View source for Avar language

{{Short description|Northeast Caucasian language of the Avars of Dagestan, North Caucasus}}
{{About|the language spoken in Dagestan|the language spoken in medieval Europe|Pannonian Avars#Language}}
{{distinguish|text=the [[Afar language]] or the [[Awar language]] spoken in Papua New Guinea}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2010}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Avar
| altname          = Avaric, Awar
| nativename       = {{lang|av|اوار ماض}}, {{lang|av|авар мацӏ}}, {{Transliteration|av|avar maⱬ}};<br/>{{lang|av|ماعارۇل ماض}}, {{lang|av|магӏарул мацӏ}}, {{Transliteration|av|maⱨarul maⱬ}}
| states           = [[North Caucasus]], [[Azerbaijan]]
| ethnicity        = [[Avars (Caucasus)|Avars]]
| speakers         = {{sigfig|1,200,000|2}}
| date             = 2021
| ref              = e25
| refname          = Avar
| familycolor      = Caucasian
| fam1             = [[Northeast Caucasian languages|Northeast Caucasian]]
| fam2             = [[Avar–Andic languages|Avar–Andic]]
| script           = [[Cyrillic script|Cyrillic]] (current) <br />[[Georgian scripts|Georgian]], [[Arabic script|Arabic]], [[Latin script|Latin]] (formerly)
| nation           = {{flag|Russia}}
* {{flag|Dagestan}}
| iso1             = av
| iso1comment      = – Avaric
| iso2             = ava
| iso2comment      = – Avaric
| lc1              = ava
| ld1              = Avaric
| lc2              = oav
| ld2              = Old Avar
| linglist         = oav
| lingname         = – Old Avar
| glotto           = avar1256
| glottorefname    = Avar
| notice           = IPA
| map              = File:Northeast Caucasus languages map en.svg
| mapcaption       = {{legend|#FFACAC|Avar}}
| pronunciation    = {{IPA|[ʔaˈwar mat͡sʼː]}}<br>{{IPA|[maʕarul mat͡sʼ]}}
| dia1             = see below
| map2             = Lang Status 80-VU.svg
| mapcaption2      = {{center|{{small|Avar is classified as Vulnerable by the [[UNESCO]] ''[[Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger]]''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.wal.unesco.org/countries/russian-federation/languages/avar |title=Avar in Russian Federation 
|work=UNESCO WAL |access-date=22 June 2024}}</ref>}}}}
}}

'''Avar''' ({{lang|av|магӏарул мацӏ}}, {{transliteration|av|maⱨarul maⱬ}} {{IPA|av|maʕarul mat͡sʼː|}}, "language of the mountains" or {{lang|av|авар мацӏ}}, {{transliteration|av|avar maⱬ}} {{IPA|av|ʔaˈwar mat͡sʼː|}}, "Avar language"), also known as '''Avaric''',<ref name="ISO 639-2/RA">{{cite web |url=https://www.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2/php/langcodes_name.php?code_ID=35 |title=Documentation for ISO 639 identifier: ava |publisher=ISO 639-2 Registration Authority - Library of Congress |access-date=2017-07-05 |quote=Name: Avaric}}</ref><ref name="ISO 639-3/RA">{{cite web |url=http://www-01.sil.org/iso639-3/documentation.asp?id=ava |title=Documentation for ISO 639 identifier: ava |publisher=ISO 639-3 Registration Authority - SIL International |access-date=2017-07-05 |quote=Name: Avaric}}</ref> is a [[Northeast Caucasian languages|Northeast Caucasian]] language of the [[Avar–Andic languages|Avar–Andic]] subgroup that is spoken by [[Avars (Caucasus)|Avars]], primarily in [[Dagestan]]. In 2010, there were approximately one million speakers in Dagestan and elsewhere in [[Russia]].

==Geographic distribution==
[[File:Границы распространения аварского языка как международный.png|Territory and borders of distribution of the Avar language (in the [[Yañalif|Latin alphabet]] of the 1930s)|thumb|right]]

It is spoken mainly in the western and southern parts of the Russian Caucasus republic of [[Dagestan]], and the [[Balaken]], [[Zaqatala Rayon|Zaqatala]] regions of north-western [[Azerbaijan]].<ref name=e25/> Some [[Avars (Caucasus)|Avars]] live in other regions of Russia. There are also small communities of speakers living in the Russian republics of [[Chechnya]] and [[Kalmykia]]; in [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Kazakhstan]], [[Ukraine]], [[Jordan]], and the [[Marmara Sea]] region of [[Turkey]]. It is spoken by about 1,200,000 people worldwide. [[UNESCO]] classifies Avar as vulnerable to extinction.<ref>{{cite web|title=UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger|url=http://www.unesco.org/culture/languages-atlas/en/atlasmap/language-id-1069.html|publisher=[[UNESCO]] | access-date=19 April 2015}}</ref>

==Status==
It is one of six literary languages of Dagestan, where it is spoken not only by the Avar, but also serves as the [[Lingua franca|language of communication]] between different ethnic and linguistic groups.

