Urssivar: Kaitag Language §
Kaitag is a distinct language of the Dargwic branch of the Northeast Caucasian family. In the early 20th century, it was spoken in 56 mountain villages across nine historical microregions in southern Dagestan.
In 1938, Soviet language planning demoted Kaitag from an independent language to a dialect — a decision driven by policy rather than science. The subsequent shift in school instruction and ethnic identification stripped people of linguistic and cultural rights. No Kaitag institutions were developed, no literary tradition emerged.
By the end of the 20th century, Russian had become the dominant language of education and public life. Natural transmission has ceased in the 21st century. Today, fluent speakers remain only among the elderly. The language exists in a critical state — undocumented, unstandardized, and disappearing with each generation. Much has already been lost.
But what remains is worth the fight.