Proto-Kabardian language

❧

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Proto-Kabardian language" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Proto-Kabardian
Proto Eastern Circassian
Reconstruction of	Circassian languages
Reconstructed ancestor	Proto-Northwest Caucasian

Proto-Kabardian (or Proto Eastern Circassian) is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Kabardian dialects and the Besleney dialect. Together with its sister language, Proto-Adyghean, it is descended from Proto-Circassian.

Phonology

Consonants

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

Proto Eastern	Besleney	Kabardian
b ⟨б⟩
p ⟨п⟩
pʼ ⟨пӏ⟩
d ⟨д⟩
t ⟨т⟩
tʼ ⟨тӏ⟩
ɡʲ ⟨гь⟩		d͡ʒ ⟨дж⟩
kʲ ⟨кь⟩		t͡ʃ ⟨ч⟩
kʲʼ ⟨кӏь⟩		t͡ʃʼ ⟨кӏ⟩
ɡʷ ⟨гу⟩
kʷ ⟨ку⟩
kʷʼ ⟨кӏу⟩
q ⟨къ⟩
q͡χ ⟨кхъ⟩
qʷ ⟨къу⟩
q͡χʷ ⟨кхъу⟩
d͡z ⟨дз⟩
t͡s ⟨ц⟩
t͡sʼ ⟨цӏ⟩
v ⟨в⟩
d͡ʒ ⟨дж⟩		ʒ ⟨ж⟩
d͡ʐ ⟨джъ⟩		ʒ ⟨ж⟩
t͡ʃ ⟨ч⟩		ʃ ⟨ш⟩
t͡ʂ ⟨чъ⟩		ʃ ⟨ш⟩
t͡ʃʼ ⟨чӏ⟩		ɕʼ ⟨щӏ⟩
t͡ʂʼ ⟨чӏъ⟩		ɕʼ ⟨щӏ⟩
z ⟨з⟩
s ⟨с⟩
ʑ ⟨жь⟩
ɕ ⟨щ⟩
ɕʼ ⟨щӏ⟩
ʐʷ ⟨жъу⟩	v ⟨в⟩
ʂʷ ⟨шъу⟩	f ⟨ф⟩
ʃʷʼ ⟨шӏу⟩	fʼ ⟨фӏ⟩
ʑ ⟨ж⟩
ʐ ⟨жъ⟩		ʑ ⟨жь⟩
ʃ ⟨ш⟩
ʂ ⟨шъ⟩		ɕ ⟨щ⟩
ɮ ⟨л⟩
ɬ ⟨лъ⟩
ɬʼ ⟨лӏ⟩
ɣ ⟨г⟩
x ⟨х⟩
xʷ ⟨ху⟩
ʁ ⟨гъ⟩
ʁʷ ⟨гъу⟩
χ ⟨хъ⟩
χʷ ⟨хъу⟩
ħ ⟨хь⟩
m ⟨м⟩
n ⟨н⟩
r ⟨р⟩
w ⟨у⟩
j ⟨й⟩
ʔ ⟨ӏ⟩
ʔʷ ⟨ӏу⟩

Velar consonants to palato-alveolar

In the Proto-Kabardian language there exist a palatalized voiced velar stop [ɡʲ] ⟨гь⟩, a palatalized voiceless velar stop [kʲ] ⟨кь⟩ and a palatalized velar ejective [kʲʼ] ⟨кӏь⟩.^[1] The consonants гь [ɡʲ], кь [kʲ] and кӏь [kʲʼ] survived in the in the Besleney dialect and in several Kabardian dialects (such as Kabardian Uzunyayla).^[2] In other Kabardian dialects, mainly in Kabardino and Cherkessia, they became palato-alveolar consonants дж [d͡ʒ], ч [t͡ʃ] and кӏ [t͡ʃʼ] respectively.

