Besleney dialect
East Circassian dialect
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The Besleney dialect (Adyghe: Беслъэнеибзэ, Besłæneibzæ [bejsɬanejəbza]) is one of the East Circassian (Kabardian) dialects. However, because the Besleney tribe lived at the center of Circassia, the Besleney dialect also shares a large number of features with dialects of Western Circassian (Adyghe language).
Phonology
The Besleney dialect is characterized by its conservatism. Unlike Modern Standard Kabardian, Besleney was not affected by the two major phonological shifts (Phase 1 and Phase 2) that defined the evolution of the Kabardian dialects. Consequently, Besleney preserves the original consonant inventory of Proto-Kabardian.
Retention of Palatalized Velars (No Phase 2)
Besleney did not undergo "Phase 2" (Velar Palatalization). It retains the distinct Proto-Kabardian series of palatalized velars: the voiced stop [ɡʲ] ⟨гь⟩, the voiceless stop [kʲ] ⟨кь⟩, and the ejective [kʲʼ] ⟨кӏь⟩.
In most other dialects, including Standard Kabardian, these consonants shifted forward to become palato-alveolar affricates (d͡ʒ, t͡ʃ, t͡ʃʼ).
| Meaning | Besleney (Proto-Kabardian Form) | Standard Kabardian | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyrillic | IPA | Cyrillic | IPA | |
| chicken | гьэд | ɡʲad | джэд | d͡ʒad |
| cat | гьэду | ɡʲadəw | джэду | d͡ʒadəw |
| shirt | гьанэ | ɡʲaːna | джанэ | dʒaːna |
| to study to read |
егьэн | jaɡʲan | еджэн | jadʒan |
| glass | абгь | ʔaːbgʲ | абдж | ʔaːbd͡ʒ |
| game | гьэгу | ɡʲagʷ | джэгу | d͡ʒagʷ |
| bitter | дыгь | dəɡʲ | дыдж | dəd͡ʒ |
| sick | сымагьэ | səmaːɡʲa | сымаджэ | səmaːd͡ʒa |
| evil | бзагьэ | bzaːɡʲa | бзаджэ | bzaːd͡ʒa |
| valley | къуэлагьэ | qʷalaːɡʲa | къуэладжэ | qʷalaːd͡ʒa |
| noon | щэгьагъуэ | ɕaɡʲaːʁʷa | шэджагъуэ | ʃad͡ʒaːʁʷa |
| infidel | гьаур | ɡʲaːwər | джаур | d͡ʒaːwər |
| girl | хъыгьэбз | χəɡʲabz | хъыджэбз | χəd͡ʒabz |
| Meaning | Besleney (Proto-Kabardian Form) | Standard Kabardian | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyrillic | IPA | Cyrillic | IPA | |
| throat | кьий | kʲəj | чий | t͡ʃəj |
| spleen | кьэ | kʲa | чэ | t͡ʃa |
| to cough | пскьэн | pskʲan | псчэн | pst͡ʃan |
| Meaning | Besleney (Proto-Kabardian Form) | Standard Kabardian | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyrillic | IPA | Cyrillic | IPA | |
| ceiling | кӏьафэ | kʲʼaːfa | кӏафэ | t͡ʃʼaːfa |
| rope | кӏьапсэ | kʲʼaːpsa | кӏапсэ | t͡ʃʼaːpsa |
| gun | кӏьэрахъуэ | kʲʼaraːχʷa | кӏэрахъуэ | t͡ʃʼaraːχʷa |
| long | кӏьыхь | kʲʼəħ | кӏыхь | t͡ʃʼəħ |
| to kill | укӏьын | wkʲʼən | укӏын | wt͡ʃʼən |
| to move away | ӏукӏьын | ʔʷəkʲʼən | ӏукӏын | ʔʷət͡ʃʼən |
| key | ӏункӏьыбзэ | ʔʷənkʲʼəbza | ӏункӏыбз | ʔʷənt͡ʃʼəbz |
| beard | жьакӏьэ | ʑaːkʲʼa | жьакӏэ | ʑaːt͡ʃʼa |
| poor | тхьэмыщкӏь | tħaməɕkʲʼ | тхьэмыщкӏэ | tħaməɕt͡ʃʼa |
| to be ashamed | укӏьытэн | wəkʲʼətan | укӏытэн | wət͡ʃʼətan |
| short | кӏьагуэ | kʲʼaːɡʷa | кӏагуэ | t͡ʃʼaːɡʷa |
| tail | кӏьэ | kʲʼa | кӏэ | t͡ʃʼa |
Retention of Affricates (No Phase 1)
Besleney did not undergo "Phase 1" (Spirantization). It retains the original Proto-Kabardian postalveolar and retroflex affricates: [d͡ʒ] ⟨дж⟩, [t͡ʃ] ⟨ч⟩, [t͡ʃʼ] ⟨чӏ⟩ and [d͡ʐ] ⟨дж⟩.
In Standard Kabardian, these original affricates underwent spirantization, becoming the fricatives [ʒ] ⟨ж⟩, [ʃ] ⟨ш⟩, and [ɕʼ] ⟨щӏ⟩.
