- Hunzib language
Infobox Language
name=Hunzib
nativename=гьонкьос мыц / honƛʼos mɨc
pronunciation= [ˈhont͡ɬʼos mɨʦ]
states=Russia
region=SouthernDagestan
speakers=2000
iso2=cau
iso3=huz
familycolor=Caucasian
fam1=North Caucasian
fam2=Northeast Caucasian
fam3=Tsezic
fam4=East TsezicHunzib is a Northeast Caucasian language spoken by about 2000 people in the south of
Dagestan , near theRussia n border with Georgia.Classification
Hunzib belongs to the Tsezic group of the Northeast Caucasian languages. It is most closely related to Bezhta, with which it forms the eastern branch of the Tsezic languages. Other Tsezic languages include Tsez, Hinukh and Khwarshi.
Geographic distribution
Hunzib is not an official language, nor is Hunzib written. It is spoken in the Tsunta and Kizilyurt districts in
Dagestan and in two villages across the Russian border in Georgia.ounds
Consonants
Hunzib has 35 consonants. Three consonants, IPA|/x/, IPA|/ħ/, and IPA|/ʕ/ are only found in
loanword s.Vowels
Vowels in Hunzib may be short, long, or nazalized.
Grammar
Nouns
Nouns in Hunzib come in five
noun class es: male, female, and three classes for inanimate objects. There are a number of cases in Hunzib, including absolutive, ergative, genitive and instrumental. A number of other case-like markers indicate direction and include dative, adessive, superessive, contactive, comitative and allative declensions.Verbs
Most verbs agree in class and number with the noun in the phrase that is in the absolutive case. As Hunzib has ergative alignment, that equals the subject of intransitive sentences and the direct object of transitive sentences.
Word order
Hunzib usually follows a "
Subject Object Verb " word order.References
*cite book
last = Berg
first = Helma van den
year = 1995
title = A Grammar of Hunzib (with Texts and Lexicon)
publisher = Lincom Europa
location = München
id= ISBN 3-89586-006-9
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