View source for Lezgian language

{{Short description|Northeast Caucasian language}}{{Cleanup lang|date=January 2025|iso=lez}}{{Infobox language
| name             = Lezgian
| nativename       = {{lang|lez|лезги чӏал}} {{tlit|lez|lezgi č’al}}
| pronunciation    = {{IPA|cau|lezɡi tʃʼal|}}
| states           = [[North Caucasus]]
| region           = [[Dagestan]] and [[Azerbaijan]]
| ethnicity        = [[Lezgins]]
| speakers         = 630,000
| date             = 2020
| ref              = e25
| familycolor      = Caucasian
| fam1             = [[Northeast Caucasian languages|Northeast Caucasian]]
| fam2             = [[Lezgic languages|Lezgic]]
| fam3             = [[Samur languages|Samur]]
| fam4             = Eastern Samur
| fam5             = Lezgi–[[Aghul language|Aghul]]–[[Tabasaran language|Tabasaran]]
| map              = File:Idioma lezgin.png
| mapcaption       = Distribution of the Lezgin language in North Caucasus
| nation           = {{Flag|Russia}}
*{{Flag|Dagestan}}
| map2             = Lang Status 80-VU.svg
| mapcaption2      = {{center|{{small|Lezgian is classified as Vulnerable by the [[UNESCO]] ''[[Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger]]''}}}}
| iso2             = lez
| iso3             = lez
| notice           = IPA
| glotto           = lezg1247
| glottorefname    = Lezgin
| script           = [[Cyrillic script|Cyrillic]], [[Latin script|Latin]] (historically)
| altname          = Lezgi, Lezgin
}}

'''Lezgian''', also called '''Lezgi''' or '''Lezgin''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|ɛ|z|ɡ|iː|n}},<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bauer |first=Laurie |title=The Linguistics Student's Handbook |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |year=2007 |location=Edinburgh}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a9SPAgAAQBAJ&q=%22lezgin+language%22&pg=PA67|title = Political Organization in Central Asia and Azerbaijan: Sources and Documents|isbn = 9781135776817|last1 = Babak|first1 = Vladimir|last2 = Vaisman|first2 = Demian|last3 = Wasserman|first3 = Aryeh|date = 23 November 2004| publisher=Routledge }}</ref> is a [[Northeast Caucasian language]]. It is spoken by the [[Lezgins]], who live in southern [[Dagestan]] ([[Russia]]); northern [[Azerbaijan]]; and to a much lesser degree [[Turkmenistan]]; [[Uzbekistan]]; [[Kazakhstan]]; [[Turkey]], and other countries. It is a much-written literary language{{citation needed|date=May 2023}} and an [[official language]] of [[Dagestan]]. It is classified as "vulnerable" by [[UNESCO]]'s ''[[Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger]]''.<ref>[http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?pg=00206 UNESCO Interactive Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100217175902/http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?pg=00206 |date=February 17, 2010 }}</ref> <!--UNESCO Endangered Language Criteria: 1. Vulnerable, 2. Definitely Endangered, 3. Severely Endangered, 4. Critically Endangered, 5. Extinct-->

== Geographic distribution ==
In 2002, Lezgian was spoken by about 397,000 people in Russia, mainly Southern Dagestan; in 1999 it was spoken by 178,400 people in mainly the [[Qusar District|Qusar]], [[Quba District (Azerbaijan)|Quba]], [[Qabala District|Qabala]], [[Oghuz District|Oghuz]], [[Ismayilli District|Ismailli]] and [[Khachmaz District|Khachmaz]] provinces of northeastern Azerbaijan. Lezgian is also spoken in [[Kazakhstan]], [[Kyrgyzstan]], [[Turkey]], [[Turkmenistan]], [[Ukraine]], [[Germany]] and [[Uzbekistan]] by immigrants from [[Azerbaijan]] and [[Dagestan]].

Some speakers are in the [[Balikesir]], [[Yalova]], [[İzmir]], [[Bursa]] regions of Turkey especially in Kirne (Ortaca), a village in [[Balikesir Province]] which touches the western coast, being south-west of [[Istanbul]].