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

Word	Proto Kabardian	Baslaney	Other Kabardian dialects	Modern Standard Kabardian
game	ɡʲaɡʷ ⟨гьэгу⟩	ɡʲaɡʷ ⟨гьэгу⟩	ɡʲaɡʷ ⟨гьэгу⟩	d͡ʒaɡʷ ⟨джэгу⟩
shirt	ɡʲaːna ⟨гьанэ⟩	ɡʲaːna ⟨гьанэ⟩	ɡʲaːna ⟨гьанэ⟩	d͡ʒːna ⟨джанэ⟩
glass	aːbɡʲ ⟨абгь⟩	aːbɡʲ ⟨абгь⟩	aːbɡʲ ⟨абгь⟩	ʔaːbd͡ʒ ⟨абдж⟩
chicken	ɡʲad ⟨гьэд⟩	ɡʲad ⟨гьэд⟩	ɡʲad ⟨гьэд⟩	d͡ʒad ⟨джэд⟩
girl	χəɡʲabz ⟨хъыгьэбз⟩	χəɡʲabz ⟨хъыгьэбз⟩	χəɡʲabz ⟨хъыгьэбз⟩	χəd͡ʒabz ⟨хъыджэбз⟩
short	kʲʼaːkʷa ⟨кӏьакуэ⟩	kʲʼaːkʷa ⟨кӏьакуэ⟩	kʲʼaːkʷa ⟨кӏьакуэ⟩	t͡ʃʼaːɡʷa ⟨кӏагуэ⟩
rope	kʲʼaːpsa ⟨кӏьапсэ⟩	kʲʼaːpsa ⟨кӏьапсэ⟩	kʲʼaːpsa ⟨кӏьапсэ⟩	t͡ʃʼaːpsa ⟨кӏапсэ⟩

Affricate to fricative

Proto-Kabardian had 6 distinct consonants:

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

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

d͡ʒ ⟨дж⟩ → ʒ ⟨ж⟩
t͡ʃ ⟨ч⟩ → ʃ ⟨ш⟩ / ʒ ⟨ж⟩
t͡ʃʼ ⟨чӏ⟩ → ɕʼ ⟨щӏ⟩

In the Baslaney dialect, they were unchanged and remained d͡ʒ ⟨дж⟩, t͡ʃ ⟨ч⟩ and t͡ʃʼ ⟨чӏ⟩. For example:

The Proto-Kabardian word чӏэкӏьын "to come out from under" became щӏэкӏьын in Kabardian.
The Proto-Kabardian word чӏэгъуэжын "to regret" became щӏэгъуэжын in Kabardian.
The Proto-Kabardian word пачӏэ "mustache" became пащӏэ in both Kabardian.
The Proto-Kabardian word чӏалэ "boy; young man" became щӏалэ in Kabardian.
The Proto-Kabardian word чӏымахуэ "winter" became щӏымахуэ in Kabardian.
The Proto-Kabardian word чӏэ "new" became щӏэ in both Kabardian.

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

Later on, in the Kabardian dialects mainly in Kabardino and Cherkessia, the velar consonants гь [ɡʲ], кь [kʲ] and кӏь [kʲʼ] became palato-alveolar consonants дж [d͡ʒ], ч [t͡ʃ] and чӏ [t͡ʃʼ] respectively.^[3] Now words like кӏапсэ "rope", кӏагуэ "short" & кӏэ "tail" were pronounced with чӏ t͡ʃʼ. In Modern Standard Kabardian, even though the letter is written as "кӏ", it is pronounced as чӏ t͡ʃʼ.

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

Word	Proto Kabardian	Baslaney	Modern Standard Kabardian	Some Kabardian dialects
tail	kʲʼa ⟨кӏьэ⟩	kʲʼa ⟨кӏьэ⟩	t͡ʃʼa ⟨кӏэ⟩	kʲʼa ⟨кӏьэ⟩
new	t͡ʃʼa ⟨чӏэ⟩	t͡ʃʼa ⟨чӏэ⟩	ʃʼa ⟨щӏэ⟩	ʃʼa ⟨щӏэ⟩
winter	t͡ʃʼəmaːxʷa ⟨чӏымахуэ⟩	t͡ʃʼəmaːxʷa ⟨чӏымахуэ⟩	ʃʼəmaːxʷa ⟨щӏымахуэ⟩	ʃʼəmaːxʷa ⟨щӏымахуэ⟩
mustache	paːt͡ʃʼa ⟨пачӏэ⟩	paːt͡ʃʼa ⟨пачӏэ⟩	paːʃʼa ⟨пащӏэ⟩	paːʃʼa ⟨пащӏэ⟩