==Dialects==
{{Expand language|langcode=av|section=yes|name=Авар свералаби|date=May 2025}}
[[Glottolog]] lists 14 [[dialect]]s of Avar, some of which correspond to the villages where they are spoken. The dialects are listed in alphabetical order based on their name in Glottolog:

* {{ill|Antsukh dialect|lt=Ancux|av|Анцухъдерил сверел}} ([[Antsukh]] / ''Анцух'') 
* Andalal-Gxdatl 
* Bacadin 
* Batlux 
* Hid 
* Karax 
* Kaxib 
* Keleb 
* Salatav 
* [[Shulani]]n 
* Untib 
* Xunzax ([[Khunzakh]] / ''Xунзах'')
* [[Zaqatala (city)|Zakataly]] 
* [[Zaqatala (city)|Zaqatala]]

==Phonology==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Consonant phonemes of Avar<ref name="TITUS">[http://titus.fkidg1.uni-frankfurt.de/didact/caucasus/nekklaut.htm#XFN1 Consonant Systems of the North-East Caucasian Languages on TITUS DIDACTICA]</ref>
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="3" |
! rowspan="3" | [[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" | [[Dental consonant|Dental]]
! colspan="4" | [[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
! rowspan="3" | [[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" | [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" | [[Uvular consonant|Uvular]]
! rowspan="3" | [[Pharyngeal consonant|Pharyngeal]]
! rowspan="3" | [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|- class="small"
! colspan="2" | central
! colspan="2" | [[lateral consonant|lateral]]
|- class="small"
! lenis
! [[fortis and lenis|fortis]]
! lenis
! fortis
! lenis
! fortis
! lenis
! fortis
! lenis
! fortis
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Nasal stop|Nasal]]
| {{IPA link|m}}
| {{IPA link|n}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan="3" | [[Plosive consonant|Plosive]]
! <small>[[voice (phonetics)|voiced]]</small>
| {{IPA link|b}}
| {{IPA link|d}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
| {{IPA link|ɡ}}
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! <small>[[voiceless]]</small>
| {{IPA link|p}}
| {{IPA link|t}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
| {{IPA link|k}}
| {{IPA link|kː}}
|
|
|
| {{IPA link|ʔ}}
|-
! <small>[[ejective consonant|ejective]]</small>
|
| {{IPA link|tʼ}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
| {{IPA link|kʼ}}
| {{IPA link|kʼː}}
|
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[affricate consonant|Affricate]]
! <small>[[voiceless]]</small>
|
| {{IPA link|t͡s}}
| {{IPA link|t͡sː}}
| {{IPA link|t͡ʃ}}
| {{IPA link|t͡ʃː}}
|
| {{IPA link|t͡ɬː}}
|
|
|
|
| {{IPA link|q͡χː}}
|
|
|-
! <small>[[ejective consonant|ejective]]</small>
|
| {{IPA link|t͡sʼ}}
| {{IPA link|t͡sʼː}}
| {{IPA link|t͡ʃʼ}}
| {{IPA link|t͡ʃʼː}}
|
| ({{IPA link|t͡ɬʼː}})
|
|
|
|
| {{IPA link|q͡χʼː}}
|
|
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[fricative consonant|Fricative]]
! <small>[[voiceless]]</small>
|
| {{IPA link|s}}
| {{IPA link|sː}}
| {{IPA link|ʃ}}
| {{IPA link|ʃː}}
| {{IPA link|ɬ}}
| {{IPA link|ɬː}}
|
| {{IPA link|x}}
| {{IPA link|xː}}
| {{IPA link|χ}}
| {{IPA link|χː}}
| {{IPA link|ʜ}}
|
|-
! <small>[[voice (phonetics)|voiced]]</small>
|
| {{IPA link|z}}
|
| {{IPA link|ʒ}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
| {{IPA link|ʁ}}
|
| {{IPA link|ʕ}}
| {{IPA link|ɦ}}
|-
! colspan="2" | [[trill consonant|Trill]]
|
|
|
| {{IPA link|r}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" | [[approximant consonant|Approximant]]
| {{IPA link|w}}
|
|
|
|
| {{IPA link|l}}
|
| {{IPA link|j}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|}

There are competing analyses of the distinction transcribed in the table with the length sign {{angbr IPA|ː}}. Length is part of the distinction, but so is articulatory strength, so they have been analyzed as [[fortis and lenis]].{{citation needed|date=October 2015}} The fortis affricates are long in the fricative part of the contour, e.g. {{IPAblink|tsː}} (tss), not in the stop part as in geminate affricates in languages such as Japanese and Italian {{IPAblink|tːs}} (tts). Laver (1994) analyzes e.g. {{IPAblink|t͡ɬː}} as a two-segment affricate–fricative sequence [{{IPA|t͡ɬɬ}}]  ({{IPA|/t𐞛ɬ/}} = {{IPA|/t<sup>ɬ</sup>ɬ/}}).<ref>Laver (1994) ''Principles of Phonetics'' p. 371.</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+Avar Vowels
!
![[Front vowel|Front]]
![[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
![[High vowel|High]]
|{{IPA link|i}}
|{{IPA link|u}}
|-
![[Mid vowel|Mid]]
|{{IPA link|e}}
|{{IPA link|o}}
|-
![[Low vowel|Low]]
| colspan="2" |{{IPA link|a}}
|}
Avar has five phonemic vowels: /a e i o u/.

===Lexical accent===
In Avar, accent is contrastive, free and mobile, independent of the [[Syllable weight|number of syllables]] in the word. Changes in lexical accent placement indicate different semantic meaning and grammatical meanings of a word:
* {{lang|av|ра́гӏи}} {{gloss|word}} ~ {{lang|av|рагӏи́}} {{gloss|fodder}}
* {{lang|av|ру́гънал}} {{gloss|wound.{{gcl|nom}}.{{gcl|pl}}}} ~ {{lang|av|ругъна́л}} {{gloss|wound.{{gcl|gen}}.{{gcl|sg}}}}

==Morphosyntax==
{{Expand section|date=September 2024}}
Avar is an [[agglutinative]] language, of [[subject–object–verb|SOV]] order.

