Avar

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A language of Russian Federation

ISO 639-3
ava
Alternate Names
Avaro, Bolmac, Khundzuri, Maarul Dagestani
Autonym
Авар мацӏ‎ (Avar maⱬ), Магӏарул мацӏ‎ (Maⱨarul maⱬ)
User Population

715,000 in Russian Federation (2010 census). Ethnic population: 912,000 (2010 census). Total users in all countries: 765,300.

Location

Dagestan republic: Sulak and Terek river areas; some in Chechnya republic.

Language Maps
Language Status

3 (Wider communication). Provincially recognized language in Dagestan Autonomous Republic (1994, Constitution of Dagestan Autonomous Republic, Article 10). Avar is used in many areas of Dagestan as a lingua franca among different ethnic groups.

Classification
Nakh-Daghestanian, Avar-Andic, Avar
Dialects

North Avar (Andian Avar, Bolmats, Khunzakh, Salatav, Unkratl), South-West Avar (Batlukh, Hid Kaxib, Hid Keleb), South-East Avar (Andalal, Andalal Shulanin, Andalal Untib), Antsukh (Ancux), Qarakh (Bacadin, Karakh), Qusur, Zaqatal (Char). Antsukh, Qarakh, Andalal (South-East Avar), and Batlukh (South-West Avar) may be separate languages.

Typology

SOV; noun head final; 3 genders (human masculine, human feminine and neuter); agglutinative; case-marking (4 core cases and 20 spatial cases); 45 consonant and 5 vowel phonemes; inclusive/exclusive pronouns.

Language Use

Many also use Kumyk [kum]. Also use Russian [rus]. Used as L2 by Akhvakh [akv], Andi [ani], Archi [aqc], Bagvalal [kva], Bezhta [kap], Botlikh [bph], Chamalal [cji], Dido [ddo], Ghodoberi [gdo], Hinukh [gin], Hunzib [huz], Karata [kpt], Khvarshi [khv], Tindi [tin], Tsakhur [tkr].

Language Development

Taught as subject in primary schools. Literature. Newspapers. Radio. TV. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. NT: 2008.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Avar
Writing

Cyrillic script [Cyrl], used since 1938.

Other Comments

Muslim.

Also spoken in:

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