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

d͡ʒ ⟨дж⟩ → ʒ ⟨ж⟩
t͡ʃ ⟨ч⟩ → ʃ ⟨ш⟩ / ʒ ⟨ж⟩
t͡ʃʼ ⟨чӏ⟩ → ɕʼ ⟨щӏ⟩

Word	Proto Kabardian	Baslaney	Kabardian
fox	baːd͡ʒa ⟨баджэ⟩	baːd͡ʒa ⟨баджэ⟩	baːʒa ⟨бажэ⟩
village	qʷaːd͡ʒa ⟨къуаджэ⟩	qʷaːd͡ʒa ⟨къуаджэ⟩	qʷaːʒa ⟨къуажэ⟩
village	d͡ʒəɮa ⟨джылэ⟩	d͡ʒəɮa ⟨джылэ⟩	ʒəɮa ⟨жылэ⟩
night	d͡ʒaɕ ⟨джэщ⟩	d͡ʒaɕ ⟨джэщ⟩	ʒaɕ ⟨жэщ⟩
cow	d͡ʒam ⟨джэм⟩	d͡ʒam ⟨джэм⟩	ʒam ⟨жэм⟩
new	t͡ʃʼa ⟨чӏэ⟩	t͡ʃʼa ⟨чӏэ⟩	ɕʼa ⟨щӏэ⟩
winter	t͡ʃʼəmaːxʷa ⟨чӏымахуэ⟩	t͡ʃʼəmaːxʷa ⟨чӏымахуэ⟩	ɕʼəmaːxʷa ⟨щӏымахуэ⟩
young-man	t͡ʃʼaːɮa ⟨чӏалэ⟩	t͡ʃʼaːɮa ⟨чӏалэ⟩	ɕʼaːɮa ⟨щӏалэ⟩
to sleep	d͡ʐajən ⟨джъеин⟩	d͡ʐajən ⟨джъеин⟩	ʒajən ⟨жеин⟩
tree	d͡ʐəɣ ⟨джъыг⟩	d͡ʐəɣ ⟨джъыг⟩	ʒəɣ ⟨жыг⟩
to run	d͡ʐan ⟨джъэн⟩	d͡ʐan ⟨джъэн⟩	ʒan ⟨жэн⟩
area	t͡ʂʼəpʼa ⟨чӏыпӏэ⟩	t͡ʂʼəpʼa ⟨чӏыпӏэ⟩	ɕʼəpʼa ⟨щӏыпӏэ⟩
iron	ʁʷət͡ʂʼə ⟨гъучӏы⟩	ʁʷət͡ʂʼə ⟨гъучӏы⟩	ɕʼəpʼa ⟨гъущӏы⟩

Grammar

Disappearance of the absolutive third person plural in Modern Kabardian

In Circassian, there are two third person plural forms: the absolutive plural indicated by the suffix -x ⟨-х⟩, and the ergative plural, indicated by the prefix -jaː ⟨-я⟩.

An example with еджн (to read):

ар тхылъым еджащ "(s)he read the booy".
ахэр тхылъым еджахэщ "they read the book".
ар тхылъхэм яджащ "(s)he read the book".
ахэр тхылъхэм яджахэщ "they read the books".

An example with лъэгъун (to see):

абы ар илъэгъуащ "(s)he saw it"
абы ахэр илъэгъуахэщ "they saw it"
абыхэм ар ялъэгъуащ "(s)he saw them"
абыхэм ахэр ялъэгъуахэщ "they saw them"

In Modern Kabardian, the absolutive third-person plural has disappeared and now resembles the singular form.

English		Proto Kabardian		Other Kabardian dialects		Modern Standard Kabardian
Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
(s)he went	they went	ар кӏуа	ахэр кӏуах	ар кӏуас	ахэр кӏуахэс	ар кӏуащ	ахэр кӏуащ
(s)he read the book	they read the book	ар тхылъым егьа	ахэр тхылъым егьах	ар тхылъым егьас	ахэр тхылъым егьахэс	ар тхылъым еджащ	ахэр тхылъым еджащ
(s)he saw it	they saw them	абы ар илъэгъуа	абы ахэр илъэгъуах	абы ар илъэгъуас	абы ахэр илъэгъуасэх	абы ар илъэгъуащ	абы ахэр илъэгъуащ
(s)he killed it	they killed them	абы ар иукӏа	абы ахэр иукӏах	абы ар иукӏас	абы ахэр иукӏахэс	абы ар иукӏащ	абы ахэр иукӏащ
(s)he is going	they are going	ар макӏуэ	ахэр макӏуэх	ар макӏуэ	ахэр макӏуэх	ар макӏуэ	ахэр макӏуэ
(s)he is saying the word	they are saying the words	псалъэр жеӏэ	псалъэхэр жеӏэх	псалъэр жеӏэ	псалъэхэр жеӏэх	псалъэр жеӏэ	псалъэхэр жеӏэ

Disappearance of the present tense -r ⟨-р⟩ suffix

In Modern Kabardian, the suffix -r ⟨-р⟩ disappeared in the imperfect tense as well as in the negative present tense:

English	Proto Kabardian	Modern Standard Kabardian
(s)he does not read it	ар еджэркъым	ар еджэкъым
(s)he does not see it	абы илъэгъуэркъым	абы илъэгъуэкъым
(s)he used to smoke	ар ефэрт	ар ефэт

References

↑ Studia Caucasologica I page 11 (in English)
↑ Консонантная система уляпского говора в сопоставлении с аналогами других диалектов адыгских языков (in Russian)
↑ Studia Caucasologica I page 11 (in English)

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