Lezgi is a member of the Nakh-Daghestanian or Northeast Caucasian language family. It is spoken mainly in southern Dagestan in the Russian Federation, and also in northern parts of Azerbaijan. In 2010 there were about 402,000 Lezgi speakers in Dagestan, and 193,000 people spoke Lezgi in Azerbaijan in 2017. There are also speakers of Lezgi in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Germany and other countries.
Lezgi is a recognized language in the Dagestan Autonomous Republic, and is used in literature and the media. In Azerbaijan Lezgi is spoken mainly in Qusar, Quba, Qabala, Oghuz, Ismailli and Khachmaz provinces in the northeast of the country.
Lezgi is also known as Lezgian, Lezgin, Lezghi or Kiurintsy. Dialects include Kiuri, Samur and Quba.
Lezgi was first written a version of the Arabic alphabet at the beginning of the 20th century. A way of writing Lezgi with the Cyrillic alphabet was devised by Baron Peter von Uslar in the 1860s and used in parallel with the Arabic alphabet. A modified version of the alphabet was used in some schools from 1911.
The Latin alphabet was introduced in the 1928 as part of the Soviet Union's Latinisation campaign. This was revised in 1932, and replaced by the Cyrillic alphabet in 1938.
Download an alphabet chart for Lezgi (Excel)
Corrections and editions by Michael Peter Füstumum
Source: Определитель языков мира по письменностям. Академия наук СССР. Москва – 1965.
Гьеле гатфарин гьаваяр алукьнавачир. Эхиримжи гьафтейра авай гьава лап аяз квайди тир. Живер юкъузцӀразвайтӀани йифера мекьивал ирид градусдив агакьзавай. Къалин жив акӀ кӀеви хьанвай хьи, арабайривайрехъ авачир чкайрайни физ жезвай. Ахпа садлагьана чими гарар акъатна, цав цифери кӀевиа, пуд юкъузни пудйифиз гужлу марф къвана. Ахпа гар секин хьана, кьалин чӀулав циф акьалтна. Марфар къвана, муркӀархъиткьиниз эгечӀна, ругъул селлер авахьна. Нянихъ циф чкӀиз эгечӀна, рагар-рагар хьана циф катна, гьава ачуххьана, лап гьакъикъи гатфар алукьна. Пакамахъ экуь рагъ галукьайла, назик муркӀар цӀрана, гатфарин гьаваччилелай къарагъзавай бугъадик зурзуна.
Hele gatfarin havajar aluq’navačir. Exirimži haftejra avaj hava lap ajaz kvajdi tir. Živer juquzc’razvajt’ani jifera meq’ival irid gradusdiv agaq’zavaj. Qalin živ ak’ k’evi x̌anvaj x̌i, arabajrivajreqh avačir čkajrajni fiz žezvaj. Axpa sadlahana čimi garar aqatna, cav ciferi k’evia, pud juquzni pudjifiz gužlu marf qvana. Axpa gar sekin x̌ana, q’alin č’ulav cif aq’altna. Marfar qvana, murk’arqhitq’iniz egeč’na, ruǧul seller avax̌na. Njaniqh cif čk’iz egeč’na, ragar-ragar x̌ana cif katna, hava ačux̌x̌ana, lap haqiqi gatfar aluq’na. Pakamaqh eky raǧ galuq’ajla, nazik murk’ar c’rana, gatfarin havaččilelaj qaraǧzavaj buǧadik zurzuna.
Some information provided by Wolfgang Kuhl and Michael Peter Füstumum
Information about Lezgi | Phrases | Numbers
Information about Lezgi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lezgian_language
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lezgin_alphabets
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/lez
http://www.peterlin.pl/lezgi/chal.html
Aghul, Akhvakh, Andi, Archi, Avar, Bagvalal, Batsbi, Bezhta, Botlikh, Budukh, Caucasian Albanian, Chamalal, Chechen, Dargwa, Godoberi, Hinukh, Hunzib, Ingush, Kaitag, Karata, Khinalug, Khwarshi, Kryts, Kubachi, Lak, Lezgian, Rutul, Tabassaran, Tindi, Tsakhur, Tsez, Udi
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Languages written with the Latin alphabet
Page last modified: 09.06.24
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