The total number of speakers is about 800,000.<ref name="Ethnologue">{{Cite web |date=1999-02-19 |title=Enthnologue report for Lezgi |url=http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=lez |access-date=2013-12-15 |publisher=Ethnologue.com}}</ref>

== Classification ==

=== Related languages ===
{{main|Lezgic languages}}
Nine languages survive in the [[Lezgic languages|Lezgic language family]]:
* '''Lezgin'''
* [[Tabasaran language|Tabasaran]]
* [[Rutul language|Rutul]]
* [[Aghul language|Aghul]]
* [[Tsakhur language|Tsakhur]]
* [[Budukh language|Budukh]]
* [[Kryts language|Kryts]]
* [[Udi language|Udi]]
* [[Archi language|Archi]]

These have the same names as their ethnic groups.

Some dialects differ heavily from the standard form, including the Quba and Akhty dialects spoken in Azerbaijan.<ref name="Ethnologue" />

==Phonology==

===Vowels===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Vowels of Lezgian{{sfn|Chitoran|Babaliyeva|2007|p=2153}}{{sfn|Haspelmath|1993|pp=28, 31}}
|-
! rowspan="2" |
! colspan="2" | [[Front vowel|Front]]
! rowspan=2| [[Central vowel|Central]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
! <small>unrounded</small>
! <small>[[Roundedness|rounded]]</small>
|-
! [[Close vowel|Close]]
| {{IPAlink|i}} {{angbr|и}} || {{IPAlink|y}} {{angbr|уь}}
| {{IPAslink|ɨ}} {{angbr|ы}}{{efn|Dialectal}}
| {{IPAlink|u}} {{angbr|у}}
|-
! [[Mid vowel|Mid]]
| {{IPAlink|e}} {{angbr|е, э}}
|
|
| {{IPAlink|o}} {{angbr|o}}{{efn|in Russian loanwords}}
|-
! [[Open vowel|Open]]
| {{IPAlink|æ}} {{angbr|я}}
|
|
| {{IPAlink|a}} {{angbr|а}}
|}

{{notelist}}

* {{IPA|/a/}} has two main allophones: {{IPA|[ɑ]}} and {{IPA|[ʌ]}}; the former prevails in closed syllables (especially before uvulars and {{IPA|/r/}}), the latter in open syllables.{{sfn|Haspelmath|1993|p=32}}
* {{IPA|/a/}} is very often rounded and raised to {{IPAslink|ɔ}} after labialized consonants, which may then lose their labialization. For example, {{lang|lez|кӏвач}} {{gloss|foot}} {{IPA|/k’ʷat͡ʃʰ/}} becomes {{IPA|[k’ʷɔt͡ʃʰ]}} or {{IPA|[k’ɔt͡ʃʰ]}}.{{sfn|Haspelmath|1993|p=32}}
* {{IPA|/e/}} is more open {{IPAblink|ɛ}} in stressed syllables and {{IPAslink|ɪ}} or {{IPAblink|e}} in pre-stress syllables. In the environment of labialized consonants /e/ is often pronounced as {{IPAblink|ø}}~{{IPAblink|œ}}.{{sfn|Haspelmath|1993|p=32}}
* if a vowel plus {{IPA|/n/}} sequence is not followed by a vowel, the {{IPA|/n/}} may be deleted and the vowel nasalized. Thus {{IPA|/zun/}} {{gloss|I}} can be pronounced {{IPA|[zũ]}}.{{sfn|Haspelmath|1993|p=35}}
* Chitoran and Babaliyeva show, at least for Babaliyeva in her native Yargun dialect, pre-tonic high vowels are [[Syncope (phonology)|syncopated]].{{sfn|Chitoran|Babaliyeva|2007|pp=2154, 2156}}

