Гӏалгӏай мотт

Ingush

NE Caucasian (Nakh)

FamilyNE Caucasian (Nakh) Speakers~400K ScriptCyrillic CountriesRussia (Ingushetia) Official inRepublic of Ingushetia Vitalitysafe ISO 639-3inh

Ingush (ГӀалгӀай мотт ʻalġai mott) is a Northeast Caucasian language of the Nakh branch with ~350K speakers — co-official with Russian in the Republic of Ingushetia (capital Magas). Sister to Chechen (ce); together they form the Vainakh subgroup with ~80% mutual intelligibility, having diverged in the medieval period. Cyrillic script since 1938 (after Latin 1923-1938 and earlier Arabic-derived attempts). Ergative-absolutive case system with up to eight cases, four gender classes (B/D/J/V) marked on verbs, polysynthetic verb morphology, and a complex consonant inventory featuring ejectives, pharyngealized consonants, and uvulars. The Ingush diaspora was tragically affected by Stalin's 1944 deportation to Central Asia (Aardakh, returned 1957). Rich oral tradition of Nart epic sagas shared with neighboring Caucasian peoples.

Where it is spoken

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87 core words in Ingush

Water

хий

xiː

Fire

цӏи

tsʼi

Sun

малх

maːlx

Moon

бутт

butː

Star

седкъа

sedqʼa

Night

бийса

biːsɑ

Rain

догӏа

ˈdoʁa

Snow

лоа

lɔ̯ɑ

Wind

мух

mux

Earth

лаьтта

lɛ̯atta

Stone

кхера

ˈqie̯ra

Mountain

лоам

lɔ̯ɑm

Sea

форд

ford

Mother

нана

naːna

Father

да

daː

Daughter

йоӏ

i̯oʕ

I

со

so

You

хьо

ħo

We

вай / тхо

waj / txo

Name

цӏи

tsʼi

Person

саг

saɡ

Head

корта

kuo̯rta

Eye

бӏарг

bʕarɡ

Ear

лерг

lerɡ

Nose

мераж

meraʒ

Mouth

бага

baɡa

Tooth

царг

tsarɡʲ

Tongue

мотт

motː

Hand

кулг

kulɡʲ

Foot

ког

koɡ

Heart

дог

doɡ

Bone

тӏехк

tʼexk

Blood

цӏий

tsʼiː

Poop

бид

bid

Love

безам

bezam

Tree

га

ɡa

Dog

жӏали

ʒˤaliː

Cat

циск

tsiskʲ

Fish

чкъаьра

tʃʼqχʼe̯æːra

Bird

оалхазар

ɔ̯alxazar

Butterfly

кӏормац

kʼormats

Egg

фуъ

fuʔ

Bear

ча

tʃa

Horse

говр

ɡou̯r

House

цӏа

tsʼa

Milk

шура

ʃura

Honey

моз

modz

Salt

тух

tux

Wine

чагӏар

tʃaʁar

Rice

дуга

duɡa

Iron

аьшк

ɛ̯aʃkʲ

Wheel

чарх

tʃarx

Silk

даьри

dæri

Book

китаб

kitab

Eat

даа

daː

Drink

мала

mala

Sleep

вижа

viʒa

One

цаӏ

tsaʕ

Two

шиъ

ʃiʔ

Three

кхоъ

qoʔ

Four

диъ

diʔ

Five

пхиъ

pxiʔ

Hundred

бӏаь

bʕæ

Hello

моаршал

moaɾʃal

Thank you

баркал

baɾkal

Good

дика

dika

New

керда

kerda

Red

цӏе

tsʼiːe̯

White

кӏай

kʼaj

Black

ӏаьржа

ʕæːrʒa

Green

баьццара

bætsːara

Blue

сийна

ˈsijna

Sugar

шекар

ʃekar

Sources

Words compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: NE Caucasian (Nakh)

Meaning IngushChechenBatsLakTsezAvarKhvarshi
Water хий /xiː/ хи /xi/ ხი /xi/ щин /ɕːin/ лъи /ɬi/ лъим /ɬim/ лъа /ɬa/
Fire цӏи /tsʼi/ цӏе /tsʼe/ წე /tsʼe/ цӏу /tsʼu/ цӏи /tsʼi/ цӏа /tsʼa/ цӏа /tsʼa/
Sun малх /maːlx/ малх /malx/ მათხ /matx/ баргъ /barʁ/ бухъ /buq/ бакъ /baqʼ/ бухъ /buqχ/
Moon бутт /butː/ бутт /butː/ ბუთთ /butː/ барз /barz/ буци /butsi/ моцӏ /motsʼ/ буца /butsa/
Star седкъа /sedqʼa/ седа /seda/ — /—/ цӏуку /tsʼuku/ ца /tsa/ цӏва /tsʼʷa/ цӏирис /tsʼiris/
Night бийса /biːsɑ/ буьйса /bujsa/ ბუჲსა /bujsa/ хьхьу /xːu/ нешохӏоси гъуди /neʃoħosi ʁudi/ сордо /sordo/ нишохо /niʃoho/
Rain догӏа /ˈdoʁa/ догӏа /ˈdoʁa/ ყარ /qʼar/ гъарал /ʁaral/ хъема /qema/ цӏад /tsʼad/ хъема /qema/
Snow лоа /lɔ̯ɑ/ ло /lo/ ლავ /law/ марххала /marxːala/ иси /isi/ гӏазу /ʕazu/ иса /isa/
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