Ubykh

Ubykh is a Northwest Caucasian language that was formerly spoken in the northwestern Caucasus. It is closely related to the Abkhaz and Abaza languages, forming the Abkhazo-Adyghean branch of the Northwest Caucasian family. The Ubykh language is distinguished by its exceptionally large consonant inventory, featuring numerous pharyngealized and labialized consonants, as well as a relatively small vowel system.

Historically, the Ubykh people inhabited a region along the Black Sea coast. Following the Russian conquest of the Caucasus in the 19th century, the Ubykh were forcibly deported to the Ottoman Empire, primarily settling in what is now Turkey. The language began to decline rapidly as speakers assimilated into Turkish society and adopted Turkish as their primary language.

The last native speaker of Ubykh, Tevfik Esenç, died on October 7, 1992. His death marked the extinction of the Ubykh language as a living, native tongue. Extensive documentation and linguistic study of the language were undertaken in the 20th century by linguists such as Georges Dumézil and John Colarusso, preserving invaluable records of its unique phonology and grammar. Despite its extinction, Ubykh remains a significant subject of study for historical linguists interested in Caucasian languages and the broader Indo-European family.