===Consonants===
There are 54 consonants in Lezgian. Characters to the right are the letters of the Lezgian Cyrillic Alphabet. Aspiration is not normally indicated in the orthography, despite the fact that it is phonemic.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Consonants of Lezgian<ref name="Haspelmath 1993 p 2">{{harvp|Haspelmath|1993|page=2}}</ref>
! colspan="2"  rowspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" | [[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! colspan="2" | [[Dental consonant|Dental]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Postalveolar consonant|Post-<br>alveolar]]
! rowspan="2" | [[palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! colspan="2" | [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! colspan="2" | [[Uvular consonant|Uvular]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
! <small>plain</small>
! <small>[[labialization|lab.]]</small>
! <small>plain</small>
! <small>[[labialization|lab.]]</small>
! <small>plain</small>
! <small>[[labialization|lab.]]</small>
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
| /{{IPAlink|m}}/ {{lang|lez|м}}
| /{{IPAlink|n}}/ {{lang|lez|н}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan="4" | [[Plosive consonant|Plosive]]
! <small>voiced</small>
| /{{IPAlink|b}}/ {{lang|lez|б}}
| /{{IPAlink|d}}/ {{lang|lez|д}}
|
|
|
| /{{IPAlink|g}}/ {{lang|lez|г}}
| /{{IPAlink|gʷ}}/ {{lang|lez|гв}}
|
|
|
|-
! <small>voiceless</small>
| /{{IPAlink|p}}/ {{lang|lez|п}}
| /{{IPAlink|t}}/ {{lang|lez|т}}
| /{{IPAlink|tʷ}}/ {{lang|lez|тв}}
|
|
| /{{IPAlink|k}}/ {{lang|lez|к}}
| /{{IPAlink|kʷ}}/ {{lang|lez|кв}}
| /{{IPAlink|q}}/ {{lang|lez|къ}}
| /{{IPAlink|qʷ}}/ {{lang|lez|къв}}
| /{{IPAlink|ʔ}}/ {{lang|lez|ъ}}
|-
! <small>aspirated</small>
| /{{IPAlink|pʰ}}/ {{lang|lez|п}}
| /{{IPAlink|tʰ}}/ {{lang|lez|т}}
| /{{IPAlink|tʷʰ}}/ {{lang|lez|тв}}
|
|
| /{{IPAlink|kʰ}}/ {{lang|lez|к}}
| /{{IPAlink|kʷʰ}}/ {{lang|lez|кв}}
| /{{IPAlink|qʰ}}/ {{lang|lez|хъ}}
| /{{IPAlink|qʷʰ}}/ {{lang|lez|хъв}}
|
|-
! <small>ejective</small>
| /{{IPAlink|pʼ}}/ {{lang|lez|пl}}
| /{{IPAlink|tʼ}}/ {{lang|lez|тl}}
| /{{IPAlink|tʷʼ}}/ {{lang|lez|тӏв}}
|
|
| /{{IPAlink|kʼ}}/ {{lang|lez|кl}}
| /{{IPAlink|kʷʼ}}/ {{lang|lez|кlв}}
| /{{IPAlink|qʼ}}/ {{lang|lez|кь}}
| /{{IPAlink|qʷʼ}}/ {{lang|lez|кьв}}
|
|-
! rowspan="4" | [[Affricate consonant|Affricate]]
! <small>voiced</small>
|
| /{{IPAlink|dz}}/ {{lang|lez|дз}}
|
|/{{IPAlink|dʒ}}/ {{lang|lez|дж}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! <small>voiceless</small>
|
| /{{IPAlink|t͡s}}/ {{lang|lez|ц}}
| /{{IPAlink|t͡sʷ}}/ {{lang|lez|цв}}
| /{{IPAlink|t͡ʃ}}/ {{lang|lez|ч}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! <small>aspirated</small>
|
| /{{IPAlink|t͡sʰ}}/ {{lang|lez|ц}}
| /{{IPAlink|t͡sʷʰ}}/ {{lang|lez|цв}}
| /{{IPAlink|t͡ʃʰ}}/ {{lang|lez|ч}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! <small>ejective</small>
|
| /{{IPAlink|t͡sʼ}}/ {{lang|lez|цl}}
| /{{IPAlink|t͡sʷʼ}}/ {{lang|lez|цlв}}
| /{{IPAlink|t͡ʃʼ}}/ {{lang|lez|чl}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Fricative consonant|Fricative]]
! <small>voiced</small>
| /{{IPAlink|v}}/ {{lang|lez|в}}
| /{{IPAlink|z}}/ {{lang|lez|з}}
| /{{IPAlink|zʷ}}/ {{lang|lez|зв}}
| /{{IPAlink|ʒ}}/ {{lang|lez|ж}}
|
|
|
| /{{IPAlink|ʁ}}/ {{lang|lez|гъ}}
| /{{IPAlink|ʁʷ}}/ {{lang|lez|гъв}}
|
|-
! <small>voiceless</small>
| /{{IPAlink|f}}/ {{lang|lez|ф}}
| /{{IPAlink|s}}/ {{lang|lez|с}}
| /{{IPAlink|sʷ}}/ {{lang|lez|св}}
| /{{IPAlink|ʃ}}/ {{lang|lez|ш}}
|
| /{{IPAlink|x}}/ {{lang|lez|хь}}
| /{{IPAlink|xʷ}}/ {{lang|lez|хьв}}
| /{{IPAlink|χ}}/ {{lang|lez|х}}
| /{{IPAlink|χʷ}}/ {{lang|lez|хв}}
| /{{IPAlink|h}}/ {{lang|lez|гь}}
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Approximant consonant|Approximant]]
|
| /{{IPAlink|l}}/ {{lang|lez|л}}
|
|
| /{{IPAlink|j}}/ {{lang|lez|й}}
|
| /{{IPAlink|w}}/ {{lang|lez|в}}
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Trill consonant|Trill]]
|
| /{{IPAlink|r}}/ {{lang|lez|р}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|}

