Distribution area and research problems of the northern dialect of the Avar language

Magomedov Magomed A.,

Candidate of Philology,

Head of the Grammatical Research Department

G. Tsadasa Institute of Language, Literature and Art

Dagestan Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences

e-mail: dun2@mail.ru

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2333-6565

The study is carried out in the paradigm of dialectology. The problems of dialectal division of the modern Avar language are considered. The Avar language as a whole is divided into two very different dialect units, which according to the geography of their location received the names of “northern” and “southern” dialects. The northern dialect, in turn, is divided into three independent dialect units, which are called the eastern, Khunzakh and Salatav dialects. The territory of distribution of the northern dialect includes fully or partially nine current districts of Dagestan. In the eastern and especially the Khunzakh dialect of the northern dialect, there are quite significant differences not only at the level of phonetics, but also morphology. According to preliminary data, the speech of the inhabitants of two settlements of the Untsukul district Haraḳuni (Arakani) and Rix:uni (Irganai), in our opinion, can also be attributed to the eastern dialect. In its phonomorphological features, it noticeably differs from the speech of residents of other settlements in this region. According to the degree of loss of the labial closure and the phonetic-morphological changes caused by this process, in the Khunzakh dialect one can distinguish the Khunzakh type dialects or Khunzakh dialects proper and the Untsukul type dialects or Untsukul dialects. According to the absence of the vowel [o], the Araderik dialects and the Igalin dialect are distinguished, according to the absence of the infinitive — the Orotin-Kharahin type dialects or Nakhahindalal dialects. The Siukh dialect stands apart, in which significant changes have occurred associated with the loss of lateral spirants.

Keywords: Avar language, dialectology, northern dialect, dialect

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