The current state of the baksan dialect of the kabardino-cherkess language
https://doi.org/10.31143/2542-212X-2026-1-278-288
EDN: WKZBRV
Abstract
The article examines the current state of the Baksan dialect in comparison with the literary Kabardian-Cherkessian language. It is based on the monographic studies of Adyghe scholars who studied the dialects and vernaculars of the Kabardian-Cherkessian language in the 1960s. The article uses descriptive, comparative-historical, and contrastive linguistic methods. The field material covering the spoken language of the residents of Baksan and the villages of Baksanenok, Islamey, Dugulubgey, and Kishpek in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic was subjected to a comprehensive analysis. A comparative analysis of K.T. Mamreshev's research and the current state of the Baksan dialect revealed phonetic and lexical differences from the literary Kabardian-Circassian language. It was established that in the Baksan dialect, the copula suffix -s was preserved in the speech of all ages and both sexes, instead of -sh; the negative suffix -Iym was preserved instead of -kym. A linguistic analysis of the spoken language of the studied linguistic area has shown that the affrication of the back-tongue consonants gʼ, kʼ, and chIʼ into j, ch, and kI has not yet been completed in the modern Baksan dialect. The analysis also revealed a small layer of vocabulary that differs from the literary language. It is concluded that there are minor deviations from the literary norm of the Kabardian-Cherkessian language in the phonetic and lexical systems of the modern Baksan dialect.
Keywords
About the Authors
Marita M. Abazova
Institute of Humanitarian Research – branch of the Kabardino-Balkarian Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Candidate of Philology, Senior Researcher at the Kabardian-Circassian Language Sector
Zaudin G. Khutezhev
Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after Kh.M. Berbekov
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Candidate of Philology, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department of Kabardian-Circassian Language and Literature at the Social and Humanitarian Institute
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Review
For citations:
Abazova M.M., Khutezhev Z.G. The current state of the baksan dialect of the kabardino-cherkess language. Kavkazologiya. 2026;(1):278-288. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31143/2542-212X-2026-1-278-288. EDN: WKZBRV
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