== Alphabets ==
{{main article|Lezgin alphabets}}
Lezgian has been written in several different alphabets over the course of its history.  These alphabets have been based on three scripts: [[Arabic script|Arabic]] (before 1928), [[Latin script|Latin]] (1928–38), and [[Cyrillic script|Cyrillic]] (1938–present).

The Lezgian Cyrillic alphabet is as follows:<ref>Талибов Б. Б., Гаджиев М. М. Лезгинско-русский словарь. [[Moscow]], 1966.</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="font-family:Arial Unicode MS; font-size:1.4em; border-color:#000000; border-width:1px; border-style:solid; border-collapse:collapse; background-color:#F8F8EF"
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |А а
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Б б
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |В в
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Г г
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Гъ гъ
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Гь гь
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Д д
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Е е
|-
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Ё ё
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Ж ж
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |З з
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |И и
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Й й
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |К к
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Къ къ
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Кь кь
|-
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |КI кl
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Л л
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |М м
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Н н
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |О о
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |П п
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |ПI пl
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Р р
|-
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |С с
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Т т
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |ТI тl
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |У у
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Уь уь
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Ф ф
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Х х
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Хъ хъ
|-
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Хь хь
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Ц ц
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |ЦI цl
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Ч ч
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |ЧI чl
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Ш ш
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Ъ ъ
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Ы ы
|-
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Ь ь
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Э э
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Ю ю
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |Я я
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" |
|}
The Latin alphabet was as follows:

{| class="wikitable" style="font-family:Arial Unicode MS; font-size:1.4em; border-color:#000000; border-width:1px; border-style:solid; border-collapse:collapse; background-color:#F8F8EF"
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | A a
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ä ä
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | B b
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | C c
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Č č
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ch ch
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Čh čh
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | D d
|-
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | E e
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | F f
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | G g
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Gh gh
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | H h
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | I i
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | J j
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | K k
|-
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Kh kh
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | L l
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | M m
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | N n
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ŋ ŋ
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | O o
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ö ö
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | P p
|-
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ph ph
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Q q
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Qh qh
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | R r
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | S s
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Š š
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | T t
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Th th
|-
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | U u
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ü ü
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | V v
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | X x
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | X́ x́
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Y y
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Z z
| style="width:3em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | Ž ž
|}

==Grammar==
Lezgian is unusual for a Northeast Caucasian language in not having [[noun class]]es (also called "grammatical gender"). Standard Lezgian grammar features 18 [[grammatical case]]s,<ref>{{harvp|Haspelmath|1993|page=74}}</ref> produced by agglutinating suffixes, of which 12 are still used in spoken conversation.

