The Caucasian Languages (of The Caucasus Mountains)

This video is all about the indigenous languages of the Caucasus region, including the Kartvelian, Northeast Caucasian, and Northwest Caucasian language families.

(Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, so Langfocus gets a small referral fee - at no extra cost to you)

Special thanks to the following people for their language samples and feedback: David Gagnidze (Georgian); Sana Patuash, Apsha Rustam, and Asa Nash (Adyghe/Circassian).

Ali Mametraimov, AmateurTextualCriticism, Anjo Barnes, Auguste Fields, Bennett Seacrist, Bill Walderman, Brandon Gonzalez, Brian King, CFitz17, Clark Roth, Jacob Madsen, John Moffat, Karl-Erik Wångstedt, Kenny, Leon Jiang, Marcelo Loureiro, Matthew Etter, Michael Arbagi, Michael Cuomo, Michael Regal, Nobbi Lampe-Strang, Paul Falstad, Rosalind Resnick, Ruben Sanchez Jr,
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Bartosz Czarnotta, Ben, Benn M, Brent Warner, Brian Begnoche, Brian Morton, Bruce Lam, Bruce Stark, Chelsea Boudreau, chris brown, Christian Langreiter, Christopher Lowell, Daniel Young, Darek, David Eggleston, David LeCount, Dean Cary, Debbie Willow, Diane Young, DickyBoa, Dieter Raber, divad, Divadrax, Don Ross, Donald Tilley, Ed B, Ed Heard, Edward Wilson, Eren Parla, Eric Loewenthal, Evolyzer, Fabio Martini, fatimahl, Fawad Quraishi, G Bot, Grace Wagner, Greg Boyarko, Gregory Garecki, Guillermo Jimenez, Harry Kek, Henri Saussure, Herr K, Howard Clark, Hugh AULT, Ina Mwanda, J Yang, Jack Jackson, Jaidyn Workman, Jakub Krajňanský, James and Amanda Soderling, James Lillis, JAMES ORR, Jay Bernard, Jens Aksel Takle, JESUS FERNANDO MIRANDA BARBOSA, Jim Wink, JING LUO, JK Nair, JL Bumgarner, joanna jansen, John Hyaduck, Jreu, Justin Faist, Kirk Vistain, Klaw117, Konrad, Kristian Erickson, Krzysztof Dobrzanski, Kyle Ibarra, Kyle James, Laura Morland, Lee Dedmon, Leo Coyne, Leo Barudi, Lincoln Hutton, Lorraine Inez Lil, Louie dela Fuente, Luke Jensen, M.Aqeel Afzal, Mahmoud Hashemi, maiku, Margaret Langendorf, Maria Comninou, Mark, Mark Bonneaux, Mark Grigoleit, Mark Kemp, Markzipan, Martin Blackwell, Maurice Chou, Merrick Bobb, Merrick Bobb, Michael Poplin, Michael Sisson, Mike Frysinger, Mohammed A. Abahussain, Mário Pegado, Naama and Geoff Shang, Nadia B., Nicholas Gentry, Nicole Tovar, Oleksandr Ivanov, Oto Kohulák, ou_lyss, Panot, Papp Roland, Patrick smith, Patriot Nurse, Paul Shutler, Pauline Pavon, Paulla Fetzek, Peter Andersson, Peter Nikitin, Peter Scollar, Raymond Thomas, Renato Paroni de Castro, ReysDad, Richard Kelly, Robert Brockway, Robert Sheehan, Robert Williams, Roger Smith, Roland Seuhs, Ron McKinnon, Ronald Brady, Saffo Papantonopoulou, Sergio Pascalin, Sierra Rooney, Simon Blanchet, Spartak Kagramanyan, Stefan Reichenberger, Steven Severance, Suzanne Jacobs, Tara Pride, TD, Theophagous, Thomas Chapel, thug rife, Timothy Michael Dougherty, tommy dahill, Vinicius Marchezini, Vitor, William MacKenzie, William O Beeman, Yagub Alserkal, yasmine jaafar, Yassine Ouarzazi, Yeshar Hadi, zhangyimo, Éric Martin.

