The Dargin languages consist of a dialect continuum of over 60[3] Northeast Caucasian languages or dialects spoken by the Dargin people in southcentral Dagestan. Kajtak, Kubachi, Itsari, Mehweb and Chirag are often considered dialects of the same Dargin/Dargwa language. Ethnologue lists these under a common Dargin language, but also states that these may be separate languages from Dargwa proper.[citation needed] Reasons for classifying the southern group of dialects from the northern group is that speakers of the southern dialects have been reported as treating the literary Aqusha dialect as a foreign language.[4] Due to the linguistic fragmentation of the Dargin langiuages, speakers use Russian as a lingua franca.[5]

Dargin
Dargwa
Geographic
distribution
Southcentral Dagestan[citation needed]
Native speakers
590,000 (2020 census)[1]
Linguistic classificationNortheast Caucasian
  • Dargin
Subdivisions
Language codes
ISO 639-2 / 5dar
ISO 639-3dar
Glottologdarg1242
  Dargin

Map of individual Dargin languages according to Koryakov 2021.[2]
Classification of Dargin languages according to Koryakov 2021.[2]

Classification

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The Dargin languages are classified as follows by Koryakov 2021:[2]

Dargin

    • Northern-central group
      • Mehweb
      • Gapshima
      • Muira
      • Tsudaqar-Usisha-Butri
      • Northern Dargwa
        • Kadar
        • Murego-Gubden
        • Mugi
        • Upper Mulebki
        • Aqusha
          • Aqusha proper
          • Levashi
        • Urakhi
    • Southern group
      • Ashti-Kubachi
      • Sanzhi-Itsari
      • Sanakari-Chakhrizhi (unclassified)
      • Amuzgi-Shiri
        • Amuzgi
        • Shiri
      • Southwestern Dargwa
        • Tanti
        • Sirhwa
        • Upper Vurkuni
    • Chirag
    • Kaitag group

Mutalov 2021 proposes a different classification:[6]

Dargin languages

    • Northern Dargwa
      • Aqusha/Northern Dargwa
        • Aqusha proper
        • Urakhi
        • Mekegi
        • Gubden
        • Murego
        • Kadar
        • Mugi
        • Muira
        • Gapshima
      • Mehweb
    • Southern Dargwa
      • Sirkhya-Tsudaqar
        • Tsudaqar
        • Usisha
        • Butri
        • Tanti
        • Sirhwa
        • Khuduts
        • Amuq
        • Kunki
        • Sanzhi
        • Itsari
        • Amuzgi-Shiri
        • other dialects
      • Kubachi
        • Kubachi proper
        • Ashti
      • Kaitag
        • Upper Kaitag
        • Lower Kaitag
        • Shari
        • Chakhrizhi-Sanakari
      • Chirag

Glottolog uses a different classification, based on Koryakov 2012.[7][8]

Dargwic

    • Chirag
    • Kubachi
    • North-Central Dargwa
      • Megeb
      • North Dargwa
        • Cudaxar
        • Gapshin-Butrin
        • Kadarskij
        • Muirin
          • Dejbuk
          • Xarbuk
        • Nuclear North Dargwa
          • Aqusha-Uraxi
          • Mugin
          • Murego-Gubden
          • Upper Mulebki
    • South Dargwa
      • Kajtak
      • Southwestern Dargwa
        • Amuzgu-Shiri
        • Sanzhi-Icari
        • Sirhwa-Tanty
        • Upper-Vurqri
          • Amux
          • Khuduts
          • Qunqi

Phonology

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The following chart is a collective phoneme inventory of all Dargin languages.

Labial Dental Postalveolar Palatal Velar Uvular Pharyngeal
Epiglottal
Glottal
plain sib.
Nasal m n
Plosive/
Affricate
voiced b d d͡z1 d͡ʒ1 ɡ ɢ1 ʡ1
voiceless p t t͡s t͡ʃ k q ʔ
long 2 2 t͡sː2 t͡ʃː2 2 2
ejective t͡sʼ t͡ʃʼ ʡʼ2
Fricative voiced v1 z ʒ ɣ1 ʁ ʢ ɦ
voiceless f1 s ʃ ç1 x χ ʜ
long 2 ʃː2 2 χː2
Trill r
Approximant w l j
  1. Present in the literary standard of Dargwa, but not some other dialects.
  2. Present in some dialects, but not the literary standard.

The source is rather ambiguous in its using the term "laryngeal" for a presumed column of consonants that includes both a "voiced" and a "glottalized" plosive. A voiced glottal plosive cannot be made, because the glottis needs to be closed, and an ejective consonant requires an additional closure further up the vocal tract. Pending clarification, this row has been transcribed here as an epiglottal column and a glottal stop, both found in many other East Caucasian languages.

References

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  1. ^ Том 5. «Национальный состав и владение языками». Таблица 7. Население наиболее многочисленных национальностей по родному языку
  2. ^ a b c 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. 139–154. ISBN 978-5-6045633-5-9.
  3. ^ Malyshev, Vladislav; Malysheva, Viktoria; Gutz, Angelina; Novaya, Irina; Panina, Anastasia; Yurkova, Alyona; Clifton, John M.; Tiessen, Calvin (2019). The Sociolinguistic Situation of the Dargwa in Dagestan (PDF). SIL International.
  4. ^ "Languages". DOBES. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  5. ^ Korâkov, Û B. (2006). Atlas kavkaskich âzykov: s priloženiem polnogo reestra âzykov. Institut âzykoznaniâ. Moskva: Piligrim. ISBN 978-5-9900772-1-8.
  6. ^ Муталов, Расул Османович (2021-03-07). "КЛАССИФИКАЦИЯ ДАРГИНСКИХ ЯЗЫКОВ И ДИАЛЕКТОВ". Sociolingvistika. 3 (7): 8–25. doi:10.37892/2713-2951-3-7-8-25. ISSN 2713-2951.
  7. ^ "Glottolog 5.0 - Dargwic". glottolog.org. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
  8. ^ Коряков, Ю. Б. "Лексикостатистическая классификация даргинских языков" (PDF). На основе доклада на московском семинаре по нахско-дагестанским языкам под руководством Н. Р. Сумбатовой, 30.10.2012.