Dargin languages

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 languages, speakers use Russian as a lingua franca.^[5]

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Quick Facts Geographic distribution, Native speakers ...

Dargin
Dargwa
Geographic distribution	Southcentral Dagestan^{[citation needed]}
Native speakers	590,000 (2020 census)^[1]
Linguistic classification	Northeast Caucasian Dargin
Proto-language	Proto-Dargwa
Subdivisions	North-Central Kajtak-Shari Southern Chirag
Language codes
ISO 639-2 / 5	`dar`
ISO 639-3	`dar`
Glottolog	`darg1242`
Dargin
Map of individual Dargin languages according to Koryakov 2021.^[2]

Classification

Summarize

Perspective

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

Dargin

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

Mutalov 2021 proposes a different classification:^[6]

Dargin languages

- North Dargwa
  - Aqusha/North 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
        Akusha
        
        Uraxa
      - Mugin
      - Murego-Gubden
      - Upper Mulebki
- South Dargwa
  - Kajtak
  - Southwestern Dargwa
    - Amuzgu-Shiri
    - Sanzhi-Icari
      - Icari
      - Sanzhi
    - Sirhwa-Tanty
    - Upper-Vurqri
      - Amux
      - Khuduts
      - Qunqi

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Phonology

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

More information Labial, Dental ...

	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	pː²	tː²	t͡sː²	t͡ʃː²		kː²	qː²
ejective	pʼ	tʼ	t͡sʼ	t͡ʃʼ		kʼ	qʼ	ʡʼ²
Fricative	voiced	v¹	z		ʒ		ɣ¹	ʁ	ʢ	ɦ
voiceless	f¹	s		ʃ	ç¹	x	χ	ʜ
long		sː²		ʃː²		xː²	χː²
Trill				r
Approximant	w	l			j

Present in the literary standard of Dargwa, but not some other dialects.
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.

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Classification

Phonology

References

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