Abkhaz is a language of the Northwest Caucasian family which, like the other Northwest Caucasian languages, is very rich in consonants. Abkhaz has a large consonantal inventory that contrasts 58 consonants in the literary Abzhywa dialect, coupled with just two phonemic vowels (:18–20). Abkhaz has three major dialects, Abzhywa, Bzyp and Sadz, which differ mainly in phonology.