Bats (, or , ), also known as Batsbi, Batsi, Batsb, Batsaw, or Tsova-Tush is the endangered language of the Bats people, a North Caucasian minority group living in Georgia. Batsbi is part of the Nakh branch of Northeast Caucasian languages. It had 2,500 to 3,000 speakers in 1975, with only one dialect. Batsbi is only used for spoken communication, as Bats people tend to use Georgian when writing.
History Tusheti, the northeastern mountainous region of Georgia, is home to four tribes that consider themselves Tushetians: the Batsbi (also known as Tsova-Tush), the Gometsari, the Piriqiti, and the Chagma-Tush. Tsova-Tush people make up 50% of Tushetians. Only several hundred Tsova-Tush people speak the Bats language, whereas the other tribes (Gometsari, Piriqiti and Chagma-Tush) have lost the language. Evidence from toponymics indicates that the other three Tushetian tribes formerly spoke Batsbi, suggesting that all Tushetians once did and over time the Georgian language replaced Batsbi.
By linguistic lineage, the Bats (or Tsova-Tush) language can be traced back to Ghalghai (Ingush) origins.
The mountainous terrain preserved the culture and traditions of Tushetians, but the history of isolation makes it more difficult to document them as only a few records exist.
The first grammar of Batsbi, , was compiled by the German orientalist Anton Schiefner (1817–1879), making it into the first grammar of an indigenous Caucasian language based on sound scientific principles.Kevin Tuite (2007). The rise and fall and revival of the Ibero-Caucasian hypothesis, pp. 7-8. Historiographia Linguistica, 35 #1.
Classification Batsbi belongs to the Nakh branch of the Northeast Caucasian language family. The language is not mutually intelligible with either Chechen or Ingush, the other two Nakh languages.
Geographic distribution Most speakers of Batsbi live in the village of , on the , in the Akhmeta Municipality of Georgia. There are some families of Batsbi in Tbilisi and other bigger towns in Georgia.
Phonology
Vowels Batsbi has a typologically common five-vowel system. Although some authors claim that all vowels but /u/ contrast in length, no minimal pairs are given in any studies of Batsbi, nor are many examples of long vowels available in the literature.
Front Back High Mid Low
Batsbi also has the following diphthongs: , , , , , and .HG1994
All vowels and diphthongs have nasalised allophones that are the result of phonetic and morphophonemic processes: [ ĩ ẽ ã õ ũ ]. Nasalised vowels are represented in the Mkhedruli script via a superscript ⟨ნ⟩ following the vowel in question, as in კნათენ for [k'natʰẽ] .
Consonants Batsbi has a large consonant inventory, relatively typical for a Nakh-Dagestanian language, containing ejectives, pharyngeals and uvulars. Unlike its close Nakh relatives, Chechen and Ingush, Batsbi has on the other hand retained the voiceless lateral fricative /ɬ/. Also notable is the presence of two geminate ejectives, /tʼː/ and /qʼː/, which are cross-linguistically rare. + Consonant Phonemes of BatsHolisky, Dee Ann and Gagua, Rusudan, 1994. "Tsova-Tush (Batsbi)", in The indigenous languages of the Caucasus Vol 4, Rieks Smeets, editor. Caravan Books, pp. 147-212 Labial Dental Alveolar Palatal(ized) Velar Uvular Pharyngeal Glottal Nasal Plosive aspirated lenis t͡sʰ voiceless fortis voiced d͡z ejective lenis t͡sʼ fortis Fricative voiceless lenis fortis lateral voiced Approximant lenis fortis Flap
Phonotactics The most common syllable type in Batsbi is CVC. However, Batsbi words commonly contain sequences of two consonants, the second of which is often a fricative (e.g. /ʒ ħ x/). Stop-stop clusters often contain an ejective (e.g. /pʼ tʼ kʼ qʼ/). Cross-linguistically common stop-liquid sequences also occur.
