Bzhedug dialect

The Bzhedug dialect (Adyghe: Бжъэдыгъубзэ) is a dialect of Adyghe.^[1][2] The Bzhedug dialect is spoken by the Bzhedugs who live mostly in Adygea and Biga.

In the Bzhedug dialect (as in the Northern Shapsug dialect) in some cases the consonants н [n], м [m] and р [r] are dropped and are not pronounced.^[3]

• The consonant м [m] is dropped before bilabial stops б [b], п [p], пI [pʼ] :

• The consonant н [n] is dropped before postalveolar affricates дж [d͡ʒ], ч [t͡ʃ], кI [t͡ʃʼ] and before alveolar stops д [d], т [t], тI [tʼ] :

The aspirated consonants originally existed in the Proto-Circassian language, which maintained a strict distinction between aspirated and tense variants of voiceless consonants. While these sounds were lost or shifted in most modern dialects, they successfully survived in the Shapsug, Bzhedug, and Hatuqay dialects.

In these dialects, there exists a series of aspirated consonants (/pʰ/ /tʰ/ /ʃʰ/ /t͡sʰ/ /t͡ʃʰ/ /t͡ʂʰ/ /t͡ɕʷʰ/ /kʲʰ/ /kʷʰ/ /qʰ/ /qʷʰ/) that became plain consonants in other dialects:^[4][5]

• Shapsug, Bzhedug & Hatuqay пʰ [pʰ] ↔ п [p] in other dialects :

• Shapsug, Bzhedug & Hatuqay тʰ [tʰ] ↔ т [t] in other dialects :

• Shapsug, Bzhedug & Hatuqay цʰ [t͡sʰ] ↔ ц [t͡s] in other dialects :

• Shapsug, Bzhedug & Hatuqay шʰ [ʃʰ] ↔ щ [ɕ] in other Adyghe dialects :

• Shapsug кьʰ [kʲʰ] ↔ ч [t͡ʃ] in other dialects (чʰ [t͡ʃʰ] in Bzhedug & Hatuqay) :

• Shapsug, Bzhedug & Hatuqay кʰу [kʷʰ] ↔ ку [kʷ] in other dialects :

• Shapsug, Bzhedug & Hatuqay къʰ [qʰ] ↔ къ [q] in other Adyghe dialects. Note: In many Shapsug dialects (such as Kfar Kama), this became the fricative хъ [χ], while in Natukhai and Hatuqay it became the affricate кхъ [q͡χ].

• Shapsug, Bzhedug & Hatuqay къуʰ [qʷʰ] ↔ къу [qʷ] in other Adyghe dialects. Note: In Shapsug dialects, this became хъу [χʷ], while in Natukhai and Hatuqay it became кхъу [q͡χʷ].

• Shapsug, Bzhedug & Hatuqay чъʰу [t͡ɕʷʰ] ↔ чу [t͡ʃʷ] (spelled цу) in Temirgoy:

In Proto-Circassian, there was a clear distinction between aspirated and tense variants of voiceless consonants. The tense variants survived in western dialects like Shapsug, Hatuqay, Bzhedug, and Chemguy (Temirgoy). In linguistics literature, these tense consonants are often represented with a colon (e.g., tː) to denote gemination/tenseness, and in some Cyrillic orthographies, they are represented with double letters (e.g., пп, тт, цц) or with a colon (e.g., п:, т:, ц:).

In the eastern dialects (Besleney and Kabardian), the tense variants shifted and became voiced.

• pː ⟨п: / пп⟩ → b ⟨б⟩
• tː ⟨т: / тт⟩ → d ⟨д⟩
• t͡sː ⟨ц: / цц⟩ → d͡z ⟨дз⟩
• t͡ɕːʷ ⟨цу: / цуцу⟩ → v ⟨в⟩
• kːʲ ⟨кь: / кькь⟩ → ɡʲ ⟨гь⟩ / d͡ʒ ⟨дж⟩
• kːʷ ⟨ку: / куку⟩ → ɡʷ ⟨гу⟩
• t͡ʃː ⟨ч: / чч⟩ → d͡ʒ ⟨дж⟩ / ʒ ⟨ж⟩
• t͡ʂː ⟨чъ: / чъчъ⟩ → d͡ʐ ⟨джъ⟩ / ʒ ⟨ж⟩

The Voiceless velar fricative [x] becomes the aspirated Voiceless velar plosive [kʰ] (like English c in car, cup, cop, or curse) after the Voiceless postalveolar fricative [ʃ]. In this environment, the velar fricative undergoes hardening to become a plosive. This change only occurred in some Abzakh sub-dialects and in Bzhedug dialects. This should not be confused with the palatalized kʲ (like English c in camera, cannon, or cow).^[6][7][8][9]

In the Bzhedugh, Hatuqay and Shapsug dialects, a specific consonant hardening process known as affrication occurs. During this process, softer "sh" sounds (palato-alveolar fricatives) harden into "ch" sounds (affricates) whenever they directly follow the sibilant consonants ⟨с⟩ [s] or ⟨шъу⟩ [ʃʷ].

To understand this, it helps to think of a similar unwritten sound change in English involving the letters dr and tr. Even though it isn't spelled this way, drink, drop, and dragon are naturally pronounced with a "j-r" sound instead of a hard "d-r". Similarly, tree, true, and trust are pronounced with a "ch-r" sound instead of a "t-r". In these Adyghe dialects, the combination of these specific consonants naturally hardens in speech in the exact same way.

