Introduction

North Caucasian languages is a blanket term for two language phyla spoken chiefly in the north Caucasus and Turkey: the Northwest Caucasian (Pontic, Abkhaz-Adyge, Circassian) family and the Northeast Caucasian (East Caucasian, Caspian, Nakh-Daghestanian) family; the latter including the former North-central Caucasian (Nakh) family.

Many linguists believe that the two groups sprang from a common ancestor about five thousand years ago. However, due to the nature of the languages in question, this proposal is difficult to evaluate, and remains controversial.