Those two-consonant clusters can occur in any position within the word, although less commonly word-finally. Sequences of three consonants do occur as well, although many are borrowings from Georgian. Like many clusters in non-Indo-European languages, consonant sequences in Batsbi often fail to conform to the sonority sequencing principle. +Word-initial Two-consonant ClustersC1C2ExampleEnglishStopFricativebʒbʒãბჟანlivestockpʰħpʰħeფჰჾეvillaget͡ʃxt͡ʃʰxotʼჩხოტwaterfallkʼʕkʼʕokʼკჺოკholemʕmʕalმჺალcommonStopStopExampleEnglishtʼqʼtʼqʼaტყაtwentykʼnkʼnatʰẽკნათენboyt͡ʃʼqʼt͡ʃʼqʼempʷʼჭყემპუthroatStopLiquidExampleEnglishpʰlplokoფლოქუNew Year ritualt͡sɾt͡sɾintʼცრინტinfantqʼlqʼloɾtʼყლორტgulpkʼɾkʼɾampʼulკრამპულtuskFricativeStopExampleEnglishstʼstʼakʼსტაკmanxkʼxkʼorხკორbladder +Word-initial Three-consonant ClustersC1C2C3ExampleEnglishpʰstʼpʰstʼuფსტუwifetʰxɾtʰxɾilთხრილditchtʼkʼmtʼkʼmelტკმელdusttʼqʼvtʼqʼveტყვეprisonergɾdgɾdemlგრდემლanvil Of the words containing three-consonant onsets above, only /pstʼu/ "wife" and /tʼkʼmel/ "dust" are native to Batsbi, the rest being loanwords from Georgian.
+Word-final clustersC1C2ExampleEnglishɾkʼtsaɾkʼცარკtoothpʰxvepʰxვეფხtigertʰxmatʰxმათხsunvrskʼivɾსკივრchest, trunkntʼabʒontʼაბჟონტstirrup
Writing system Comparison table Schiefner, 1856Imnaishvili, 1977Kadagidze, 1984Holisky & Gagua (1994)Mikeladze, 2012Desheriev, 1953Chrelashvili, 1999IPAGeorgiantranscriptionLatintranscriptionGeorgiantranscriptionLatintranscriptionGeorgiantranscriptionLatintranscriptionaაaაaaა, ⁀აA a, ⁀A ⁀aааǍ ǎ, âа͏̆а͏̆āāa:Ā āа̄а̄ā̄აჼaⁿაჼaⁿaⁿაჼ, ⁀აჼÃ ã, ⁀Ã ⁀ãа̃а̃Ā̃ ā̃bბbბbbბB bббgგgგggგG gггdდdდddდD dддeეeეeeეE eе, эе⁀Ē ē, ⁀Ē ⁀ēе̄ĕĕ_ě, êе͏̆е͏̆ეჼeⁿეჼeⁿeⁿეჼẼ ẽе̃е̃Ē̃ ē̃wვvვvvვV vввzზzზzzზZ zззt̔თtთttთT tттთთttთჾtჾt:თჾtჾттттiიiიiiი, ⁀იI i, ⁀I ⁀iииĪ īӣӣĭĭIîи͏̆и͏̆იჼiⁿიჼiⁿiⁿიჼĨ ĩи̃и̃Ī̃ ī̃kკḳკḳkʼკḲ ḳкӀкӀlლlლllლL lллლლllლჾlჾl:ლჾlჾллллl͓ლʻlʻლʻlʻɫლʻlʻлълъmმmმmmმM mммnნnნnnნN nннjჲjჲjjჲJ jййჲჼj̇̃oოoოooო, ⁀ოO o, ⁀O ⁀oооŌ ōо̄о̄ō̄ŏŏOǒ, ôо͏̆о͏̆ოჼoⁿოჼoⁿoⁿოჼÕ õо̃о̃Ō̃ ō̃pპp̣პp̣pʼპP̣ p̣пӀпӀz̔ჟžჟžžჟŽ žжжrრrრrrრR rррრʻrʻრʻrʻsსsსssსS sссსსssსჾsჾs:სჾsჾссссtტṭტṭtʼტṬ ṭтӀтӀტტṭṭტჾṭჾtʼ:ტჾṭჾтӀтӀтӀтӀuუuუuuუ, ⁀უU u, ⁀U ⁀uууŪ ūӯŭŭUǓ ǔ, ûу͏̆у͏̆უჼuⁿუჼuⁿuⁿუჼ, ⁀უჼŨ ũ, ⁀Ũ ⁀ũу̃у̃p̔ფpფppფP pппk̔ქkქkkქK kккg̔ღɣღɣǧღƔ ɣгӀгӀqყq̣ყq̣qʼყQ̣ q̣къкъყყq̣q̣ყჾq̣ჾqʼ:ყჾq̣ჾкъкъкъкъs̔შšშššშŠ šшшშჾšჾc̔ჩčჩččჩČ čччcცcცccცC cццʒძʒძʒʒძƷ ʒдздзc̣წc̣წc̣cʼწC̣ c̣цӀцӀc̣̔ჭč̣ჭč̣čʼჭČ̣ č̣чӀчӀxხxხxxხX xххხხxxხჾxჾx:ხჾxჾххххqჴqჴqqჴQ qкхкхჴჴqqჴჾqჾq:ჴჾqჾккхкхкхʒ̔ჯǯჯǯǯჯǮ ǯджджx̣ჰhჰhhჰH hхӀхӀḥჰჾhჾჰ⌝h⌝ħჰ⁊H⁊ h⁊/Ⱨ ⱨхьхьჵꞷჵ_ჵꞷӀъӀъʼʻʻჺʻʕჺ/عʻӀӀ—ʼʼჸʼʔჸʼʼъ————————ф——w———————
Morphosyntax Batsbi is an SOV language with ergative-absolutive alignment which makes extensive use of bound morphological derivation and inflection. It has both grammatical gender (i.e. noun classes) and several grammatical cases.
Pronouns
Personal pronouns - first and second persons Batsbi pronouns encode three persons, two numbers, and clusivity for first person plural ("you and us" vs. "us but not you"). Demonstratives work as third person pronouns.
It is noteworthy that for singular first person ('I') and second person ('you') almost always differ systematically by a single consonant, first person having /s/ and second person /ħ/, whereas the plural forms regularly have /txo/ for first person exclusive, and /ʃu/ for second person. Case endings are regular for all pronouns, shown below. +SingularPluralFirstSecondFirst InclusiveFirst ExclusiveSecondNominativeსო soჰჾო ħoვე/ვაი ve/vaiთხო txoშუ šuErgativeას asაჰჾ aħვე veათხ atxეშ ešGenitiveსენ sẽჰჾენ ħẽვაინ vaĩთხენ txõშენ šũDativeსონ sonჰჾონ ħonვაინ vainთხონ txonშუნ šunAllativeსოგუ soguჰჾოგუ ħoguვაიგუ vaiguთხოგუ txoguშუგუ šuguAdverbialსოღ soǧჰჾოღ ħoǧვაიღ vaiǧთხოღ txoǧშუღ šuǧEnglishIYou (Thou)You and usUs but not youYou (Ye)
Third person pronouns/Demonstratives In Batsbi, the distal demonstrative ('that yonder') also serves as a third person pronoun ('s/he', 'it', 'they'). As such, the language does not encode gender in its pronouns. However, gender may still be indexed on verbs and adjectives. +SingularPluralNominativeო oობი obiErgativeოჴუს oqusოჴარ oqarGenitiveოჴუინ oquĩოჴრინ oqrĩDativeოჴუინ oquinოჴარნ oqarnInstrumentalოჴუვ oquvEnglishs/hethey
Adnominal demonstratives +ProximalMedialDistalAbsolutiveე eის isო oObliqueეჴ eqიცხ icxოჴ oqEnglishthisthatthat yonder Adnominal demonstratives code no gender in Batsbi.