[[Adverb]]s do not inflect, outside of inflection for [[noun class]] in some adverbs of place: e.g. the {{IPA|/b/}} in {{IPA|/ʒani-b/}} "inside" and {{IPA|/t͡se-b-e/}} "in front".  Adverbs of place also distinguish [[locative]], [[allative]], and [[ablative]] forms suffixally, such as {{IPA|/ʒani-b/}} "inside", {{IPA|/ʒani-b-e/}} "to the inside", and {{IPA|/ʒani-sa/}} "from the inside". {{IPA|/-go/}} is an emphatic suffix taken by underived adjectives.

==Writing systems==
{{Split section|Avar alphabets|date=June 2024}}
There were some attempts to write the Avar language in the [[Georgian alphabet]] as early as the 14th century.<ref>Simon Crisp, "Language Planning and the Orthography of Avar", ''Folia Slavica'' 7, 1–2 (1984): 91–104.</ref><ref name=Crisp>Simon Crisp, "The Formation and Development of Literary Avar", pp. 143–62, in Isabelle T. Kreindler, ed., ''Sociolinguistic Perspectives on Soviet National Languages: Their Past, Present and Future'', Contributions to the Sociology of Language, 40 (Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 1985).</ref> The use of the [[Persian alphabet|Perso-Arabic script]] for representing Avar in marginal glosses began in the 15th century. The use of Arabic, which is known as ''[[Ajami script|ajam]]'', is still known today.<ref name=Crisp/>

[[Peter von Uslar]] developed a Cyrillic-based alphabet, published in 1889, that also used some Georgian-based letters. Many of its letters have not been encoded in Unicode. The alphabet takes the following form:<ref>{{Cite book |last=Услар |first=Баронъ П. К. |url=https://www.runivers.ru/upload/iblock/7e8/Uslar%20P.%20K.%20Etnografiya%20Kavkaza%2003%201889.pdf |title=Аварскій языкъ. |date=1889 |location=Тифлисъ}}</ref> '''а б в г ӷ д е ж һ [[File:Cyrillic small letter Shha with high right breve serif.svg|11x11px]] [[File:Cyrillic small letter Shha with Cil top.svg|11x11px]] і ј к қ [[File:Cyrillic small letter Ka with loop.svg|13x13px]] л м н о п ԛ [[File:Cyrillic small letter Shha with hook.svg|15x15px]] р с ҫ т ҭ у х х̓ хّ ц [[File:Cyrillic small letter Tse with long left leg.svg|13x13px]] ц̓ ꚑ ч ч̍ чّ [[File:Cyrillic small letter Char.svg|16x16px]] (ჭ)/ч̓ ш ղ ղ̓ ղᷱ ດ'''

As part of Soviet language re-education policies in 1928 the Ajam was [[Latinisation in the Soviet Union|replaced]] by a Latin alphabet, which in 1938 was in turn [[Cyrillisation in the Soviet Union|replaced]] by the current [[Cyrillic script]]. Essentially, it is the Russian alphabet plus one additional letter called ''[[palochka]]'' (''stick'', Ӏ), originally the digit 1 on a manual typewriter. The palochka is not included in common computer [[keyboard layout]]s, and is often replaced with a capital Latin letter i ( ''I'' ) or occasionally a small Latin letter L ( ''l'' ) rather than the digit ''1''.

