Proto-Circassian language

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Proto-Circassian (or Proto-Adyghe–Kabardian) is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Adyghean and Kabardian languages.

The consonant system is reconstructed with a four-way phonation contrast in stops and affricates, and a two-way contrast in fricatives.

In the Proto-Circassian there was a series of aspirated consonants that survived in the Shapsug and Bzhedugh dialect while they became plain consonants in the other dialects.

• pʰ ⟨пʰ⟩ → p ⟨п⟩
• tʰ ⟨тʰ⟩ → t ⟨т⟩
• kʲʰ ⟨кʰь⟩ → t͡ʃ ⟨ч⟩
• kʷʰ ⟨кʰу⟩ → kʷ ⟨ку⟩
• qʰ ⟨кʰъ⟩ → q ⟨къ⟩
• qʷʰ ⟨кʰъу⟩ → qʷ ⟨къу⟩
• t͡sʰ ⟨цʰ⟩ → t͡s ⟨ц⟩
• t͡ɕʷʰ ⟨чʰу⟩ → t͡ɕʷ ⟨чу⟩
• ʃʰ ⟨шʰ⟩ → ʃ ⟨ш⟩
• ʂʰ ⟨шʰъ⟩ → ʂ ⟨шъ⟩

In the Proto-Circassian there was a series of tense consonants that became voiced in the eastern dialects.

• p ⟨п⟩ → b ⟨б⟩
• t ⟨т⟩ → d ⟨д⟩
• t͡s ⟨ц⟩ → d͡z ⟨дз⟩
• t͡ɕʷ ⟨цу⟩ → v ⟨в⟩
• kʲ ⟨кь⟩ → ɡʲ ⟨гь⟩ / d͡ʒ ⟨дж⟩
• kʷ ⟨ку⟩ → ɡʷ ⟨гу⟩
• t͡ʃ ⟨ч⟩ → d͡ʒ ⟨дж⟩ / ʒ ⟨ж⟩
• t͡ʂ ⟨чъ⟩ → d͡ʐ ⟨джъ⟩ / ʒ ⟨ж⟩

In the Proto-Circassian language there exist a palatalized voiced velar stop [ɡʲ] ⟨гь⟩, a palatalized aspirated voiceless velar stop [kʲʰ], a palatalized voiceless velar stop [kʲ] ⟨кь⟩ and a palatalized velar ejective [kʲʼ] ⟨кӏь⟩. The consonants гь [ɡʲ], кь [kʲ] and кӏь [kʲʼ] survive in the Shapsug dialect, in the Besleney dialect and in the Kabardian Uzunyayla dialect.^[1] In other Circassian dialects they were merged with the palato-alveolar consonants дж [d͡ʒ], ч [t͡ʃ] and кӏ [t͡ʃʼ] respectively.^[2][3][4]

• ɡʲ ⟨гь⟩ → d͡ʒ ⟨дж⟩
• kʲʰ ⟨кʰь⟩ → t͡ʃ ⟨ч⟩
• kʲ ⟨кь⟩ → t͡ʃ ⟨ч⟩ / ɡʲ ⟨гь⟩ / d͡ʒ ⟨дж⟩
• kʲʼ ⟨кӏь⟩ → t͡ʃʼ ⟨кӏ⟩

Historically, Proto-Circassian had 6 distinct consonants:

• d͡ʒ ⟨дж⟩
• t͡ʃ ⟨ч⟩
• t͡ʃʼ ⟨кӏ⟩
• ɡʲ ⟨гь⟩
• kʲ ⟨кь⟩
• kʲʼ ⟨кӏь⟩

Then, in the Abzakh and Kabardian dialects, the affricate postalveolar consonants became fricative:

• d͡ʒ ⟨дж⟩ → ʒ ⟨ж⟩
• t͡ʃ ⟨ч⟩ → ʃ ⟨ш⟩ / ʒ ⟨ж⟩
• t͡ʃʼ ⟨кӏ⟩ → ɕʼ ⟨щӏ⟩
• t͡ʂ ⟨чъ⟩ → ʂ ⟨шъ⟩ / ʒ ⟨ж⟩
• t͡ʂʼ ⟨чӏ⟩ → ɕʼ ⟨щӏ⟩

For example:

• The Proto-Circassian word кӏэкӏьын "to come out from under" became щӏэкӏьын in Kabardian and ӏекӏьын in Abzakh.
• The Proto-Circassian word кӏэгъуэжьын "to regret" became щӏэгъуэжын in Kabardian & ӏегъуэжьын Abzakh.
• The Proto-Circassian word пакӏэ "mustache" became пащӏэ in both Kabardian & Abzakh.
• The Proto-Circassian word кӏалэ "boy; young man" became щӏалэ in Kabardian and ӏалэ in Abzakh.
• The Proto-Circassian word кӏымахуэ "winter" became щӏымахуэ in Kabardian and щӏымафэ in Abzakh.
• The Proto-Circassian word кӏэ "new" became щӏэ in both Kabardian & Abzakh.