The following table demonstrates how Besleney retains the affricates (matching Proto-Kabardian), while Standard Kabardian has shifted them to fricatives.
| Meaning | Besleney / Proto-Kabardian (Retained Affricate) |
Standard Kabardian (Shifted Fricative) |
|---|---|---|
| fox | ⟨баджэ⟩ (baːd͡ʒa) | ⟨бажэ⟩ (baːʒa) |
| village | ⟨къуаджэ⟩ (qʷaːd͡ʒa) | ⟨къуажэ⟩ (qʷaːʒa) |
| village | ⟨джылэ⟩ (d͡ʒəɮa) | ⟨жылэ⟩ (ʒəɮa) |
| night | ⟨джэщ⟩ (d͡ʒaɕ) | ⟨жэщ⟩ (ʒaɕ) |
| cow | ⟨джэм⟩ (d͡ʒam) | ⟨жэм⟩ (ʒam) |
| spear | ⟨бджы⟩ (bd͡ʒə) | ⟨бжы⟩ (bʒə) |
| goat | ⟨бджэн⟩ (bd͡ʒan) | ⟨бжэн⟩ (bʒan) |
| to run | ⟨джэн⟩ (d͡ʒan) | ⟨жэн⟩ (ʒan) |
| to sleep | ⟨джеин⟩ (d͡ʒajən) | ⟨жеин⟩ (ʒajən) |
| to come out from under | ⟨чӏэкӏьын⟩ (t͡ʃʼ) | ⟨щӏэкӏьын⟩ (ɕʼ) |
| to regret | ⟨чӏэгъуэжын⟩ (t͡ʃʼ) | ⟨щӏэгъуэжын⟩ (ɕʼ) |
| mustache | ⟨пачӏэ⟩ (t͡ʃʼ) | ⟨пащӏэ⟩ (ɕʼ) |
| new | ⟨чӏэ⟩ (t͡ʃʼa) | ⟨щӏэ⟩ (ɕʼa) |
| winter | ⟨чӏымахуэ⟩ (t͡ʃʼəmaːxʷa) | ⟨щӏымахуэ⟩ (ɕʼəmaːxʷa) |
| young-man | ⟨чӏалэ⟩ (t͡ʃʼaːla) | ⟨щӏалэ⟩ (ɕʼaːla) |
| guest | ⟨хьачӏэ⟩ (ħaːt͡ʃʼa) | ⟨хьащӏэ⟩ (ħaːɕʼa) |
| area | ⟨чӏыпӏэ⟩ (t͡ʂʼəpʼa) | ⟨щӏыпӏэ⟩ (ɕʼəpʼa) |
| iron | ⟨гъучӏы⟩ (ʁʷət͡ʂʼə) | ⟨гъущӏы⟩ (ʁʷəɕʼə) |
| to sleep | ⟨джеин⟩ / ⟨джен⟩ (d͡ʒajən) | ⟨жеин⟩ (ʒajən) |
| tree | ⟨джыг⟩ (d͡ʒəɣ) | ⟨жыг⟩ (ʒəɣ) |
| to run | ⟨джэн⟩ (d͡ʒan) | ⟨жэн⟩ (ʒan) |
| to run down | ⟨еджэхын⟩ (jad͡ʒaxən) | ⟨ежэхын⟩ (jaʒaxən) |
| he-goat | ⟨аджэ⟩ (aːd͡ʒa) | ⟨ажэ⟩ (aːʒa) |
| door | ⟨бджэ⟩ (bd͡ʒa) | ⟨бжэ⟩ (bʒa) |
Comparison of Phases
Because Besleney was affected by neither Phase 1 nor Phase 2, words that are merged or shifted in Standard Kabardian remain distinct in Besleney.
The following table shows how words like "new" (which underwent Phase 1 in Std. Kabardian) and "tail" (which underwent Phase 2 in Std. Kabardian) are distinct in Besleney.
| Word | Besleney (No Shift) |
Other Kabardian dialects (Phase 1 only) |
Modern Standard Kabardian (Phase 1 & 2) |
|---|---|---|---|
| tail | kʲʼa ⟨кӏьэ⟩ | kʲʼa ⟨кӏьэ⟩ | t͡ʃʼa ⟨кӏэ⟩ |
| new | t͡ʃʼa ⟨чӏэ⟩ | ʃʼa ⟨щӏэ⟩ | ʃʼa ⟨щӏэ⟩ |
| winter | t͡ʃʼəmaːxʷa ⟨чӏымахуэ⟩ | ʃʼəmaːxʷa ⟨щӏымахуэ⟩ | ʃʼəmaːxʷa ⟨щӏымахуэ⟩ |
| mustache | paːt͡ʃʼa ⟨пачӏэ⟩ | paːʃʼa ⟨пащӏэ⟩ | paːʃʼa ⟨пащӏэ⟩ |
Grammar
Unlike Modern Kabardian, Baslaney doesn't use the prefix н-. It uses the prefix къ- in all cases.
| Meaning | Besleney / Proto-Kabardian | Standard Kabardian |
|---|---|---|
| I look at you | ⟨Сыкъоплъ⟩ | ⟨Сыноплъ⟩ |
| I looked at you | ⟨Сыкъоплъа⟩ | ⟨Сыноплъащ⟩ |
| I look at y'all | ⟨Сыкъывоплъ⟩ | ⟨Сынывоплъ⟩ |
| I looked at y'all | ⟨Сыкъывоплъа⟩ | ⟨Сынывоплъащ⟩ |