TheHatuqay dialect^[a] is a dialect ofAdyghe, spoken by theHatuqay branch of theCircassian people.^[1][2] Linguistically, it is classified as one of the "Steppe dialects", a subgroup of that also includes theTemirgoy,Abzakh andBzhedug dialects, although it also shares many grammatical and phonological features with the "Coastal dialects" ofShapsug andNatukhaj.^[1][2] Although a dialect of Western Circassian (Adyghe), it is considered the closest among the Western dialects to Eastern Circassian (Kabardian).^[3]

Hatuqay is spoken only in the diaspora, especially inTurkey;^[2] as a consequence of theCircassian genocide, there are no remaining speakers of the Hatuqay dialect in the Caucasus region. Consequently, Circassian dialectology studies rarely mention or analyze Hatuqay.^[1][4]

The Hatuqay dialect takes its name from the Hatuqay tribe, which is believed to derive from Prince Hatuqo (Adyghe:Хьатыкъо), who, according to traditional Circassian geneologies, was the founder of the Hatuqay principality, and a prince descended from KingInal.^[5][6][7]

The name has been the subject of a folk etymology, which explains it as referring to theHittites ('Son of Hittite'). A study about Circassians in Kayseri found that local Circassians frequently claimed descent from the Hittites.^[8] The etymology ofHattusa, capital of theHittite Empire, is explained with Circassian хьэтӏу (two dogs) + щхьэ (head), which supposedly refers to the two sphinx statues guarding the gate of Hattusa. Some connected the Circassians with theHattians rather than Hittites;^[9][10][11] and some authors explained the etymology of "Hatuqay" as "Hatti-Son".^[12][13] The Adyghe Encyclopedia published in Russia compares Hattian mythology and Nart sagas, including stories found in the Hatuqay Nart corpus.^[13] The Hittites spoke an Indo-European language, however the possibility ofHattians speaking a Northwest Caucasian language related to Circassian has been considered by linguists, although this is unconfirmed.^{[14][15][16][17]}

Circassian languages are divided into two groups: "West Circassian", known in English as "Adyghe", and "East Circassian", known in English as "Kabardian".^[18] The two are closely related and mutually intelligible to some degree. Both Adyghe and Kabardian speakers refer to their language as "Adyghe" and consider the eastern and western language variants to be dialects of oneCircassian Adyghe language, rather than two related languages.^[19]

Hatuqay is classified as a dialect of West Circassian, or Adyghe.^[1][8] Within the western group, Hatuqay is classified as one of the "Steppe dialects", a subgroup of that also includes theTemirgoy,Abzakh andBzhedug dialects,^[1] although it also shares many grammatical and phonological features with the "Coastal Dialects" ofShapsug andNatukhaj.^[1][2] Thus, it can be considered an "in-between" dialect. Although a dialect of Western Circassian (Adyghe), it is considered the closest among the Western dialects to Eastern Circassian.^[3] This may be due to frequent interaction with Kabardians in Kayseri, as Hatuqays are a minority among the majority Kabardians.

Proto-Circassian is reconstructed as having a four-way laryngeal contrast in its stop series: voiced, voiceless unaspirated, voiceless aspirated, and ejective. While most modern Circassian varieties have neutralized the distinction between voiceless unaspirated and voiceless aspirated stops, the Hatuqay dialect generally maintains the original four-way contrast.^[2] Hatuqay occupies a "middle ground" compared to other dialects: while Shapsug and Temirgoy preserve a three-way posterior coronal contrast, and Besleney and Turkish Kabardian neutralize them to a single place, Hatuqay possesses two coronal places of articulation posterior to /s/. The specific realization of these two places varies by speaker, manifesting as contrasts such as /ʃ/ vs. /ɕ/, /ʃ/ vs. /ʂ/, or /ɕ/ vs. /ʂ/.^[2]

The dialect features gerund forms ending in -рэ, such as кӏорэ ("going") or чъэрэ ("running").^[20][21]

The Hatuqay dialect exhibits distinct phonetic shifts when compared to the West Circassian literary standard (based largely on the Temirgoy dialect). In the instrumental case the noun has the suffix -джэ (unlike other dialects that has the suffix -кӏэ:^[1][20]

In some cases, standart т becomes ть:^[1]

Standart цу ([tsʷ]) becomes чъу ([tɕʷ]) in Hatuqay:

The Hatuqay dialect displays specific sound shifts compared to the literary standard:^[1]

Hatuqay is known for vowel insertions in names:^[22]

A primary morphological distinction of Hatuqay is the future tense suffix. While the West Literary and Abzakh dialects use the suffix -щт, the Hatuqay dialect uses -т. This feature is shared with the Bzhedug dialect and some subgroups of Shapsug:^[1][20][23]

