Inkhoqwari language

Inkhoqwari
Inxokvari
i'qqo
Native to	Russia
Region	Tsumadinsky District
Ethnicity	Inkhokwari people, a subgroup of the Khwarshi people
Native speakers	2,190 (2009)
Language family	Northeast Caucasian Tsezic Bezhta–Hunzib–Khwarshi Khwarshi Inkhoqwari
Dialects	Inkhoqwari proper Kwantlada Santlada Khvaini
Language codes
ISO 639-3	–
Glottolog	inxo1238  Inxokvari
ELP

Person	ixižes
People	ixizo
Country	iqqo (name of Inkhoqwari village)

The Inkhoqwari language (Inkhoqwari: i'qqo) is a Northeast Caucasian language of the Tsezic group, closely related to, and typically considered a dialect of, Khwarshi. It was separated from Khwarshi in the 9th century.

Classification

Formerly considered a dialect of Khwarshi, of which it shares many features, they differ in phonology and lexicon to the point of mutual unintelligibility to neighboring peoples. According to linguists, the similarity between the two varieties would be around 91%, which is more than enough for Inkhoqwari to be considered its own language.

Usage

Inkhoqwari is entirely a spoken language only spoken inside the home, and is unwritten. Yet the Inkhoqwari manage to keep their language and culture as best as they can, as they live far apart from each other in isolated mountain villages.

Inkhoqwari children, like those of neighbouring peoples, spend their first five years at school being taught in Avar, and afterward in Russian.

It is difficult to find the amount of speakers but it is believed to be around 700 against 400 Khwarshi.

Dialects

Inkhoqwari has four dialects:

• Xvaini (spoken in the village of Khvayni)
• Kvantlada (spoken in the village of Kvantlada)
• Santlada (spoken in the village of Santlada)
• Inkhoqwari proper

The Kvantlada and Santlada dialects are very close to each other.

Influence from other languages

Inkhoqwari has been influenced by Avar, Georgian and Russian. A number of Arabic, Persian and Turkic loanwords have also permeated Inkhoqwari through Avar. Andic, mainly Tindi, words are more frequent in Inkhoqwari than in Khwarshi.

Lexical comparison

Gloss	Inkhoqwari	Khwarshi
bull	buġa	boju
cow	zie	ziġi
horse	soro	sajro
fox	zor	zaru
spider	boceru	zabarala
bee	por	par

See also

• Khwarshi language
• Language or dialect