Andi language

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Andi is a Northeast Caucasian language in the Avar–Andic group. It is spoken in southern Dagestan, Russia, mainly in the Andi valley along the Andi-Koisu river, in villages such as Andi, Gunkha, Gagatl, Ashali, Rikvani, Chanko, Zilo, and Kvanxidatl. As of 2020, about 21,150 people spoke Andi, including 11,800 ethnic Andi recorded in 2010. UNESCO lists Andi as Definitely Endangered (2010).

Key facts
- Dialects: Munin, Rikvani, Kvanxidatl, and Gagatl. They form an upper group (Andi, Gagatl, Rikvani, Zilo) and a lower group (Munin, Kvanxidatl); the upper group is notable for lacking a certain sound found in some other varieties.
- Phonology: Andi has around 43 consonants and 5 vowels (a, e, i, o, u).
- Writing: Andi is usually unwritten, and many speakers use Avar or Russian for writing. There have been historical texts in Andi, and some modern projects have produced written material.
- Literature and orthography: A 2015 Gospel of Luke was translated into Andi using a dedicated alphabet, and a 2018 primer introduced another Andi writing system. In daily life, Cyrillic remains common for writing.

In short, Andi is a small but distinct language of Dagestan, with several dialects, limited traditional writing, and ongoing efforts to develop written forms.