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The Shapsug dialect (Adyghe: Шапсыгъабзэ; Kabardian: Шапсыгъэбзэ) is a dialect of Adyghe. The Shapsug dialect is spoken by the Shapsugs, which are one of the largest Circassian population in the diaspora outside Republic of Adygea, alongside Abzakhs. The Shapsug dialect is very similar to the Natukhai dialect and together, they make the Black Sea coast dialects of Adyghe. The Shapsug dialect consists of three main sub dialects: Great Shapsug (North Shapsug), Small Shapsug (South Shapsug) and Hakuchi. The Shapsug dialect is best known as the dialect with palatalizedvelarstops.
In the Shapsug and Natukhai dialects there is a palatalized voiced velar stop ⟨гь⟩, a palatalized voiceless velar stop ⟨кь⟩ and a palatalized velar ejective ⟨кӏь⟩ that were merged with дж [d͡ʒ], ч [t͡ʃ] and кӏ [t͡ʃʼ] in most Adyghe dialects. Note that the Shapsug dialect also has ч [t͡ʃ], дж [d͡ʒ] and кӏ [t͡ʃʼ] in words like чэмы "cow", джэмышх "spoon" and кӏалэ "boy".
Shapsug гь [ɡʲ] became дж [d͡ʒ] in other dialects:
The retroflex affricate consonants чъ [ʈʂ] and чӏ [ʈʂʼ] (that exist in Chemguy and Bzhedug dialects) merged with the palato-alveolar affricate consonants ч [t͡ʃ] and кӏ [t͡ʃʼ] in the Shapsug and Natukhai dialects.
In the Shapsug dialect (Like the Bzhedug dialect) there exist a series of aspirated consonants (/pʰ/ /tʰ/ /ʃʰ/ /t͡sʰ/ /t͡ʃʰ/ /t͡ʂʰ/ /t͡ɕʰʷ/ /kʲʰ/ /kʰʷ/ /qʰ/ /qʰʷ/) that became plain consonants in other dialects:
In the instrumental case the noun has the suffix -мгьэ (-mɡʲa) or -гьэ (-gʲa) unlike other dialects that has the suffix -мкӏэ (-mt͡ʃa) or -кӏэ (-t͡ʃa).
Shapsug: Кӏалэр Адыгэбзэгьэ мэгущаӏэ ↔ Standard: Кӏалэр Адыгэбзэкӏэ мэгущаӏэ - "The boy speaks (using) Adyghe language".
Shapsug: Къэлэмымгьэ сэтхэ ↔ Standard: Къэлэмымкӏэ сэтхэ - "I write (using) with the pencil".
Desirement mood
In the Shapsug dialect, the suffix ~рагъу /raːʁʷ/ is added to verbs to indicate the desirement to do that verb. For example:
Туканым сыкӏорагъу - "I want to go to the shop".
Есыпӏэм рэкӏорэгъуагъ - "(S)he wanted to go to the pool".
Къэкӏорэгъот кӏалэр - "The boy would want to come".
Тутын уешъорагъуа? - "Do you want to smoke cigarette?".
Нэущы уздэгущаӏэрагъу - "I want to speak with you tomorrow".
Сышхэрагъу игь - "I want to eat now".
Upward prefix
In Standard Adyghe, to express that the verb's direction is upward, the prefix дэ- /da-/ and the suffix -е /-ja/ is added to the verb. In Shapsug dialect, the prefix чӏэ- /t͡ʃʼa-/ is added instead.
The determiner 'а' /ʔaː/ refer to a referent that is far away and invisible to both the speaker and the listener(s). It is similar to the English language determiner that, but with the condition that the referent has to be invisible or far away.
The determiner 'у' refer to a referent that is visible and in a known distance from both the speaker and the listener(s) (both the speaker and the listener(s) can see the referent). It is similar to the English language determiner that, but with the condition that the referent has to be visible.
