Lezgian and Arabic

[Wolfgang Schulze]

Rick Mc Callister wrote:

> BTW: I also found a curious article on Avars in F & W
> stating that their descendents
> are "Lezghians [who speak] a language similar to Arabic"!!!

> Can anyone explain that?

This is nonsense. Even the medivial Arabic sources did never claim that
Lezgi(an) would be close or 'similar' to Arabic. The F&W entry is far
from being understandable. Lezgian languages belong to the East
Caucasian language group which as far as we can see (pace Starostin and
friends) does not have any living relatives around the world...

Wolfgang

> Rick Mc Callister
> W-1634
> Mississippi University for Women
> Columbus MS 39701

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Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schulze
Institut für Allgemeine und Indogermanische Sprachwissenschaft
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