Adyghe people
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 657,000 (est.) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Turkey
|
316,000 |
 Russia
|
124,835 107,048 13,834 584 |
 Jordan
|
122,000 |
 Syria
|
100,000 |
 Egypt
|
12,000 |
 Ukraine
|
600 |
| Languages | |
| Adyghe language, Russian language | |
| Religion | |
| Sunni Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other Adyghe people and Abazgi (Abkhaz, Abazin) | |
Adyghe (/ˈædᵻɡeɪ/ or /ˌɑːdᵻˈɡeɪ/; Circassian language: Адыгэ Adygè) is the endonym (native name) of the Circassians.
In the southwestern part of European Russia, there is also a federal subject called Adygea (Russian: Адыгея Adygeja), enclaved within Krasnodar Krai, which is named after the Circassians.
In the Russian language, Adygea's Circassian residents are called "Адыгейцы" Adygejtsy (meaning those [of the Republic] of Adygea), whereas the Circassians in general are called "Адыги" Adygi (meaning the Adyghe). In English terminology, on the other hand, many foreigners fail to distinguish between these Russian-specific administrative (former) and ethnolinguistic (latter) terms, and misuse the word Adyghe to refer only to the Adyghe in Republic of Adygea (only a small part of the historical Adyghe lands). However, the majority of the Adyghe in Russia today do not reside in Adygea, but in the neighbouring regions.
There are twelve Adyghe tribes, i.e. Abzakh, Besleney, Bzhedug, Hatuqwai, Kabardian, Mamkhegh, Natukhai, Shapsug, Temirgoy, Ubykh, Yegeruqwai, and Zhaney, each one represented by a star on the green-and-gold Circassian flag which is also used as the flag of the modern-day Republic of Adygea. The Adyghe in the Republic of Adygea are mainly Bzhedug and Temirgoy who speak the Lowland Adyghe dialect (Circassian: КӀах Адыгэбзэ). The Adyghe in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic are mainly Besleney, and the Adyghe in the Kabardino-Balkar Republic are mainly Kabardian. Besleney and other Kabardian families speak the Highland Adyghe dialect (Circassian: Къэбэрдей Адыгэбзэ).
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Wikipedia