Circassian

Circassian, also called Cherkess, is a subdivision of the Northwest Caucasian language family spoken by the Circassian and Cherkesogai peoples across the North Caucasus, with diaspora communities in Israel, Syria and elsewhere. It comprises two literary standards, Adyghe (West Circassian), covering western tribal variants such as Shapsug, Abzakh, Natukhai, Bzhedug and Temirgoy, and Kabardian (East Circassian), covering the eastern Kabardian and Besleney tribes; speakers of the two can communicate with varying degrees of success, and linguists disagree on whether Adyghe and Kabardian are best treated as separate languages or as dialects of a single Circassian language. Both descend from a common Proto-Circassian ancestor.