Learn Circassian

International Centre for Circassian Studies (ICCS)

АДЫГЭБЗЭ ЕДЖЭНЫГЪЭ

Learn Circassian

This section shall include basic materials to help those who wish to teach themselves the Circassian language. The two official languages used in the Caucasus, namely Adigean and Kabardian, shall be addressed.

This page shall be continuously expanded and developed as new relevant materials become available for uploading. Your comments and suggestions in this respect are most valuable.

E-mail: circassiancentre@gmail.com

Alphabets and Phonetics

КЪЭБЭРДЕЙ ФОНЕТИКЭ

Фонетикэр бзэщIэныгъэм щыщу бзэм и макъхэр зыдж Iыхьэщ.

Kabardian Phonetics

Latinized Kabardian Alphabet

Grammar

Primers

Гугъуэт, Л. (L. Gwghwet) and Зэхъуэхъу, Л. (L. Zex’wex’w), АДЫГЭБЗЭ. Adigebze [The Circassian Language], Nalchik: Elbrus Book Press, 1984.

Phrase-Books

Жэмыхъуэ, А. М., КЪЭБЭРДЕЙ-ИНДЖЫЛЫЗ УЭРШЭР ПСАЛЪЭУХАХЭР.

Jaimoukha, A. M., Kabardian-English Phrase-Book.

Dictionaries

Qarden (Къардэн; Kardanov), B. M. (ed.), КЪЭБЭРДЕЙ-УРЫС СЛОВАРЬ. Kabardinsko-russki slovar’ [Kabardian-Russian Dictionary], Kabardino-Balkarian Science and Research Institute, Moscow: State Press of Foreign and National Dictionaries, 1957.

Джаурджий, Хь. З. (H. Z. Jawirjiy), and Сыкъун, Хь. Хь. (H. H. Siqwn), УРЫС-АДЫГЭ ШКОЛ ПСАЛЪАЛЪЭ. Wiris-Adige Shkol Psalhalhe [School Russian-Kabardian Dictionary], Nalchik: Nart Publishing House, 1991.

[Courtesy of Circassian Online Library]

Kabardian-English Dictionary: being a literary lexicon of East Circassian

This dictionary is mainly based on Kardanov (Qarden), B. M. (ed.), Kabardinsko-russki slovar’ [Kabardian-Russian Dictionary], Kabardino-Balkarian Science and Research Institute, Moscow: State Press of Foreign and National Dictionaries, 1957.

and secondly on the following works:

Kardanov (Qarden), B. M., Kabardinsko-russki frazeologicheski slovar [Kabardian-Russian Phraseological Dictionary], Nalchik, 1968.

Heqwn, B. Yu., Adige qech’ighets’exer [Dictionary of Circassian Flora], Cherkessk, 1975; second edition: Nalchik: Elbrus Book Press, 1992.

Wiris, H. Sch. and Zex’wex’w, L. H., Adigebze Orfograficheske Psalhalhe [Kabardino-Cherkess Orthographical Dictionary], Nalchik: Elbrus Book Press, 1982.

Emouzov, A. G., English-Kabardian-Russian Phrase[ological] Dictionary, Nalchik: The Kabardino-Balkarian Institute for Raising the Level of the Academic Proficiency of the Spiritual Legacy of the Orient, 1992 (second edition).

Many other sources were used to augment and enrich Qarden’s seminal work, and many amendments were introduced to take account of special circumstances under which the initial word-book was published, not the least of which was the dominant presence of communist ideology and propaganda, which unfortunately distorted many aspects of Circassian history, culture and folklore. many of the soviet era terms were assigned to obsoleteness and banished cultural and folkloric terms were restored.

The dictionary has about 22,000 entries arranged alphabetically in accordance with the Kabardian literary convention. The number of pages is 574, A4 size.

Websites of interest:

Adyga World: <http://www.audio.adyga.org/index_eng.html>

The site contains audio and video materials in Circassian. 

Circassian Online Library: <http://www.circassianlibrary.org/library.php?lang=en>

Contains a goodly number of books in Circassian in various formats and on a variety of topics.

ADIGEBZE [АДЫГЭБЗЭ]: <http://adigebze.new-forum.net/>

Materials on the Abzakh, Bzchedighw and Shapsugh languages.