Northeast Caucasian languages

The Northeast Caucasian languages or East Caucasian languages are a family of languages spoken mostly in Dagestan, Northern Azerbaijan and Georgia. This family is known for the complex phonology (up to 60 consonants or up to 30 vowels in some languages), stop consonants, noun classes, ergative sentence structure, and large number of noun cases, including several locative cases.

• Avar-Andi-Dido group.
  • Avar
    • Avar language (Northwest Dagestan highlands), appr. 500 000 speakers
  • Andi languages (Western Dagestan)
    • Botlikh 3 000
    • Godoberi or Ghodoberi, appr. 2 500 speakers
    • Karata, appr. 5 000 speakers
    • Akhvakh, appr. 5 000 speakers
    • Bagval or Bagvalal, appr. 4 000 speakers
    • Tindi, appr. 5 000 speakers
    • Chamalal, appr. 4 000 speakers
  • Dido languages (Southwest Dagestan)
    • Dido, appr. 7 000 speakers
    • Khvarshi, appr. 1 000 speakers
    • Hinukh or Ginukh, appr. 200 speakers
    • Bezhta or Bezhti, appr. 2 500 speakers
    • Hunzib or Gunzib, appr. 600 speakers
      

None of the Andi or Dido languages are written; Avar is used as the literary language.

• Lak-Dargwa group (Central Dagestan highlands)
  • Lak or Lakk, appr. 90 000 speakers
  • Dargwa or Dargin, appr. 320 000 speakers
    

Both Lak and Dargwa are written languages

• Lezgian group (Southeast Dagestan highlands and Northern Azerbijan)
  • Aghul or Agul, appr. 14 000 speakers
  • Archi, appr. 1 000 speakers
  • Budukh, appr. 2 000 speakers
  • Khinalugh or Khinalug, appr. 1 500 speakers
  • Kryts or Kryz, appr. 6 000 speakers
  • Lezgi, appr. 200 000 speakers
  • Rutul, appr. 15 000 speakers
  • Tabassaran, appr. 77 000 speakers
  • Tsakhur, appr. 5 000 speakers
  • Udi, appr. 4 000 speakers
    

Among the Lezgian languages, only Lezgi and Tabassaran are written.