The determiner 'мы' refer to a referent that is close to both the speaker and the listener(s). It is exactly like the English language determiner this.
дыу цӀыфэр улъэгъуа? — Do you see that person over there?
The determiner 'дыу' refer to a referent that is visible. This determiner is used when the speaker wants to emphasizes that the object is in his sight, so that the listener(s) will expect the referent to be the thing (s)he looks at. It is usually used to introduce a new referent, for example it can be used to refer to a stranger on the street or to refer to a certain object on the field that is visible. This determiner might be used while pointing one's finger at the people or objects in question.
дымы цӀыфэр улъэгъуа? — Do you see this person over here?
The determiner 'дымы' refer to a referent that is visible. This determiner is similar to the determiner дымо. This is used instead of дымо when the referent is very near. Like the determiner дымо, it might be used while pointing one's finger at the referent in question. Even without pointing fingers the listener(s) will expect the referent to be the thing the speaker looks at. It can be used to point on objects in a room for example.
The determiner 'гьэ' refer to a referent which is usually invisible. This determiner is used when the referent in the conversation is clear to both the speaker and the listener(s). Someone would use this determiner in order to emphasizes that both he and the listener(s) have the same referent in mind.
Did you heard how that boy speaks? the one standing there, that is the dialect I referred to. We don't talk like that, the way that person is speaking is like how they speak in Caucasus.
In the Great Shapsug sub dialect (like Bzhedug) the future tense suffix is ~эт (~at) and in some cases ~ыт (~ət) unlike the Small Shapsug sub dialect that has (like Chemirguy) the Suffix ~щт (~ɕt)).
шъыд (Refers to an inanimate object, typically tangible).
лӏэу (Refers to an inanimate object, typically intangible).
The word "лӏэу" was lost in other Adyghe dialects. In Shapsug, from it derives different terms :
Word
Shapsug
Standard Adyghe
IPA
Cyrillic
IPA
Cyrillic
what
ɬʼaw
лӏэу
səd
сыд
who, what
ɬʼawʑəm
лӏэужьым
sədəm
сыдым
what on earth?!
ɬʼawəʑ
лӏэужь
səd
сыд
what could it be?
ɬʼawɕət
лӏэужьыщт
sədəɕt
сыдыщт
with what
ɬʼawəʑəɡʲa
лӏэужьыгьэ
sədt͡ʃʼa
сыдкӏэ
whatever
ɬʼawəʑəʁʷaməj
лӏэужыгъоми
səd ɬʼawəʑəʁʷaməj
сыд лӏэужыгъоми
whatever
ɬʼawəʑəməj
лӏэужьыми
sədməj
сыдми
whatever
ɬʼawəʑaw
лӏэужьэу
sədaw
сыдэу
Shapsugs also have different interrogative words from the word тэ "which":
Word
Shapsug
Standard Adyghe
IPA
Cyrillic
IPA
Cyrillic
like what
taɕfad
тэщ фэд
səd fad
сыд фэд
how much
taɕ fadəz
тэщ фэдиз
səd fadəz
сыд фэдиз
when
taɕʁʷəm
тэщгъум
sədəjʁʷa
сыдигъо
how
taɕtaw
тэщтэу
sədawɕtaw
сыдэущтэу
which one
taːrə
тары
sədər
сыдыр
which one