===Cases===
The four grammatical cases are:<ref name="Haspelmath 1993 p 2" />
* [[Absolutive case]] (basic form of the word, no ending): marks the subject of an intransitive verb and the direct object of a transitive sentence. It is also used to mark a nominal predicate (who or what something turns into/becomes) and as a [[vocative case|vocative]].
* [[Ergative case]] (various endings; the most common are: -ди, -a or -е; [-di, -a or e], which are added to the Absolutive): marks the subject of transitive verbs, and the subject of some compound intransitive verbs.
* [[Genitive case]] (ending -н [-n]; added to the Ergative): marks possession. It is also used with the meaning 'of'. The genitive case precedes the noun that it modifies.
* [[Dative case]] (ending -з [-z]; added to the Ergative): usually marks the indirect object of sentences, that is the recipient of an action. It is also used to mark the subject of some verbs (mainly about emotions) and to express a point of time and direction.
* There are fourteen [[Locative case]]s:
** [[Adessive case]] (ending -в [-v]; added to the Ergative): marks the object of some verbs to mean 'by', 'to', 'with'.
** [[Adelative case]] (ending -вай [-vaj]; added to the Ergative): expresses movement from somewhere. It is also used with the verb 'to be able' and to express an accidental action.
** [[Addirective case]] (ending -вди [-vdi]; added to the Ergative): used as an [[instrumental case]], but also sometimes used with its original meaning, 'in the direction of', and more rarely 'near by'.
** The [[Postessive case]] (ending -хъ [-qh]; added to the Ergative): means 'behind', 'at', 'toward', 'in exchange for', and 'with.' In a construction with the verb ава (ava), it expresses possession.
** [[Postelative case]] (ending -хъай [-qhaj]; added to the Ergative): can either mean 'from' or the cause of fear or shame.
** [[Postdirective case]] (ending -хъди [-qhdi]; added to the Ergative): rarely used case, meaning 'toward(s)'.
** [[Subessive case]] (ending -к [-k]; added to the Ergative): means either 'below' or 'participates'.
** [[Subelative case]] (ending -кай [-kaj]; added to the Ergative): means either 'from below', 'from', '(from) against', 'with' or 'out of' (partitive). It is also used to mark Y in the construction 'X becomes out-of-Y' and can express the topic of a sentence ('about') or the cause of emotions.
** [[Subdirective case]] (ending -кди [-kdi]; added to the Ergative): expresses cause (never motion under), and can mean 'because' or 'of' (when in sentences such as 'the man died ''of'' a disease'.
** [[Inessive case]] (endings -а or -е [-a or -e]; added to Absolutive): means 'at', 'in' or 'during/whilst'.
** [[Inelative case]] (endings -ай or -ей [-aj or -ej]; added to Inessive): means 'out of' or 'in return for'.
** [[Superessive case]] (ending -л [-l]; added to the Inessive): means 'on', and also to express the cause of some emotions.
** [[Superelative case]] (ending -лай [-laj]; added to the Inessive): means 'off', 'after' or 'than' (comparison).
** [[Superdirective case]] (ending -лди [-ldi]; added to the Inessive): means 'onto', 'until', 'in' (when followed by an adjective), as an instrumental case (e.g. language) or instructive with abstract nouns.

===Declension===
There are two types of declensions.