=== Cyrillic alphabet ===
The Avar language is usually written in the [[Cyrillic script]]. The letters of the alphabet are (with their pronunciation given below in [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] transcription):<ref name="TITUS"/><ref name="Omniglot">[http://www.omniglot.com/writing/avar.htm Omniglot on the Avar alphabet, language and pronunciation]</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
| style="width:5em;" | А а <br /> {{IPA|/a/}}
| style="width:5em;" | Б б <br /> {{IPA|/b/}}
| style="width:5em;" | В в <br /> {{IPA|/w/}}
| style="width:5em;" | Г г <br /> {{IPA|/ɡ/}}
| style="width:5em;" | Гъ гъ <br /> {{IPA|/ʁ/}}
| style="width:5em;" | Гь гь <br /> {{IPA|/h/}}
| style="width:5em;" | ГӀ гӏ <br /> {{IPA|/ʕ/}}
| style="width:5em;" | Д д <br /> {{IPA|/d/}}
|-
| Е е <br /> {{IPA|/e/}}, {{IPA|/je/}}
| Ё ё <br /> {{IPA|/jo/}}
| Ж ж <br /> {{IPA|/ʒ/}}
| З з <br /> {{IPA|/z/}}
| И и <br /> {{IPA|/i/}}
| Й й <br /> {{IPA|/j/}}
| К к <br /> {{IPA|/k/}}
| Къ къ <br /> {{IPA|/q͡χʼː/}}
|-
| Кь кь <br /> {{IPA|/t͡ɬʼː/}}
| КӀ кӏ <br /> {{IPA|/kʼ/}}
| КӀкӏ кӏкӏ <br /> {{IPA|/kʼː/}}
| Кк кк <br /> {{IPA|/kː/}}
| Л л <br /> {{IPA|/l/}}
| ЛӀ лӏ <br /> {{IPA|/t͡ɬː/}}
| Лъ лъ <br /> {{IPA|/ɬ/}}
| Лълъ лълъ <br /> {{IPA|/ɬː/}}
|-
| М м <br /> {{IPA|/m/}}
| Н н <br /> {{IPA|/n/}}
| О о <br /> {{IPA|/o/}}
| П п <br /> {{IPA|/p/}}
| Р р <br /> {{IPA|/r/}}
| С с <br /> {{IPA|/s/}}
| Сс сс <br /> {{IPA|/sː/}}
| Т т <br /> {{IPA|/t/}}
|-
| ТӀ тӏ <br /> {{IPA|/tʼ/}}
| У у <br /> {{IPA|/u/}}
| Ф ф <br /> {{IPA|/f/}}
| Х х <br /> {{IPA|/χ/}}
| Хх хх <br /> {{IPA|/χː/}}
| Хъ хъ <br /> {{IPA|/q͡χː/}}
| Хь хь <br /> {{IPA|/x/}}
| Хьхь хьхь <br /> {{IPA|/xː/}}
|-
| ХӀ хӏ <br /> {{IPA|/ħ/}}
| Ц ц <br /> {{IPA|/t͡s/}}
| Цц цц <br /> {{IPA|/t͡sː/}}
| ЦӀ цӏ <br /> {{IPA|/t͡sʼ/}}
| ЦӀцӏ цӏцӏ <br /> {{IPA|/t͡sʼː/}}
| Ч ч <br /> {{IPA|/t͡ʃ/}}
| Чч чч <br /> {{IPA|/t͡ʃː/}}
| ЧӀ чӏ <br /> {{IPA|/t͡ʃʼ/}}
|-
| ЧӀчӏ чӏчӏ <br /> {{IPA|/t͡ʃʼː/}}
| Ш ш <br /> {{IPA|/ʃ/}}
| Щ щ <br /> {{IPA|/ʃː/}}
| Ъ ъ <br /> {{IPA|/ʔ/}}
| Ы ы <br /> {{IPA|/ɨ/}}
| Ь ь <br /> {{IPA|/ʲ/}}&nbsp;
| Э э <br /> {{IPA|/e/}}
| Ю ю <br /> {{IPA|/ju/}}
|-
| Я я <br /> {{IPA|/ja/}}
|}

===Latin alphabet===
The Avar Latin alphabet was originally monocameral. Capital letters were added later. Note that there is no distinction between a cedilla as in {{angle bracket|ţ}} and a straight tick as in {{angle bracket|ⱪ}}; the graphic forms of the letters vary by publication, and ''k'' may have a cedilla or ''t'' a tick.<ref>[[:File:M. Debirop, Avar alipba, 1928.pdf]]</ref><ref name="Саидов">{{Cite journal |author=Саидов М. Д. |editor=  |format= |url=  |title= Возникновение письменности у аварцев |type=  |orig-year= | agency= |edition= Языки Дагестана  |location= Махач-Кала |year= 1948 |publisher=  |at=  |volume=  |issue=  |number= |pages= |page=  |series=  |isbn= |issn= |doi= |bibcode= |arxiv= |pmid= |language=  |quote=  }}</ref><ref name="КиПВ">{{Cite journal |author= |editor=  |format= |url= https://viewer.rusneb.ru/ru/rsl01005509731?page=177 |title= Новый алфавит для народностей Дагестана |type=  |orig-year= | agency= |edition= Культура и письменность Востока  |location= Б. |year= 1928 |publisher=  |volume=  |issue= II |pages=176–177 |series=  |isbn= |issn= |doi= |bibcode= |arxiv= |pmid= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220402173608/https://viewer.rusneb.ru/ru/rsl01005509731?page=177 |archive-date=2022-04-02 |language=  |quote=  }}</ref><ref name="Алексеев">{{Cite journal |author=Алексеев М. Е. |editor=  |format= |url=  |title= Аварский язык. — Языки Российской Федерации и соседних государств. — М.: Наука |type=  |orig-year= | agency= |edition=   |location= М. |year= 2001 |publisher=  |volume=  |issue=  |number= |pages=24–34 |series=  |isbn= |issn= |doi= |bibcode= |arxiv= |pmid= |language=  |quote=  }}</ref><ref name="graham">{{cite journal |last=Graham |first=C. |year=1881 |article-number=XI |title=The Avâr Language |journal=Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland |volume=13 |issue=3 |pages=291–352 |doi=10.1017/s0035869x00017858 |s2cid=164107540 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-royal-asiatic-society/article/abs/art-xithe-avar-language/B51A098F542020E3620B3464C68B6B63|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>[http://avar.me/ http://avar.me/]</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Latin
! Cyrillic
! Arabic
! IPA
|-
|A a
|А а||آ ,ا||/a/
|-
|B b
|Б б||ب||/b/
|-
|C c
|Ч ч||چ||/t͡ʃ/
|-
|Ꞓ ꞓ
|ЧӀ чӀ||ڃ||/t͡ʃʼ/
|-
|D d
|Д д||د||/d/
|-
|E e
|Э э||ئې، ې||/e/
|-
|G ɡ
|Г г||ڬ||/ɡ/
|-
|Ƣ ƣ
|Гъ Гъ||غ||/ʁ/
|-
|H h
|Гь гь||ﻫ||/h/
|-
|Ħ ħ
|ХӀ хӀ||ح||/ħ/
|-
|Ⱨ ⱨ
|ГӀ гӀ||ع||/ʕ/
|-
|I i
|И и||ئێ، ێ||/i/
|-
|J j
|Й й, Ь ь||ي||/j/, /Cʲ/
|-
|K k
|К к||ك||/k/
|-
|Ⱪ ⱪ
|КӀ кӀ||گ||/kʼ/
|-
|L l
|Л л||ل||/l/
|-
|Ļ ļ
|Лъ лъ||ڸ||/t͡ɬ/
|-
|Ꝉ̧ ꝉ̧
| || ||
|-
|M m
|М м||م||/m/
|-
|N n
|Н н||ن||/n/
|-
|O o
|О о||ئۈ، ۈ||/o/
|-
|P p
|П п||ف ||/p/
|-
|Q q
|Къ къ||ق||/q͡χʼː/
|-
|Ꝗ ꝗ
|Кь кь||ڨ||/t͡ɬʼː/
|-
|R r
|Р р||ر||/r/
|-
|S s
|С с||س||/s/
|-
|Ꟊ ꟊ
|Ц ц||ص||/t͡s/
|-
|Ş ş
|Ш ш||ش||/ʃ/
|-
|T t
|Т т||ت||/t/
|-
|Ţ ţ
|ТӀ тӀ||ط||/tʼ/
|-
|U u
|У у||ئۇ، ۇ||/u/
|-
|V v
|В в||و||/w/, /Cʷ/
|-
|X x
|Х х||خ||/χ/
|-
|Ҳ ҳ
|Хь хь||ڮ||/x/
|-
|Ӿ ӿ
|Хъ хъ||څ||/q͡χː/
|-
|Z z
|З з||ز||/z/
|-
|Ƶ ƶ
|Ж ж||ج||/ʒ/
|-
|Ⱬ ⱬ
|ЦӀ цӀ||ض||/t͡sʼ/
|-
|ʼ
|Ъ ъ||ئ ||/ʔ/
|}