Interrogative pronouns +who?what?when?how much?where?which one?Absolutiveმენ mẽვუხ vuxმაცან macãმელʻ meɬმიჩ, მიჩა mič, mičaმენუხ menuxErgativeჰჾან ħãსტევ st'evმენხუიჩოვ menxuičov
Noun classes As in other Nakh languages, Batsbi has several noun classes (grammatical genders) that are indexed through class prefixes on some vowel-initial verbs, adjectives, numerals, and a few other words. That is, nouns themselves show no morphologically marks for gender. Gender indexing is highly complex in the language, with subject gender agreement on intransitive verbs (absolutive), but object agreement on transitive verbs. The table below shows gender agreement on verbs for three of the noun classes: +Noun classSubjectVerb groupTranslationIntransitive (subject agreement)Mვაშუ vašuვახენ v-axẽBrother M-leftFჲაშუ jašuჲახენ j-axẽSister F-leftDბადერ baderდახენ d-axẽThe child D-leftBdფჰჾუ pħuბახენ b-axẽThe dog Bd-left Transitive (object agreement)Mნანას nanasვაშუ ვიკენ vašu v-ik'ẽMother M-took brother (lit. "Mother brother took")Fდადას dadasჲაშუ ჲიკენ jašu j-ik'ẽFather F-took sister (lit. "Father sister took")Dნანას nanasბადერ დიკენ bader d-ik'ẽMother D-took the childBdდადას dadasფჰჾუ ბიკენ pħu b-ik'ẽFather Bd-took the dog
Number of classes Holisky and Gagua (1994) analyse Batsbi as having five noun classes, whereas Alice Harris posits that Batsbi has eight genders in total, based on the behaviour of words that fail to conform to the patterns of the five major classes. The breakdown below follows Harris:
Label Singular Plural Description NounsAdjective "big"Verb "to be"English M v- b- male humans ვაჴჴონ v-aqqõვა v-a "the husband is big" "the shepherd is big""the son is big" F j- d- female humans ჲაჴჴონ j-aqqõჲა j-a "the mother is big" "the wife is big""the daughter is big" D d- various, default class for unknown gender დაჴჴონ d-aqqõდა d-a "the child is big" "the cat is big""the heart is big""the meat is big" Bd b- d- animals ბაჴჴონ b-aqqõბა b-a"the dog is big""the bread is big""the bear is big" J j- various ჲაჴჴონ j-aqqõ ჲ-ავინ j-avĩჲა j-a "the tooth is big""the milk is light""the rain is light" *Bd b- d- body parts (15 nouns) ბაჴჴონ b-aqqõბა b-a"the fist is big" "the eye is big""the throat is big" *D/J d- j- body parts (4 nouns) დაჴჴონ d-aqqõდა d-a "the lip is big" "the ear is big" "the hand is big" "the cheek is big" *B/B b- only 3 nouns ბაჴჴონ b-aqqõბა b-a"the knit slipper is big" "the boot is big" "the autumn wool is big"
Exceptions and Nouns without inherent gender According to Holisky and Gagua (1994), the class with the largest number of nouns is the D-class (e.g. da "it is"), followed by the J-class (e.g. ja "it is"). Class D markers are also used when the noun class is unknown (as in open interrogatives, see 1a) and in clauses with mixed genders (1d).
Additionally, some nouns referring to humans have no inherent gender, so that class agreement is contextual. These include the words for "teacher" (უჩიტელ učitʼel), "friend" (ნაყბისტ naq'bist), "enemy" (მასთხოვ mastxov), "neighbor" (მეზობელ mezobel) and others.
Gender is lexicalized in a few words such as vašu (ვაშუ "brother") vs. jašu (ჲაშუ "sister"), in that -ašu could be translated as "sibling".
Gender agreement in adjectives Only eight vowel-initial adjectives agree in gender with the noun they modify: +Adjective agreement (singular)Gender (sg/pl)-aqqõ-ut'q'ĩ-avĩ-acĩ-uq'ĩ-asẽ-acũ-axxẽ -აჴჴონ -უტყინ -ავინ -აცინ -უყინ -ასენ -აცუნ -ახხენM (v-/b-)v-aqqõv-ut'q'ĩv-avĩv-acĩv-uq'ĩv-asẽv-acũv-axxẽF (j-/d-)j-aqqõj-ut'q'ĩj-avĩj-acĩj-uq'ĩj-asẽj-acũj-axxẽD (d-)d-aqqõd-ut'q'ĩd-avĩd-acĩd-uq'ĩd-asẽd-acũd-axxẽJ (j-)j-aqqõj-ut'q'ĩj-avĩj-acĩj-uq'ĩj-asẽj-acũj-axxẽBd (b-/d-)b-aqqõb-ut'q'ĩb-avĩb-acĩb-uq'ĩb-asẽb-acũb-axxẽEnglish"big""small""light""heavy""thick""empty""short""long"
Grammatical number and case