is spoken not only by Avars, but also serves as the language of communication between different groups. ===Dialects=== There are two main dialect groups: the northern (Avar literature), which includes Khunzakh, Kazbek, [[Gunib]], Gumbet and others; and the southern (sub dialects), which includes Andalal, Gidatl', Antsukh, Charoda, Tlyarata, Cumada, Cunta and others. Avar has fifteen spoken dialects, which by many linguists are considered separate languages: Avar, [[Bagulal language|Bagulal]], [[Chamalal language|Chamalal]], [[Budukh language|Budukh]], [[Botlikh language|Botlikh]], [[Andi language|Andi]], [[Godoberi language|Godoberi]], [[Tindi language|Tindi]], [[Karati language|Karati]], [[Akhvakh language|Akhvakh]], [[Tsez language|Tsez]] (also known as Dido), [[Khwarshi language|Khwarshi]], [[Hinukh language|Hinukh]], [[Hunzib language|Hunzib]] and [[Bezhta language|Bezhta]], each named after its speaking tribe. ==Writing system== The Avar language has been written since the 15th century, in the old [[Georgian alphabet]]. From the 17th century onwards it was written in a modified [[Arabic alphabet|Arabic script]] known as ''Ajam'', which is still known today. As part of Soviet language planning policies the Ajam was replaced by a Latin alphabet in 1928, which was in turn replaced by the current [[Cyrillic alphabet]] in 1938. It is essentially the Russian alphabet plus one additional letter named ''[[palochka]]'' ({{unicode|Ӏ}}). As that letter is undisplayable on most computers, it is routinely replaced with capital Latin letter ''I'' (''palochka'' has no uppercase form). == Orthography == {| 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:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | А а | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Б б | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | В в | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Г г | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Гъ гъ | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Гь гь | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | ГI гI | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Д д |- | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Е е | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Ё ё | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Ж ж | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | З з | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | И и | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Й й | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | К к | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Къ къ |- | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Кь кь | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | КI кI | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | КIкI кIкI | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Кк кк | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Л л | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | М м | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Н н | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | О о |- | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | П п | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Р р | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | С с | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Т т | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | ТI тI | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | У у | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Ф ф | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Х х |- | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Хх хх | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Хъ хъ | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Хь хь | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | ХI хI | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Ц ц | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Цц цц | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | ЦI цI | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | ЦIцI цIцI |- | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Ч ч | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | ЧI чI | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | ЧIчI чIчI | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Ш ш | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Щ щ | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Ъ ъ | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Ы ы | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Ь ь |- | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Э э | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Ю ю | style="width:4em; text-align:center; padding: 4px;" | Я я |} ==History== The literary language is based on the '''болмац{{unicode|Ӏ}}''' (bolmac{{unicode|ʼ}}) — ''bo'' = "army" or "country", and ''mac{{unicode|ʼ}}'' = "language" — the common language used between speakers of different dialects and languages. The bolmac{{unicode|ʼ}} in turn was mainly derived from the dialect of [[Khunzakh]], the capital and cultural centre of the Avar region, with some influence from the southern dialects. Nowadays the literary language is influencing the dialects, levelling out their differences. The most famous figure of modern Avar literature is [[Rasul Gamzatov]] (died [[November 3]], [[2003]]), the People's Poet of Dagestan. Translations of his works into [[Russian language|Russian]] have gained him a wide audience all over the former [[Soviet Union]]. ==Samples== {| border=0 | '''Hello!''' | Ворч{{unicode|Ӏ}}ами! | ''Worč{{unicode|ʼ}}ami!'' |- | '''How do you do?''' | Щиб х{{unicode|Ӏ}}al бугеб? | ''Ššib ħal bugeb?'' |- | '''What is your name?''' | Дуда ц{{unicode|Ӏ}}ар щиб? | ''Duda c{{unicode|ʼ}}ar ššib?'' |- | '''How old are you?''' | Чан сон дур бугеб? | ''Čan son dur bugeb?'' |- | '''Where are you going?''' | Киве мун унев вугев? | ''Kiwe mun unew wugew?'' |- | '''Sorry!''' | Т{{unicode|Ӏ}}аса лъугьа! | ''T{{unicode|ʼ}}asa łuha!'' |- | '''Where is the little boy going?''' | Киве гьит{{unicode|Ӏ}}инав вас унев вугев? | ''Kiwe hit{{unicode|ʼ}}inaw was unew wugew?'' |- | '''The bottle broke.''' | Васас шиша бекана. | ''Wasas šiša bekana.'' |- | '''They are building the road.''' | Гьез нух гьабулеб буго. | ''Hez nux habuleb bugo.'' |} ==See also== * [[Dene-Caucasian languages]] ==External links== {{InterWiki|code=av}} *[http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=ava Ethnologue report for Avar] **[http://gilles.authier.free.fr/avar.htm Avar course (in French)] [[Category:Northeast Caucasian languages]] [[Category:Languages of Azerbaijan]] [[Category:Languages of Kazakhstan]] [[Category:Languages of Russia]] [[Category:Languages of Turkey]] [[Category:Dagestan]] [[av:МагIарул мацI]] [[br:Avareg]] [[bg:Аварски език]] [[ca:Àvar]] [[cs:Avarština]] [[de:Awarische Sprache (Kaukasus)]] [[es:Idioma ávaro]] [[fr:Avar]] [[ko:아바르어]] [[is:Avarska]] [[lv:Avāru valoda]] [[ms:Bahasa Avar]] [[ja:アヴァル語]] [[ce:ЖIайхойн мотт]] [[no:Avarisk]] [[pl:Język awarski]] [[pt:Língua avar]] [[ru:Аварский язык]] [[simple:Avar language]] [[fi:Avaarin kieli]] [[sv:Avariska]] [[tr:Avarca]] [[tk:Awar dili]] [[uk:Аварська мова]]