===Arabic alphabet===

One feature of Avar Arabic alphabet is that similar to alphabets such as [[Uyghur alphabet|Uyghur]] and [[Kurdish alphabets|Kurdish]], the script does not omit vowels and does not rely on [[Arabic diacritics|diacritics]] to represent vowels when need be. Instead, modified letters with dot placement and accents have been standardized to represent vowels. Thus, Avar Arabic script is no longer an "impure [[abjad]]" unlike its parent systems ([[Arabic alphabet|Arabic]], [[Persian alphabet|Persian]], and [[Ottoman Turkish alphabet|Ottoman]]), it now resembles a proper "[[alphabet]]".

While this was not the case for most of the several centuries during which Arabic alphabet has been used for Avar, this has become the case in the latest and most common conventions. This was indeed not the case at the time of writing of a linguistic article for the [[Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society]] in 1881.<ref name="graham"/>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Arabic
! Cyrillic
! Latin
! IPA
|-
| ا 
|А а||A a||/a/
|-
| ب
|Б б||B b||/b/
|-
| ت
|Т т||T t||/t/
|-
| تُ
|Тв тв||Tv tv||/tʷ/
|-
| ج
|Ж ж||Ƶ ƶ||/ʒ/
|-
| جُ
|Жв жв||Ƶv ƶv||/ʒʷ/
|-
| ڃ
|ЧӀ чӀ||Ç ç||/t͡ʃʼ/
|-
| ڃُ
|ЧӀв чӀв||Çv çv||/t͡ʃʷʼ/
|-
|‌ ڃّ
|ЧӀчӀ чӀчӀ||Çç çç||/t͡ʃʼː/
|-
|‌ ڃُّ
|ЧӀчӀв чӀчӀв||Ççv ççv||/t͡ʃʷʼː/
|-
| چ
|Ч ч||C c||/t͡ʃ/
|-
| چُ
|Чв чв||Cv cv||/t͡ʃʷ/
|-
| چّ
|Чч чч||Cc cc||/t͡ʃː/
|-
| چُّ
|Ччв ччв||Ccv ccv||/t͡ʃʷː/
|-
| ح
|ХӀ хӀ||Ħ ħ||/ʜ/
|-
| حُ
|ХӀв хӀв||Ħv ħv||/ʜʷ/
|-
| خ
|Х х||X x||/χ/
|-
| خُ
|Хв хв||Xv xv||/χʷ/
|-
| خّ
|Хх хх||Xx xx||/χː/
|-
| خُّ
|Ххв ххв||Xxv xxv||/χʷː/
|-
| څ
|Хъ хъ||Ӿ ӿ||/q͡χː/
|-
| څُ
|Хъв хъв||Ӿv ӿv||/q͡χʷː/
|-
| د
|Д д||D d||/d/
|-
| دُ
|Дв дв||Dv dv||/dʷ/
|-
|‌ ر
|Р р||R r||/r/
|-
|‌ ز
|З з||Z z||/z/
|-
|‌ زُ
|Зв зв||Zv zv||/zʷ/
|-
|‌ س
|С с||S s||/s/
|-
|‌ سُ
|Св св||Sv sv||/sʷ/
|-
|‌ سّ
|Сс сс||Ss ss||/sː/
|-
|‌ سُّ
|Ссв ссв||Ssv ssv||/sʷː/
|-
| ش
|Ш ш||Ş ş||/ʃ/
|-
| شُ
|Шв шв||Şv şv||/ʃʷ/
|-
| شّ
|Щ щ||Şş şş||/ʃː/
|-
| شُّ
|Щв щв||Şşv şşv||/ʃʷː/
|-
| ص
|Ц ц||Ꞩ ꞩ||/t͡s/
|-
| صّ
|Цц цц||Ꞩꞩ ꞩꞩ||/t͡sː/
|-
| ض
|ЦӀ цӀ||Ⱬ ⱬ||/t͡sʼ/
|-
| ضُ
|ЦӀв цӀв||Ⱬv ⱬv||/t͡sʷʼ/
|-
|ضّ
|ЦӀцӀ цӀцӀ||Ⱬⱬ ⱬⱬ||/t͡sʼː/
|-
|ضُّ
|ЦӀцӀв цӀцӀв||Ⱬⱬv ⱬⱬv||/t͡sʷʼː/
|-
| ط
|ТӀ тӀ||Ţ ţ||/tʼ/
|-
| طُ
|ТӀв тӀв||Ţv ţv||/tʷʼ/
|-
|‌ ع
|ГӀ гӀ||Ⱨ ⱨ||/ʕ/
|-
| غ
|Гъ Гъ||Ƣ ƣ||/ʁ/
|-
| غُ
|Гъв Гъв||Ƣv ƣv||/ʁʷ/
|-
