# Proto-Abkhaz–Abaza language

Proto-Abkhaz-Abaza (or Proto-Abazgi) is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Abkhaz and Abaza languages.

## Phonology
### Consonants

The consonant system is reconstructed with a four-way phonation contrast in stops and affricates, and a two-way contrast in fricatives.
Below is the table of Proto-Abkhaz-Abaza Alphabet:
| Proto | Abkhaz | Abkhaz | Cyrillic | Abaza |
| Proto | Bzyb | Abzhui | Cyrillic | Tapant |
| *p | pʰ | pʰ | Ԥ ԥ | p |
| *b | b | b | Б б | b |
| *pʼ | pʼ | pʼ | П п | pʼ |
| *f | f | f | Ф ф | f |
| *w | w | w | У у | w |
| *m | m | m | М м | m |
| *t | t | t | Ҭ ҭ | t |
| *d | d | d | Д д | d |
| *tʼ | tʼ | tʼ | Т т | tʼ |
| *r | r | r | Р р | r |
| *l | l | l | Л л | l |
| *n | n | n | Н н | n |
| *tʷ | tʷ | tʷ | Ҭә ҭә | tʃʷ |
| *dʷ | dʷ | dʷ | Дә дә | dʒʷ |
| *ts | tsʰ | tsʰ | Ц ц | ts |
| *dz | dz | dz | Ӡ ӡ | dz |
| *tsʼ | tsʼ | tsʼ | Ҵ ҵ | tsʼ |
| *s | s | s | С с | s |
| *z | z | z | З з | z |
| *tś | tś | ts(~s) | Ц ц | ts(~s) |
| *dź | dź | dz(~z) | Ӡ ӡ | dz(~z) |
| *tśˀ | tśˀ | tsˀ | Ҵ ҵ | tsˀ |
| *ś | ś | s | С с | s |
| *ź | ź | z | З з | z |
| *tśʷʰ | tśs˞ʰ | ʈʂʰ | | tʃʷʰ |
| *dzʷ | dz˞ | ɖʐ | | ʒʷ |
| *tsʷˀ | ts˞ˀ | ʈʂˀ | | tʃʷˀ |
| *sʷ | s˞ | ʂ | | ʃʷ |
| *zʷ | z˞ | ʐ | | ʒʷ |
| *tʃ | tʃ | tʃ | | tʃ |
| *dʒ | dʒ | dʒ | | dʒ |
| *tʃˀ | tʃˀ | tʃˀ | | tʃˀ |
| *ʃ | ʃ | ʃ | | ʃ |
| *ʒ | ʒ | ʒ | | ʒ |
| *tɕ | tɕ | tɕ | | tɕ |
| *dʑ | dʑ | dʑ | | dʑ |
| *tɕˀ | tɕˀ | tɕˀ | | tɕˀ |
| *ɕ | ɕ | ɕ | | ɕ |
| *ʑ | ʑ | ʑ | | ʑ |
| *j | j | j | | j |
| *fʰVtsʰV | fʰ | fʰ | | tsʰ |
| *dzVvV | v | v | | dz |
| *tsˀVfˀV | pˀ | fˀ | | tsˀ |
| *ʃʷ | ʂ | ʂ | | ʃʷ |
| *ʒʷ | ʐ | ʐ | | ʒʷ |
| *k | k | k | | k |
| *ɡ | ɡ | ɡ | | ɡ |
| *kˀ | kˀ | kˀ | | kˀ |
| *χ | χ | χ | | χ |
| *ʁ | ʁ | ʁ | | ʁ |
| *kʲ | kʲ | kʲ | | kʲ |
| *ɡʲ | ɡʲ | ɡʲ | | ɡʲ |
| *kʲˀ | kʲˀ | kʲˀ | | kʲˀ |
| *χʲ | χʲ | χʲ | | χʲ |
| *ʁʲ | ʁʲ | ʁʲ | | ʁʲ |
| *kʷ | kʷ | kʷ | | kʷ |
| *ɡʷ | ɡʷ | ɡʷ | | ɡʷ |
| *kʷˀ | kʷˀ | kʷˀ | | kʷˀ |
| *χʷ | χʷ | χʷ | | χʷ |
| *ʁʷ | ʁʷ | ʁʷ | | ʁʷ |
| *qʰ | χˤ | χ | | qʰ |
| *qˀ | qˀ | qˀ | | qˀ |
| *qʲˀ | qʲˀ | qʲˀ | | qʲˀ |
| *qʷ | χˤʷ | χˤʷ | | qʷ |
| *qʷˀ | qʷˀ | qʷˀ | | qʷˀ |
| *qˀ | qˀ | qˀ | | qˀ |
| *ħ | ħ | ħ | | ħ |
| *ʕ | ɑɑ | ɑɑ | | ʕ |
| *ħʷ | ħʷ | ħʷ | | ħʷ |
| *ʕʷ | ɥ | ɥ | | ʕʷ |
* In some Abaza dialects the velar consonants turned to uvular consonants.
The most noticeable changes are:
* The velar consonants become uvular consonants in Abkhaz languages.

### Grammar

| English | Proto-Abazgi | Abkhaz (Bzyb) | Abkhaz | Abaza |
| quail | ač́a | – | áč́a | ač́a |
| word | azʷa | áža | áž̌a | ažʷa |
| enemy | aɣa | – | a-ʁá | aʁa |
| snake | matǝ | – | matǝ | á-mat |
| cheese | ašʷǝ | áš̌ | áš̌ | ašʷǝ |
| English | Proto-Abazgi | Abkhaz (Bzyb) | Abkhaz (Abzhui) | Abaza (Tapant) |
| 1 | za-kʼə | a-kʼə | – | za-kʼə |
| 2 | ʕʷ-ba | ɥ-ba | – | ʕʷ-ba |
| 3 | χ-ba | χ-ba | – | χ-ba |
| 4 | pɕ-ba | pɕ-ba | – | pɕ-ba |
| 5 | χʷ-ba | xʷ-ba | χʷ-ba | χʷ-ba |
| 6 | – | f-ba | – | t͡s-ba |
| 7 | bəʑ-ba | bəʑ-ba | – | bəʑ-ba |
| 8 | aʕ-ba | aa-ba | – | aʕ-ba |
| 9 | *ʑʷ-ba | ʑʷ-ba | – | ʒʷ-ba |
| 10 | *ʑʷa-ba | ʑʷa-ba | – | ʒʷa-ba |
| 11 | – | ʑʷaj-za | – | ʒʷəj-z |
| 12 | – | ʑʷaj-ɥa | – | ʒʷə-ʕʷ |
| 13 | – | ʑʷa-xa | – | ʒʷa-χ |
| 14 | – | ʑʷaj-pɕ | – | ʒʷəj-pɕ |
| 15 | – | ʑʷa-xʷ | – | ʒʷə-χʷ |
| 16 | – | ʑʷa-f | – | ʒʷaj-t͡s |
| 17 | *ʑʷaj-bəʑ̩ | ʑʷaj-bəʑ̩ | – | ʒʷaj-bəʑ̩ |
| 18 | *ʑʷ-ʕ | ʑʷ-aa | – | ʒʷa-ʕ |
| 19 | *ʒʷaj-ʑʷ | ʒʷaj-ʑʷ | – | ʒʷaj-ʒʷ |
| 20 | *ʕʷa-ʑʷa | ɥa-ʑʷa | – | ʕʷa-ʒʷa |
| 100 | – | ɕʷ-kʼə | – | ʃʷ-kʼə |
| 1000 | z-kʲə | z-kʲə | – | z-kʲə |