Amuzgi–Shiri language
| Amuzgi-Shiri | |
|---|---|
| Amuzgu-Shiri | |
| Амузги-ширинский язык | |
| Native to | North Caucasus |
| Region | Dagestan |
Native speakers | 1,500-2,000[1][2] |
| Dialects |
|
| unwritten | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | None (mis) |
| Glottolog | sirz1237 |
Amuzgi-Shiri | |
Amuzgi-Shiri is one of the Dargin languages, spoken in the central part of Dagestan, mainly in the villages of Amuzgi and Shari in the Dakhadayevsky District.[3] It is an unwritten and poorly studied idiom, traditionally attributed to the Dargin language group,[4] but possessing significant lexical and grammatical differences that allow it to be distinguished as a separate language.[5]
Number of Speakers
The number of native speakers is estimated at between 1,500 and 3,000 people.[2] The language is unwritten, but is used in everyday communication; Dargwa, based on the Aqusha, predominates in writing and education.
Linguistic characteristics
The Amuzgi-Shiri language exhibits a number of phonetic, morphological and lexical features that distinguish it from both Ashti-Kubachi and other Dargin languages.
Phonetics
The presence of special guttural consonants and phonemes with pharyngealization, which are absent in literary Dargin. Differences in tone and intensity in long vowels (affects the semantic load).
Morphology
A verb conjugation system different from Dargin. Own paradigm of possessive forms. Ergative declension in a noun phrase with unique locative indicators.
Vocabulary
There are a significant number of lexemes that do not coincide with other Dargin idioms, as well as traces of borrowings from Kumyk and Persian.
Status and classification
The status of Amuzgi-Shiri as a language or dialect remains controversial. Some classifications treat it as a dialect of Dargin, while others consider it an independent language within the Dargin branch.
History of study
Amuzgi-Shiri was first identified as a language thanks to the work of Oleg Belyaev.[6] Previously, Amuzgi-Shiri and Ashti-Kubachi were considered varieties of the same idiom, but significant structural and lexical differences were later identified between them, which allowed them to be identified as separate linguistic entities within the Dargin group.
References
- ^ a b Коряков, Юрий (2021). "Даргинские языки и их классификация" [Dargwa languages and their classification]. In Майсак, Т. А.; Сумбатова, Н. Р.; Тестелец, Я. Г. (eds.). Дурхъаси Хазна. Сборник Статей К 60-Летию Р. О. Муталова / Ред. Т. А. Майсак, Н. Р. Сумбатова, Я. Г. Тестелец. М.: Буки Веди Дурхъаси хазна. Сборник статей к 60-летию Р. О. Муталова (in Russian). Буки Веди. pp. 146–147. ISBN 978-5-6045633-5-9. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ^ a b "Даргинские языки". Большая российская энциклопедия (in Russian). 2022-11-01. Retrieved 2026-02-17.
- ^ Муталов Расул О (2021). "КЛАССИФИКАЦИЯ ДАРГИНСКИХ ЯЗЫКОВ И ДИАЛЕКТОВ" (in Russian). pp. 8–25. Retrieved 2026-02-17.
- ^ "Dargwa. A language of Russian Federation". Ethnologue: Languages of the World (17th Edition). 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-10-17. Retrieved 2026-02-17.
- ^ Said Magomedovich Khaidakov. Ла́кско-дарги́нские языки́. Retrieved 2026-02-17.
- ^ "амузгиширинский, благодаря полевым трудам Олега Беляева" (PDF) (in Russian). Retrieved 17 February 2026.
External links
- Коряков Ю.Б. Лексикостатистическая классификация даргинских языков — 2012
- Алексеев М. Е. Даргинские языки // Языки мира: Кавказские языки. — М., 1999.
- Магомедов Х. И. Диалектная структура даргинского языка. — Махачкала: Дагучпедгиз, 1984.
- Магомедов Х. И., Магомедова П. Х. Словарь даргинских диалектов. — Махачкала, 2003.
- Даргинские диалекты с. Шири и Амузги