Tindi language

Tindi is a Northeast Caucasian language spoken in the Russian republic of Dagestan. Tindis have no individual designation for their language, but those living in the village of Idar [ru] call their language Idarab mitstsi meaning 'the language of the Idar village'. It is only an oral language; Avar or Russian are used in written communication instead. Tindi vocabulary contains many loanwords from Avar, Turkish, Arabic, and Russian. It has approximately 4,500 speakers.

Phonology

Vowels

There are 20 phonemic vowels in Tindi.

Nasalized vowels may also exist as /ĩ, ẽ, ã, õ, ũ/ and as long-nasalized /ĩː, ẽː, ãː, õː, ũː/.

Consonants

Orthography

Tindi is typically unwritten. A 2003 dictionary uses the following orthography:

А а	А̄ а̄	Аᵸ аᵸ	А̄ᵸ а̄ᵸ	Б б	В в	Г г	Г' г'	Гъ гъ
Гь гь	ГӀ гӀ	Д д	Е е	Еᵸ еᵸ	Е̄ е̄	Ж ж	Дж дж	З з
И и	Ӣ ӣ	Иᵸ иᵸ	Ӣᵸ ӣᵸ	Й й	К к	Кк кк	К' к'	Кк' кк'
КӀ кӀ	КӀ' кӀ'	Л л	Лъ лъ	Лъ' лъ'	Ллъ ллъ	ЛӀ лӀ	М м	Н н
О о	О̄ о̄	Оᵸ оᵸ	П п	С с	C̄ c̄	Т т	ТӀ тӀ	У у
Ӯ ӯ	Уᵸ уᵸ	Ӯᵸ ӯᵸ	Х х	Хх хх	Хъ хъ	Хь хь	Хь' хь'	ХӀ хӀ
Ц ц	Цц цц	ЦӀ цӀ	Ч ч	Чч чч	Ш ш	Щ щ	Ъ ъ	Э э

References

Magomedbekova, Z. M. (2001). "Tindinskij Jazyk". Yazyki mira: Kavkazskie Yazyki. Moskva: Academia. pp. 283–291.