|rowspan="2"| ف
|П п||P p||/p/
|-
|Ф ф||F f||/f/
|-
| ڣ
|ПӀ пӀ||P p||/pʼ/
|-
| ق
|Къ къ||Q q||/q͡χʼː/
|-
| قُ
|Къв къв||Qv qv||/q͡χʷʼː/
|-
| ڨ
|Кь кь||Ꝗ ꝗ||/t͡ɬʼː/
|-
| ڨُ
|Кьв кьв||Ꝗv ꝗv||/t͡ɬʷʼː/
|-
| ك
|К к||K k||/k/
|-
| كُ
|Кв кв||Kv kv||/kʷ/
|-
| كّ
|Кк кк||Kk kk||/kː/
|-
| كُّ
|Ккв ккв||Kkv kkv||/kʷː/
|-
| گ
|КӀ кӀ||Ⱪ ⱪ||/kʼ/
|-
| گُ
|КӀв кӀв||Ⱪv ⱪv||/kʷʼ/
|-
| گّ
|КӀкӀ кӀкӀ||Ⱪⱪ ⱪⱪ||/kʼː/
|-
| گُّ
|КӀкӀв кӀкӀв||Ⱪⱪv ⱪⱪv||/kʷʼː/
|-
| ڬ
|Г г||G g ||/ɡ/
|-
| ڬُ
|Гв гв||Gv gv ||/ɡʷ/
|-
| ڮ
|Хь хь||Ҳ ҳ||/x/
|-
| ڮُ
|Хьв хьв||Ҳv ҳv||/xʷ/
|-
| ڮّ
|Хьхь хьхь||Ҳҳ ҳҳ||/xː/
|-
| ل
|Л л||L l||/l/
|-
| ڸ
|Лъ лъ||Ļ ļ||/t͡ɬ/
|-
| ڸُ
|Лъв лъв||Ļv ļv||/t͡ɬʷ/
|-
| ڸّ
|Лълъ лълъ||Ļļ ļļ||/t͡ɬː/
|-
| ڸُّ
|Лълъв лълъв||Ļļv ļļv||/t͡ɬʷː/
|-
| م
|М м||M m||/m/
|-
| ن
|Н н||N n||/n/
|-
| و
|В в||V v||/w/
|-
| ئۈ، ۈ
|О о||O o||/o/
|-
| ئۇ، ۇ
|У у||U u||/u/
|-
| ﻫُ
|Гьв гьв||Hv hv||/ɦʷ/
|-
| ﻫ
|Гь гь||H h||/ɦ/
|-
| ئې، ې
|Э э||E e||/e/
|-
| ئې، ې، يې
|Е е||E e, Je je ||/e/, /je/
|-
|rowspan="2"| ئێ، ێ
|И и||I i||/i/
|-
|Ы ы||Y y|| /ɨ/
|-
|rowspan="2"| ي
|Й й||J j||/j/
|-
|Ь ь||J j|| /ʲ/
|-
| يا
|Я я||Ja ja||/ja/
|-
| ''يۈ''
|Ё ё||Jo, jo||/jo/
|-
| يۇ
|Ю ю||Ju ju||/ju/
|-
| ئ
|Ъ ъ||’||/ʔ/
|-
| ئُ
|Ъв ъв|| ’v ||/ʔʷ/
|}

As an example, in Avar Arabic Script, four varieties of the letter ''[[yāʼ]]'' ("ی") have been developed, each with a distinct function.

{| class="wikitable"
|+Varieties of "ی"
! Leter
! Cyrillic Equivalent
! IPA
! Function
|-
| <span style="font-size:110%;">{{script/Arabic|ئ}}</span>
| - / ъ
| /ʔ/
| Used at the beginning of words starting with vowels "О о" [o], "У у" [u],	"Э э" [e], and "И и" [i]. Has no sound of its own, but acts as "vowel carrier". Similar to writing conventions of [[Uyghur alphabet|Uyghyr]] and [[Kurdish alphabets|Kurdish]]
|-
| <span style="font-size:110%;">{{script/Arabic|ئې، ې}}</span>
| Э э / Е е
| /e/
| Similar letter exists in [[Pashto alphabet|Pashto]], [[Southern Uzbek language#Southern Uzbek Alphabet|Uzbek]], and [[Uyghur alphabet|Uyghyr]] orthographies.
|-
| <span style="font-size:110%;">{{script/Arabic|ئێ، ێ}}</span>
| И и / Ы ы
| /i~ɨ/
| Similar letter exists in [[Kurdish alphabets|Kurdish]] orthography, but for the vowel [e].
|-
| <span style="font-size:110%;">{{script/Arabic|ي}}</span>
| Й й
| /j/
| Equivalent to English "y" sound.
|}

Nevertheless, Avar Arabic script does retain two diacritics.