But words like кӏьапсэ "rope", кӏьакуэ "short" & кӏьэ "tail" were still pronounced with kʲʼ.

Later on, in the majority of Circassian dialects (both Adyghe and Kabardian dialects), the velar consonants гь [ɡʲ], кь [kʲ] and кӏь [kʲʼ] became palato-alveolar consonants дж [d͡ʒ], ч [t͡ʃ] and кӏ [t͡ʃʼ] respectively. Now words like кӏапсэ "rope", кӏакуэ "short" & кӏэ "tail" were pronounced with t͡ʃʼ.

For example, in the following table, you can see how the words "new" & "tail" are distinct in all dialects except Bzhedug & Chemgui.

The way the affricate postalveolar consonants became fricative in the Abzakh and the Kabardian dialects:

• d͡ʒ ⟨дж⟩ → ʒ ⟨ж⟩
• t͡ʃ ⟨ч⟩ → ʃ ⟨ш⟩ / ʒ ⟨ж⟩
• t͡ʃʼ ⟨кӏ⟩ → ɕʼ ⟨щӏ⟩
• t͡ʂ ⟨чъ⟩ → ʂ ⟨шъ⟩ / ʒ ⟨ж⟩
• t͡ʂʼ ⟨чӏ⟩ → ɕʼ ⟨щӏ⟩

Proto-Circassian had no labiodental fricatives: voiceless labiodental fricative [f] and voiced labiodental fricative [v]. Western Circassian received the labiodental fricatives from one source while Eastern Circassian received from another.

In Western:

• xʷ ⟨ху⟩ → f ⟨ф⟩

In Eastern:

• t͡ɕʷʰ ⟨цу⟩ → f ⟨ф⟩
• t͡ɕʷ ⟨цу⟩ → v ⟨в⟩
• ʑʷ ⟨жъу⟩ → v ⟨в⟩
• ɕʷ ⟨шъу⟩ → f ⟨ф⟩
• ɕʷʼ ⟨шӏу⟩ → fʼ ⟨фӏ⟩

Proto-Circassian had a labialized voiceless velar fricative [xʷ] which survived in the eastern dialects while it became a voiceless labiodental fricative [f] in the western dialects.

• xʷ ⟨ху⟩ → f ⟨ф⟩

Proto-Circassian had a series of labialized postalveolar consonants (t͡ɕʷ, ʑʷ, ɕʷ and ɕʷʼ). These consonants survived in the western dialects while they became labiodental consonants in the eastern dialects.

• t͡ɕʷʰ ⟨цу⟩ → f ⟨ф⟩
• t͡ɕʷ ⟨цу⟩ → v ⟨в⟩
• ʑʷ ⟨жъу⟩ → v ⟨в⟩
• ɕʷ ⟨шъу⟩ → f ⟨ф⟩
• ɕʷʼ ⟨шӏу⟩ → fʼ ⟨фӏ⟩

Schleicher's fable in Proto-Circassian:

χʷǝ č́ʷara-gjǝ

χʷǝ ja laśʷam mә q́ˤ:an

č́ʷara pǝʎ́an;

mǝ χwanǝta k:ʷǝm q:irǝ,

mǝ čʷǝχʷa čʷam,

mǝ ć̣ǝm pasa mǝš́ʷrǝ.

χʷǝ č́ʷara q̇́ˤan:

"źǝʁʷǝ sā ǵʷǝ,

q:ać̣am ć̣arǝ č́ʷara ḳ́ʷarǝ."

č́ʷara q̇́ˤan: "q:́ˤʷa χʷǝ!

źǝʁʷǝ š́a ǵʷǝ ć̣arǝ,

q:ać̣a, ł́a, č́ʷara laśʷam

ʎ́ʷa ḳ́ač̣ʷǝm čǝ-wǝ,

χʷiara-gjǝ laśʷam mә q́ˤ:a."

nǝ q:́aˤʷasa χʷǝ rǝq:ʷada q:ˤʷan.

Wiktionary has a list of reconstructed forms at Appendix:Proto-Northwest Caucasian reconstructions

• Proto-Abazgi language
• Proto-Northwest Caucasian language

• STAROSTIN, Sergei A.; NIKOLAYEV, Sergei L. (1994). A North Caucasian Etymological Dictionary: Preface.
• Common West Caucasian: The Reconstruction of its Phonological System and Parts of its Lexicon and Morphology. Leiden, The Netherlands : Research School CNWS, 1996; xxvi, 452 p. : ill. ; 24 cm. ISBN 9073782732