Akhvakh language

Akhvakh has several dialects, though sources do not agree on the number. Ethnologue lists Kaxib, Northern Akhvakh and Southern Akhvakh (which can be further subdivided into the Tlyanub and Tsegob subdialects). Creissels (2010) lists Northern Akhvakh and three dialects of Southern Akhvakh (Cegob, Tljanub, and Ratlub). Glottolog considers the Northern and Southern dialects to be separate languages, noting that the Tsegob/Cegob dialet is not mutually intelligible with the Northern dialects without commenting on the Tlyanub/Tljanub or Ratlub dialects. == Phonology ==

Consonants As with Avar, there are competing analyses of the distinction transcribed in the table with the length sign . Length is part of the distinction, but so is articulatory strength, so they have been analyzed as fortis and lenis. == Alphabet ==

A few publications have been made in the Akhvakh language, such as the newspaper Zaman "Time", published since the early 1930s, but for the most part speakers of Akhvakh have adopted Avar as their literary language. In the 2000s, an alphabet for Akhvakh was devised, and some publications, like the newspaper Ахвахцы — Ашвадо, have been published since then. The alphabet is as follows: ==Grammar==

Agreement classes Akhvakh has three agreement classes. In the singular, these are human masculine, human feminine, and non-human. In the plural, there are only two—human plural and non-human plural. Akhvakh verbs agree with the absolutive argument (subject of an intransitive or object of a transitive.) Consider the following examples, which show the general principles. In the first example, the intransitive verb 'run' shows feminine agreement because its subject, 'girl', is feminine. In the second example, the transitive verb 'cook' shows neuter agreement because its object, 'meat', is neuter. {{interlinear |lang=akv |indent=2 Note that in the second example, 'wife' is in the ergative case and appears to be the subject of both the verbs 'cook' and 'eat', but neither verb shows feminine agreement. Cases Akhvakh distinguishes between an absolutive (i.e., unmarked) and oblique stem. Case endings are attached to the oblique stem (which may, however, coincide with the absolutive). In the singular, the oblique stem is irregular and lexically determined, and there is free variation. == Notes ==