First is "[[shadda]]" (ـّـ), used for [[gemination]]. While in Cyrillic, two back to back letters, including [[Digraph (orthography)|digraphs]] are written, in Arabic script, shadda is used.

Second diacritic in use in Avar Arabic script is [[Arabic diacritics#Ḍammah|ḍammah]] (ـُـ). In Arabic, Persian, and historically in Ottoman Turkish, this diacritic is used to represent [o] or [u]. But in Avar, this diacritic is used for [[labialization]] [◌ʷ] and not for any sort of vowel. So, it is the case that this diacritic is used in conjunction with a follow-up vowel. For example, the sound "зва" [zʷa] is written as "زُا".

This diacritic can optionally be used in conjunction with shadda. For example, the sound "ссвa" [sʷːa] is written as "سُّا".

If a word starts with a vowel, if it's an [a] sound, it is written with ''alif'' "ا". Otherwise, the vowel needs to be preceded by a "vowel carrier", which is ''hamza-ya''' (ئـ). No need for such a carrier in the middle of words. Below table demonstrates vowels in Avar Arabic Script.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+Vowel Table
|-
! А а || О о || У у || Э э / Е е || И и 
|-
! [a] || [o] || [u] || [e] || [i]
|-
!colspan=6| Vowel at the beginning of a word
|-dir="rtl"
| <span style="font-size:140%;line-height:1.35;">{{Script/Arabic|ا}}</span>
| <span style="font-size:140%;line-height:1.35;">{{Script/Arabic|ئۈ}}</span>
| <span style="font-size:140%;line-height:1.35;">{{Script/Arabic|ئۇ}}</span>
| <span style="font-size:140%;line-height:1.35;">{{Script/Arabic|ئېـ}}</span>
| <span style="font-size:140%;line-height:1.35;">{{Script/Arabic|ئێـ}}</span>
|-
!colspan=6| Vowel in the middle or end of a word
|-
| <span style="font-size:140%;line-height:1.35;">{{Script/Arabic|ـا، ا}}</span>
| <span style="font-size:140%;line-height:1.35;">{{Script/Arabic|ـۈ، ۈ}}</span>
| <span style="font-size:140%;line-height:1.35;">{{Script/Arabic|ـۇ، ۇ}}</span>
| <span style="font-size:140%;line-height:1.35;">{{Script/Arabic|ېـ، ـېـ، ـې}}</span>
| <span style="font-size:140%;line-height:1.35;">{{Script/Arabic|ێـ، ـێـ، ـێ}}</span>
|}

===Sample comparison===
{|class="wikitable"
!Arabic Alphabet (2007)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.omniglot.com/writing/avar.htm|title=Avar (Магӏарул мацӏ / Авар мацӏ)|website=www.omniglot.com|access-date=2023-08-14}}</ref>!!Cyrillic Alphabet (2007)!!Latin Alphabet
|- style="vertical-align:top;text-align:center;"
|dir="rtl"|<poem><span style="font-size:110%;line-height:1.65;">{{Script/Arabic|lang=av-Arab|
نۈڸ ماڨێڸ وێڮانا، ڨالدا ڸۇق - ڸۇقۇن، 
ڨۇردا كُېر ڃُان ئۇنېو، بێدا وېضّۇن دۇن؛
ڨۇرۇڬێ باطاڸۇن صېوې ئۇناڬۈ،
صۈ ڸارال راعالدا عۈدۈو كّۈلېو دۇن.
ڸار چُاخّۇلېب بۇڬۈ چابخێل گّالاڅان،
ڸێن گانضۇلېب بۇڬۈ ڬانڃازدا طاسان؛
طاراماغادێسېب قُال بالېب بۇڬۈ،
قۈ ڸێگێلان دێصا سۈعاب راڨالدا}}</span></poem>
|<poem>Нолъ макьилъ вихьана, кьалда лъукъ-лъукъун,
Кьурда квер чIван унев, бида вецIцIун дун;
Кьуруги батIалъун цеве унаго,
Цо лъарал рагIалда гIодов кколев дун.
Лъар чваххулеб буго чабхил кIкIалахъан,
Лъин кIанцIулеб буго ганчIазда тIасан;
ТIарамагъадисеб къвал балеб буго,
Къо лъикIилан дица согIаб ракьалда.</poem>
| <poem>Noļ maꝗiļ viҳana, ꝗalda ļuq-ļuqun,
Ꝗurda кvеr çvan unеv, bida vеⱬⱬun dun;
Ꝗuruⱨ baţaļun s̶еvе unago,
Co ļaral raⱨalda ⱨodov ккolеv dun.
Łar cvaxxulеb bugo cabxil ⱪⱪalax̶an,
Łin ⱪanⱬulеb bugo gançazda ţaсan;
Ţaramaƣadiсеb qval balеb bugo,
Qo ļiⱪilan dis̶a сoⱨab raꝗalda.</poem>
|}

==Literature==
The literary language is based on the болмацӏ (''bolmacʼ''){{Citation needed|date=January 2010}}—''bo'' = "army" or "country", and ''macʼ'' = "language"—the common language used between speakers of different dialects and languages. The ''bolmacʼ'' in turn was mainly derived from the dialect of [[Khunzakh]], the capital and cultural centre of the Avar region, with some influence from the southern dialects. Nowadays the literary language is influencing the dialects, levelling out their differences.{{Citation needed|date=January 2010}}