Importantly, this sound change is not written, but is pronounced. Standard Adyghe spelling keeps the original letters, but speakers of these dialects will automatically pronounce the hardened versions.

Specifically, the following base letter changes take place:

• ⟨ш⟩ and ⟨щ⟩ harden into ⟨ч⟩.
• ⟨шъ⟩ hardens into ⟨чъ⟩.
• ⟨шӏ⟩ hardens into ⟨чӏ⟩.
• ⟨шъу⟩ hardens into ⟨чъу⟩.
• ⟨шӏу⟩ hardens into ⟨чӏу⟩.

Pronunciation Rules In grammar, this process is almost exclusively triggered when attaching the first-person singular prefix с- (I/me) or the second-person plural prefix шъу- (you all) to a word.

Here are all the possible combinations where this sound change occurs:

When the change occurs The change only happens when the triggering prefix directly touches the affected consonant.

When the change does NOT occur If there is a vowel in between the letters, or if a different consonant prefix is used, the sound does not harden.

Comprehensive Examples Below are extensive examples comparing the standard orthography with the spoken affrication in the Bzhedugh, Hatuqay and Shapsug dialects, demonstrating both the 1st Person Singular (с-) and 2nd Person Plural (шъу-) grammatical forms.

In the instrumental case the noun has the suffix мджэ (-md͡ʒa) or -джэ (-d͡ʒa) unlike other dialects (e.g. Abzakh, Temirgoy and Standard Kabardian) that has the suffix -мкIэ (-mt͡ʃʼa) or -кIэ (-t͡ʃʼa) :

• Bzhedug dialect: КIалэр Адыгэбзэджэ мэгущаIэ ↔ Standard: КIалэр АдыгэбзэкIэ мэгущыIэ – "The boy speaks (using) Adyghe language".
• Bzhedug dialect: Къэлэмымджэ сэтхэ ↔ Standard: КъэлэмымкIэ сэтхэ – "I write (using) with the pencil".

In this dialect the future tense suffix is ~эт (~at) and in some cases ~ыт (~ət) unlike standard Adyghe (Temirgoy) that has the Suffix ~щт (~ɕt).

Adyghe has three main demonstratives to indicate spatial proximity and visibility, which frequently act as determiners or prefixes attached to nouns, verbs, or adverbs:

• а- – That (invisible or out of the speaker's line of sight)
• мо- – That (visible to the speaker)
• мы- – This (close proximity to the speaker)

In the Shapsug, Bzhedugh, and Hatuqai dialects, the standard visible demonstrative мо- is replaced by a different prefix. Additionally, these dialects use a different locative suffix (-у or -уджэ) compared to the standard Adyghe -кӏэ.

• Shapsug: The visible demonstrative prefix is pronounced as a labial glide [w]. In Cyrillic, this is represented by a vowel shift (e.g., forming оу).
• Bzhedugh & Hatuqai: The visible demonstrative shifted and is pronounced as a glottal fricative [h]. Because the standard Adyghe Cyrillic alphabet lacks an official letter for this specific "h" sound, the digraph хӏ (using the Cyrillic palochka) is used in the orthography to replace the standard мо-.

The following table illustrates the general locative forms derived from these demonstratives. Note that the locative suffix -у remains consistent across the dialects; only the visible demonstrative prefix changes:

When modifying nouns, these demonstratives precede the noun to indicate its spatial relationship and visibility to the speaker. For example, using the noun кӏалэ (boy) in Bzhedugh and Hatuqai:

• а кӏалэ – that boy (invisible or out of sight)
• хӏо кӏалэ – that boy (visible); that boy over there
• мы кӏалэ – this boy

To demonstrate how this visible demonstrative functions as a bound prefix, the base хӏо- attaches directly to various roots and suffixes in Bzhedugh and Hatuqai to form demonstrative pronouns, adverbs of time, and manner (acting as the direct equivalent to the standard мо-):

• хӏодэ – there
• хӏоры – that's it; there he is
• хӏоу – there
• хӏоущтэу – like that
• хӏощгъум – then

The following table illustrates these derivations across dialects:

In standard Adyghe, present participles (often functioning equivalently to gerunds) decline using standard nominal case suffixes. However, the Shapsug, Bzhedugh, and Hatuqai dialects feature a distinct phonological elision in the absolutive case, where the final absolutive suffix -р (-r) is not pronounced.^[10][11]

Consequently, absolutive present participles in these dialects end simply in -рэ instead of the standard -рэр. For example, the standard Adyghe phrase кӏалэу кӏорэр ("the boy who is going") is realized in these dialects as кӏалэу кӏорэ.

The North Wind and the Sun, written in Bzhedug:

• Hakuchi dialect
• Hatuqay dialect
• Shapsug dialect
• Abzakh dialect
• Baslaney dialect

• A song in Bzhedug dialect (Emizh Nurbi – Come Home in peace)
• A song in Bzhedug dialect (Emizh Nurbi – I want you)

• Sitimova, S. S. (2004). Бжедугский диалект в адыгейском языковом мире [The Bzhedug Dialect in the Adyghe Language World] (in Russian). Maykop: OOO "Kachestvo". ISBN 5-901701-51-8.