In the West Literary standard, the third-person plural possessive prefix is а-. However, the Hatuqay dialect uses я-, a feature it shares with the Shapsug dialect and theKabardian (East Circassian) language:^[1]

The preverb къы- functions freely across all dialects, sub-dialects, and the Adyghe literary language: къы-одэӏу —- "he/she listens to you." However, in standart Adyghe, when this preverb meets a personal marker, the vowel component of the preverb къы- drops out (elision) in rapid speech. However, in the Hatuqay dialect, the vowel is typically retained. For example:^[23]

In several instances, dialects and sub-dialects present different phonetic variants of the same preverbs:^[23]

In the standart dialect, both presumptive mood expressing probability ("likely," "probably") and the obligatory mood expressing necessity ("must," "necessary") are the same. However in Hatuqay, they are distinguished:^[23]

The morphological formants of the Hatuqay dialect largely coincide with those of the Bzhedug dialect. This is particularly evident in preverbs like къа-, фа-, and ха-, which utilize a different vowel sound than their Temirgoy counterparts:^[23]

A specific phonetic difference observed in Hatuqay is the inversion of the vowels ы and э in reflexive and spatial preverbs:^[23]

The Hatuqay dialect shares a lot of its vocabulary with Bzhedug and Temirgoy, and also employs some unique words:

Despite being a Western dialect, it also shares some vocabulary with Kabardian:

Since the Hatuqay dialect is not spoken in the Caucasus and spoken mostly in Turkey, there are Turkish loanwords that do not exist in literary Adyghe, which are occasionally used alongside native equivalents:

Internationalisms in the Hatuqay dialect have been borrowed via Turkish, thus differ slightly from literary Adyghe which borrowed them from Russian:

^{[1][20][24][21][25][26]}

Historically, the Hatuqay dialect was spoken in theHatuqay Principality, which was originally located near the Black Sea coast, as well as the southern banks of the Kuban, a little further down from where the Afips (Афыпс) river flows.^[3][5] However, in the late 18th century, Hatuqay Principality was relocated west of theTemirgoys, in the territory situated between theBelaya (Шъхьагуащэ) andPshish (Пщыщ) rivers.^[3][1][5]

The Hatuqay dialect was recorded by Ottoman travellerEvliya Çelebi in the 17th century, who visited the Hatuqay region:^[27]

This Circassian language, even now, cannot be written down; it is a language based on listening, produced from the throat, cheeks, and under the tongue, a sound that is like a sparrow's chirp and cannot be committed to paper. This humble servant of God, a traveler of the world and companion to man, the unpretentious Evliya, has traveled for 51 years, setting foot in 18 kingdoms across seven climes, and has written down 147 languages with my gem-scattering pen, including their eloquence, rhetoric, and poems, in order to converse with the people of every region. But I could not write down this Circassian language with its magpie-like sound. By the will of God, we will try to write this language as best as we can. They have a peculiar dialect, for they are not literate. That is why it cannot be committed to paper; it is a bird's language, and that is that.

Following the Circassian genocide and exile, the Hatuqay population was dispersed, the tribe effectively dissapeared from the map.^[28] Currently, there are no remaining speakers of the Hatuqay dialect in the Caucasus region. Almost the entire Hatuqay tribe was exiled;^[8] the few Hatuqay remaining in the Caucasus have assimilated into the Temirgoy dialect.^[20] The dialect survives in the diaspora, specifically inTurkey. It is spoken in approximately 20 Circassian villages located in thePınarbaşı district of theKayseri province (spesifically around Çörümşek valley),^[1][25] as well as inBozüyük andBiga.^[29][8] Consequently, Circassian dialectology studies conducted within the Caucasus rarely mention or analyze Hatuqay.^[4] Thus, the collection of data from the diaspora in Turkey is considered essential to filling the gaps in the study of this dialect.^[1] Data on the Hatuqay dialect is largely drawn from acoustic analyses of diaspora communities.^[2]

Among Circassians in Kayseri, mastery of Kabardian is considered a primary social competency, regardless of an individual's tribe. Consequently, some Hatuqays primarily use Kabardian in their daily interactions. Some Hatuqay Circassians in Kayseri do not know Hatuqay at all and speak Kabardian instead of their native Hatuqay dialect.^[26] In Kayseri, there are also some Circassians ofShapsug andMakhosh origin who now identify as Hatuqay.^[25]

The Hatuqay dialect is one of the dialects which play a role in the preservation of theNart sagas.^[30] Many Nart sagas have been recorded in the Hatuqay dialect. These are some excerpts:^[31]

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