====First declension====
{|class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"
! scope="col" | Case
! scope="colgroup" colspan="2" | Singular
! scope="colgroup" colspan="2" | Plural
|-
| Absolutive || {{lang|lez|буба}} || ''buba'' || {{lang|lez|бубаяр}} || ''bubajar''
|-
| Ergative || {{lang|lez|бубади}} || ''bubadi'' || {{lang|lez|бубайри}} || ''bubajri''
|-
| Genitive || {{lang|lez|бубадин}} || ''bubadin'' || {{lang|lez|бубайрин}} || ''bubajrin''
|-
| Dative || {{lang|lez|бубадиз}} || ''bubadiz'' || {{lang|lez|бубайриз}} || ''bubajriz''
|-
| Adessive || {{lang|lez|бубадив}} || ''bubadiv'' || {{lang|lez|бубайрив}} || ''bubajriv''
|-
| Adelative || {{lang|lez|бубадивай}} || ''bubadivaj'' || {{lang|lez|бубайривай}} || ''bubajrivaj''
|-
| Addirective || {{lang|lez|бубадивди}} || ''bubadivdi'' || {{lang|lez|бубайривди}} || ''bubajrivdi''
|-
| Postessive || {{lang|lez|бубадихъ}} || ''bubadiqʰ'' || {{lang|lez|бубайрихъ}} || ''bubajriqʰ''
|-
| Postelative || {{lang|lez|бубадихъай}} || ''bubadiqʰaj'' || {{lang|lez|бубайрихъай}} || ''bubajriqʰaj''
|-
| Postdirective || {{lang|lez|бубадихъди}} || ''bubadiqʰdi'' || {{lang|lez|буабайрихъди}} || ''buabajriqʰdi''
|-
| Subessive || {{lang|lez|бубадик}} || ''bubadikʰ'' || {{lang|lez|бубайрик}} || ''bubajrikʰ''
|-
| Subelative || {{lang|lez|бубадикай}} || ''bubadikʰaj'' || {{lang|lez|бубайрикай}} || ''bubajrikʰaj''
|-
| Subdirective || {{lang|lez|бубадикди}} || ''bubadikʰdi'' || {{lang|lez|бубайрикди}} || ''bubajrikʰdi''
|-
| Inessive || {{lang|lez|бубада}} || ''bubada'' || {{lang|lez|бубайра}} || ''bubajra''
|-
| Inelative || {{lang|lez|бубадай}} || ''bubadaj'' || {{lang|lez|бубайрай}} || ''bubajraj''
|-
| Superessive || {{lang|lez|бубадал}} || ''bubadal'' || {{lang|lez|бубайрал}} || ''bubajral''
|-
| Superelative || {{lang|lez|бубадалай}} || ''bubadalaj'' || {{lang|lez|бубайралай}} || ''bubajralaj''
|-
| Superdirective || {{lang|lez|бубадалди}} || ''bubadaldi'' || {{lang|lez|бубайралди}} || ''bubajraldi''
|}