The most famous figure of modern Avar literature is [[Rasul Gamzatov]] (died November 3, 2003), the People's Poet of Dagestan. Translations of his works into [[Russian language|Russian]] have gained him a wide audience all over the former [[Soviet Union]].{{Citation needed|date=January 2010}}

==Sample sentences==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! English !! Avar !! Transliteration !! IPA
|-
| Hello! || Ворчӏами! || Worch’ami! || /wort͡ʃ’ami/
|-
| How are you doing? || Щиб хӏaл бугеб? || Shchib hal bugeb? || /ʃːib ʜal bugeb/
|-
| How are you? || Иш кин бугеб? || Ish kin bugeb? || /iʃ kin bugeb/
|-
| What is your name? || Дуда цӏар щиб? || Duda c’ar shchib? || /duda t͡s’ar ʃːib/
|-
| How old are you? || Дур чан сон бугеб? || Dur chan son bugeb? || /dur t͡ʃan son bugeb/
|-
| Where are you going? || Mун киве ина вугев? || 	Mun kiwe ina wugew? || /mun kiwe ina wugew/
|-
| Sorry! || 	Тӏаса лъугьа! || T’asa łuḩa! || /t’asa ɬuha/
|-
| Mother ||     Эбель         || A'bel       || / A'bel/
|-
| Father ||     Эмен         || A'men       || / A'men/
|-
| Where is the little boy going? || Киве гьитӏинав вас унев вугев? || Kiwe ḩit’inaw was unew wugew? || /kiwe hit’inaw was unew wugew/
|-
| The boy broke a bottle. || Васас шиша бекана. || Wasas shisha bekana. || /wasas ʃiʃa bekana/
|-
| They are building the road. || Гьез нух бале (гьабулеб) буго. || Ḩez nux́ bale (ḩabuleb) bugo.
 || /hez nuχ bale (habuleb) bugo/
|}

==Sample text==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="3"| Avar
!rowspan="2"| Translation
|-
! Cyrillic
! Latin
! Arabic
|-
| {{lang|av-Cyrl|Я, зобалазда вугев нижер Эмен, дур цӀар гӀадамаз мукъадасаблъун рикӀкӀаги, дур ПарччахӀлъи тӀаде щваги. Зобалаздаго гӀадин ракьалдаги дур амру билълъанхъаги. Жакъа нижер бетӀербахъиялъе хинкӀ-чед кье нижее. Нижер налъи-хӀакъалда тӀасаги лъугьа, нижерго налъулазда тӀаса нижги лъугьарал ругин. Нижер хӀалбихьизеги биччаге, Квешалдаса цӀуне ниж.}}

| Ja, zobalazda wugew niƶer Emen, dur ⱬar ⱨadamaz muqadasabļun, riⱪⱪagi, dur Parccaħļi ţade şşvagi. Zobalazdago ⱨadin raꝗaldagi dur amru biļļanӿagi. Ƶaqa niƶer beţerbaӿijaļe xinⱪ-ced ꝗe niƶeje. Niƶer naļi-ħaqalda ţasagi ļuha, niƶergo naļulazda, ţasa niƶgi ļuharal rugin. Niƶer ħalbiҳizegi biccage, Kveşaldasa ⱬune niƶ

|{{rtl-para|{{lang|av-Arab|يا، زۈبالازدا وۇڬېو نێجېر ئېمېن، دۇر ضار عاداماز مۇقاداسابڸۇن رێگّاڬێ، دۇر پارچّاحڸێ طادې شُّاڬێ. زۈبالازداڬۈ عادێن  راڨالداڬێ دۇر امرۇ بێڸّانڅاڬێ. جاقا نێجېر بېطېرباڅێياڸې جێنگ-چېدڨ ڨې نێجېيې. نێجېر ناڸێ-حاقالدا طاساڬێ ڸۇﻫا، نێجېرڬۈ ناڸۇلازدا طاسا نێجرێ ڸۇﻫارال رۇڬێن. نێجېر حالبێڮێزېڬێ بێچّارێ، کُێشالداسا ضۇنې نێج.}}}}
| Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Russia|Languages}}
* [[Northeast Caucasian languages]]
* [[Languages of the Caucasus]]

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{InterWiki|code=av}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080923013946/http://www.rferl.org/listen/ondemand/bd/ca/ RFE/RL North Caucasus Radio (also includes Chechen and Adyghe)]
* [http://korpus.baltoslav.eu/index.php?mova=en Avar language corpus] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011133513/http://korpus.baltoslav.eu/index.php?mova=en |date=2017-10-11 }} (in English, Russian, Polish and Belarusian)
* [http://baltoslav.eu/lat/index.php?j=mg&n=3&mova=en Avar Cyrillic-Latin text and website converter]
* [http://avar.me/ Online Avar–Russian dictionary, including Arabic and Latin scripts]
* [http://www.philology.ru/linguistics4/madiyeva-67.htm Avar language information in Russian]

{{Languages of Russia}}
{{Languages of Azerbaijan}}
{{Northeast Caucasian languages}}
{{Languages of the Caucasus}}
{{Arabic script}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Avar language| ]]
[[Category:Agglutinative languages]]
[[Category:Subject–object–verb languages]]
[[Category:Languages written in Cyrillic script]]