ABKHAZO-ADYGHIAN LANGUAGES

also called Northwest Caucasian Languages, group of languages spoken primarily in the northwestern part of the Caucasus Mountains. The languages of this group-Abkhaz, Abaza, Adyghian, Kabardian (Circassian), and the nearly extinct Ubykh-are noted for the great number of distinctive consonants and limited number of distinctive vowels in their sound systems.