Besleney


The Besleney, also known as Beslenei or Baslaney, are one of the twelve tribes of the Circassian people. It was named after Kabardian Prince Beslan who established his own tribe of the same name.

History

The majority of the Besleney live in the valley of Bolshaya and Malaya Laba Rivers and on the bank of Urup in the Russian Republics of Karachay-Cherkessia, Krasnodar Krai and Adygea. They also extend to the valleys of Chetem, Fars, Psefir, Kuban. By character and culture besides the language, the Besleney are closest to Kabardians. The noble families of the Besleney were: Kanoko and Shaloho, ancestors of Beslan, the son of legendary Prince Inal.

Language

The Besleney people speak the Besleney sub-dialect of the Kabardian Adyghe dialect. However, because the Besleney tribe lived at the center of Circassia, the Besleney dialect also shares a large number of features with dialects of the West Adyghe dialect. Like the Adyghe Shapsug sub-dialect, there exist a palatalized voiced velar plosive, a palatalized voiceless velar plosive and a palatalized velar ejective, which were merged to, and in other Circassian dialects. The Besleney dialect also has an alveolar lateral ejective affricate, which corresponds to an alveolar lateral ejective fricative in most other varieties of Circassian. The Besleney dialect has a voiceless glottal fricative that corresponds to in other Circassian dialects.