taɕ
тэщ
sədəm
сыдым
Location
Word
Shapsug
Standard Adyghe
IPA
Cyrillic
IPA
Cyrillic
here
məw, məwɡʲa
мыу, мыугьэ
mət͡ʃʼa
мыкӏэ
there (visible)
waw, wawɡʲa
оу, оугьэ
mot͡ʃʼa
мокӏэ
there (invisible)
aːw, aːwɡʲa
ау, аугьэ
aːt͡ʃʼa
акӏэ
there (emphasis)
ɡʲaw, ɡʲawɡʲa
гьэу, гьэугьэ
d͡ʒət͡ʃʼa
джэкӏэ
where
taw, tawɡʲa
тэу, тэугьэ
tət͡ʃʼa
тэкӏэ
Big suffix (~фо)
The standard Adyghe's suffix -шхо /-ʃxʷa/ which means big or mighty is -фo /-fˠa/ in the Shapsug dialect :
Meaning
Shapsug
Standard Adyghe
Bzhedugh
Cyrillic
IPA
Cyrillic
IPA
Cyrillic
IPA
mighty God
тхьэфo
tħafˠa
тхьэшхо
tħaʃxʷa
тхьэшко
tħaʃkʷa
large house
унэфo
wənafˠa
унэшхо
wənaʃxʷa
унэшко
wənaʃkʷa
Positional prefix directly (джэхэ~)
The standard Adyghe's positional prefix -жэхэ /-ʒaxa/ which designates action directed at something or someone forcefully is -джэхэ /-d͡ʒaxa/ in the Shapsug dialect :
Meaning
Shapsug
Chemirguy
Cyrillic
IPA
Cyrillic
IPA
to collide with
джэхэхьэн
d͡ʒaxaħan
жэхэхьэн
ʒaxaħan
to hit someone
джэхэон
d͡ʒaxawan
жэхэон
ʒaxawan
to throw at someone
джэхэдзэн
d͡ʒaxad͡zan
жэхэдзэн
ʒaxad͡zan
to look steadily at
джэхэплъэн
d͡ʒaxapɬan
жэхэплъэн
ʒaxapɬan
to jump on someone for assault
джэхэпкӏьэн
d͡ʒaxapkʲʼan
жэхэпкӏэн
ʒaxapt͡ʃʼan
Positional prefix merging (го~)
In the Shapsug and Natukhai dialects, the verbal prefix го~ /ɡʷa-/ designates process of joining or merging with an object on a body. This positional conjugation does not exist in other Circassian dialects. for example :
Meaning
Adyghe
Notes
Cyrillic
IPA
to throw at
годзэн
ɡʷad͡zan
to throw an object on a steed or someone's neck
to merge to
гохьэн
ɡʷaħan
to merge with an object
to look at
гоплъэн
ɡʷapɬan
to look at a steed or someone's neck
to fit at to fall at
гофэн
ɡʷafan
to fit on a steed or someone's neck an object to fall on a steed or someone's neck
to take from
гохын
ɡʷaxən
to take an object a steed or someone's neck
to come down from
гокӏын
ɡʷat͡ʃʼən
to get off a steed or someone's neck
to put at
голъхьэн
ɡʷaɬħan
to put an object on a steed or someone's neck
to stand on
гоуцон
ɡʷawt͡sʷan
to beat up someone
to fall from
гозын
ɡʷazən
to fall from the body of something or someone
цум
бжъитӏу
гот
цу-м
бжъ-итӏу
го-т
[t͡sʷəm
bʐəjtʷʼ
ɡʷat]
ox (erg.)
two horns
it have on his body
"the ox have two horns."
шыор
шым
гос
шыо-р
шы-м
го-с
[ʃəwar
ʃəm
ɡʷas]
the horseman (abs.)
horse (erg.)
(s)he is sitting on a body
"the horseman is sitting on the horse."
лӏыжъым
зылъакъо
готэп
лӏыжъы-м
зы-лъакъо
го-тэ-п
[ɬʼəʐəm
zəɬaːqʷa
ɡʷatap]
the old man (erg.)
one leg
(s)he doesn't have on his body
"the old man doesn't have one leg."
шым
зеохьыжьым
кӏалэу
госэр
гозэгъ
шы-м
зеохьы-жь-ым
кӏалэ-у
го-сэ-р
го-зэ-гъ
[ʃəm
zajwaħəʑəm
t͡ʃʼaːɮaw
ɡʷasar
ɡʷazaʁ]
house (erg.)
to get out of control
boy (adv.)
the one on the body
(s)he fell off the body
"when the horse got out of control the boy sitting on it fell."