Major sources used:

Creative Commons images:

[Langfocus]

Hi, everyone. I hope you like the new video. A couple of things to note: (1) "gvprtskvni" should be translated as "You (sg) peel us" rather than "They peel us".
(2) Some people have commented that "Gvachvenen" (They will show us) should be "Gvachveneben". "Gvachvenen" is a casual reduced form of the more formal standard form "Gvachveneben". (3) It turns out that the Chechen speaker in the video is NOT a native speaker, even though I confirmed with him several times that he is a fluent native speaker. It seems he considers himself a native speaker because he is an ethnic Chechen, but he in fact learned it as a second language. It pisses me off to no end when people mislead me about this kind of thing. Really.

[mikikaboom]

The Balkans: I have the most complicated demographics!
The Caucasus: Hold my mountain

[marslanouk]

I am Circassian from the USA, I speak Abzagh, Bzadough and Kabardey fluently because my parents insisted on keeping our language and our culture within our home from a very early age. I was allowed to speak any language outside my home, however once I stepped foot in the door inside my house I immediately switched my language as well my culture. I have traveled to several countries and the Circassians are losing their language. Disheartened to say we already lost the Wibigh adore my culture, my dance and my very difficult languages. When I hear the sound of the accordion my heart overflows with extreme bliss.

[anastsay]

I'm a Circassian native speaker and I can speak also English, German and Arabic fluently thanks to my Circassian mother tongue. Because in Circassian there are many difficult sounds as well as normal sounds that exist in German, Arabic and English, which of course helped me a lot become a fluent speaker in these languages. Thank you Mr.Paul for this amazing video. I'm a linguist and I love your videos very much. Kind regards from Austria

[islmhhh]

I speak Circassian so I'm not afraid of any other language pronounciation :) Great video, thanks.

[gergelygalvacsy]

“Let’s hear an example!” *speaker coughs into the microphone*

[princekrazie]

Gvprtskvni is what bananas say when they are about to die.

[stangaloway]

Didn't think anyone in the world would be interested in us or in our languages. I'm pleasantly surprised - thank you.
Best regards from Chechnya👍

[vigilant_crusty]

Everybody gangsta until Georgian starts clustering consonants.

[TWIINTIGER]

I’m Circassian/Adyghe and learning my language right now (which is quite challenging). Thank you for making this video about our language (and those of the Caucasus region), not many people know about us, so a channel as popular as yours talkIng about us is really cool to see!
Wupso (thank you)

[szkwtcx]

I am Amharic speaker from Ethiopia. Much respect for Caucasian languages. I think they can pronounce any languages in this world. I saw so many sounds in Caucasian languages that i thought before they are only Amharic sounds.

[synthster]

I'm Circassian and Turkish, it is VERY interesting to watch this video. I had never seen a Western person talk about these languages and I love how well researched and spot on you are.

[taylormudford]

I've been studying Georgian for a few months now and have come to absolutely love the sound of ejective consonants and the harmonic clusters. Though the actual grammar for verbs (and split ergativity) are definitely mind bending and challenging.

[Zastrava]

Georgian is a language I've been obsessed with since at least 2009-- it led me to delve deep into linguistics. Such a fascinating language and region, but fairly difficult to actually learn when you have lived in the Canadian Prairies and US Midwest where teaching materials are nigh impossible to get ahold of.

[yousefal-kilani]

My mother is Circassian, sadly she doesn't speak her own language of origin (she speaks Arabic) because her family came long ago to Jordan, but they are still holding onto their identity, I hope that I could learn and speak this language one day . Thank you for the video

[pualamnusantara]

Arabic : I have the most throaty consonants!
Caucasian languages : Hello there!

[mazethewise]

Paul: There are lots of consonants.
Me: oh like the Czech language?
Local: sprvrknkpni
Me: nope nothing alike

[navier]

Hey 🇬🇪 I am from Georgia. Thank you for this masterpiece.
მადლობა ამ ყმაწვილს. ძალიან მიხარია, რომ მსგავს ვიდეოებს ვხვდები. ვიმედოვნებ მომავალში უფრო მეტი ადამიანი დაინტერესდება ქართული ენით.

[arifakyuz]

Poles: My name is Grzegorz brzęczyszczyki-
Georgians: *gvprtskvni*

[di_anso]

I'm kabardian, and watching your videos made me think that it'd be so nice to see a video from you about my language, but I never ever thought it would actually be a thing! I'm shocked and honored and very happy rn :D