Adyghe

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A language of Russian Federation

ISO 639-3
ady
Alternate Names
Adygei, Adygey, Circassian, Kiakh, Kjax, Lower Circassian, West Circassian
Population

117,500 in Russian Federation (2010 census). No monolinguals (Ministry of Education, Adygea Republic). Ethnic population: 129,000 (2010 census). Total users in all countries: 585,500.

Location

Adygeya Republic, Kransnodarskiy Kray, Karachayevo-Cherkesiya, and Stavropol’skiy Kray.

Language Maps
Language Status

2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in Adyghea (1995, Constitution, Adyghea Republic, Article 2).

Classification
North Caucasian, West Caucasian, Circassian
Dialects

Shapsug (Sapsug), Xakuchi, Bezhedukh (Bzedux, Bzhedug, Chemgui, Temirgoj), Abadzex (Abadzakh, Abadzeg), Natuzaj (Natukhai). Reportedly similar to Kabardian [kbd].

Typology

SOV.

Language Use

96% speak it as L1. All domains. All ages. Positive attitudes. All also use Russian [rus].

Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 99% (Ministry of Education, Adygea Republic). Literacy rate in L2: 100% (Ministry of Education, Adygea Republic). Taught in primary schools. Newspapers. New media. Radio programs. TV. Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 1991.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Adyghe
Writing

Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab], no longer in use. Cyrillic script [Cyrl]. Latin script [Latn], used in Turkey.

Other Comments

Some literature. Muslim.

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