==Vocabulary==

===Numbers===
The numbers of Lezgian are:
{|class="wikitable"
||уд||{{IPA|[ud]}}||zero
|-
||сад||{{IPA|[sad]}}||one
|-
||кьвед||{{IPA|[qʷ’ed]}}||two
|-
||пуд||{{IPA|[pud]}}||three
|-
||кьуд||{{IPA|[q’ud]}}||four
|-
||вад||{{IPA|[vad]}}||five
|-
||ругуд||{{IPA|[rugud]}}||six
|-
||ирид||{{IPA|[irid]}}||seven
|-
||муьжуьд||{{IPA|[muʒud]}}||eight
|-
||кlуьд||{{IPA|[k’yd]}}||nine
|-
||цlуд||{{IPA|[ts’ud]}}||ten
|-
||цlусад||{{IPA|[ts’usad]}}||eleven
|-
||цlикьвед||{{IPA|[ts’iqʷ’ed]}}||twelve
|-
||цlипуд||{{IPA|[ts’ipud]}}||thirteen
|-
||цlикьуд||{{IPA|[ts’iq’ud]}}||fourteen
|-
||цlувад||{{IPA|[ts’uvad]}}||fifteen
|-
||цlуругуд||{{IPA|[ts’urugud]}}||sixteen
|-
||цlерид||{{IPA|[ts’erid]}}||seventeen
|-
||цlемуьжуьд||{{IPA|[ts’emyʒud]}}||eighteen
|-
||цlекlуьд||{{IPA|[ts’ek’yd]}}||nineteen
|-
||къад||{{IPA|[qad]}}||twenty
|-
||къадцуд||{{IPA|[qadtsud]}}||thirty
|-
||яхцlур||{{IPA|[jaxts’ur]}}||forty
|-
||яхцlурцуд||{{IPA|[jaxtsurtsud]}}||fifty
|-
||пудкъад||{{IPA|[pudqad]}}||sixty
|-
||пудкъадцlуд||{{IPA|[pudqadtsud]}}||seventy
|-
||кьудкъад||{{IPA|[q’udqal]}}||eighty
|-
||къудкъадницlуд||{{IPA|[q'udq'adnitsud]}}||ninety
|-
||виш||{{IPA|[viʃ]}}||one hundred
|-
||агъзур||{{IPA|[aɣzur]}}||one thousand
|}
Nouns following a number are always in the singular. Numbers precede the noun. "Сад" and "кьвед" lose their final "-д" before a noun.

Lezgian numerals work in a similar fashion to the French ones, and are based on the vigesimal system in which "20", not "10", is the base number. "Twenty" in Lezgian is "къад", and higher numbers are formed by adding the suffix -ни to the word (which becomes "къанни" - the same change occurs in пудкъад and кьудкъад) and putting the remaining number afterwards. This way 24 for instance is къанни кьуд ("20 and 4"), and 37 is къанни цӏерид ("20 and 17"). Numbers over 40 are formed similarly (яхцӏур becomes яхцӏурни). 60 and 80 are treated likewise. For numbers over 100 just put a number of hundreds, then (if need be) the word with a suffix, then the remaining number. 659 is thus ругуд вишни яхцӏурни цӏекӏуьд. The same procedure follows for 1000. 1989 is агьзурни кӏуьд вишни кьудкъанни кӏуьд in Lezgi.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book |last1=Chitoran |first1=Ioana |last2=Babaliyeva |first2=Ayten |date=2007 |chapter=An acoustic description of high vowel syncope in Lezgian |chapter-url=http://www.icphs2007.de/conference/Papers/1492/1492.pdf |editor1=Jürgen Trouvain |editor2=William John Barry |title=Proceedings of the 16th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences, Saarbrücken, Germany, August 2007 |pages=2153–2156 |oclc=254169296 |isbn=978-3-9811535-0-7}}
* {{Cite book |last=Haspelmath |first=M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jBC6fSMh6wYC |title=A Grammar of Lezgian |date=1993 |publisher=Mouton de Gruyter |isbn=3-11-013735-6 |series=Mouton Grammar Library 9 |location=Berlin & New York}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Talibov |first1=Bukar B. |title=Lezginsko-russkij slovar' |last2=Gadžiev |first2=Magomed M. |date=1966 |publisher=Izd. Sovetskaja Ėnciklopedija |location=Moskva}}

==External links==
{{InterWiki|code=lez}}
{{commons category}}
* [https://gaf.lezgichal.ru/ Lezgi-Russian online dictionary]
* [[wikt:Appendix:Cyrillic script#Lezgi alphabet|Appendix:Cyrillic script]]
* [http://www.peterlin.pl/lezgi/chal.html Notes on the Lezgi language]
* [http://languageserver.uni-graz.at/ls/lang?id=3072 Languages of the World report] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303200900/http://languageserver.uni-graz.at/ls/lang?id=3072 |date=2016-03-03 }}
* [http://starling.rinet.ru/cgi-bin/response.cgi?root=new100&morpho=0&basename=new100\ncc\lez&first=0 Lezgian basic lexicon at the Global Lexicostatistical Database]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150624115355/http://lezgi.publicdictionary.ru/ Lezgian Dictionary + Mobile apps]

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