Mingrelian language

{{Short description|Kartvelian language of western Georgia}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox language | name = Mingrelian | nativename = {{lang|xmf|მარგალური ნინა}} {{tlit|xmf|margaluri nina}} | states = [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] | region = [[Mingrelia]] [[Abkhazia]] | speakers = 345,530 | date = 2015 | ref = e24 | map = Kartvelian_languages.svg | familycolor = Caucasian | fam1 = [[Kartvelian languages|Kartvelian]] | fam2 = [[Karto-Zan languages|Karto-Zan]] | fam3 = [[Zan languages|Zan]] | script = [[Georgian script]] | map2 = Lang Status 60-DE.svg | mapcaption2 = {{center|Mingrelian is classified as Definitely Endangered by the [[UNESCO]] ''[[Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger]]''.}} | iso3 = xmf | glotto = ming1252 | glottorefname = Mingrelian }} [[File:WIKITONGUES- Valerian speaking Mingrelian.webm|thumb|Valerian speaking Mingrelian]]

The '''Mingrelian''' or '''Megrelian language''' ({{lang|xmf|მარგალური ნინა}} {{Lang|xmf|margaluri nina}}) is a [[Kartvelian languages|Kartvelian language]] spoken in Western [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] (regions of [[Mingrelia]] and [[Abkhazia]]) and to lesser extent throughout the country. It is used primarily by [[Mingrelians]], a subgroup of [[Georgians]].

Mingrelian has historically been only a spoken, [[regional language]] used informally in day-to-day activities. Mingrelian speakers have traditionally relied on the standard [[Georgian language|Georgian]] as their literary language and through the late 19th century there were no known written Mingrelian grammar books or dictionaries.<ref>[[The Academy (periodical)|The Academy]], Volume 46, 1895, p. 82 [https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Academy/CXvtM2Tt-NEC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=no%20grammar%20or%20dictionary%20of%20mingrelian]</ref> There have been some limited publications in Mingrelian throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, but producing or translating written works to Mingrelian is controversial because it is seen as a deviation from its historic profile as a non-literary language.<ref>{{cite web|title=ვის ეშინია "ვეფხისტყაოსნის" მეგრული თარგმანის?!|url=https://www.radiotavisupleba.ge/a/32332863.html|website=[[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]]|date=25 March 2023|language=Georgian|access-date=2026-03-14}}</ref>

The number of people speaking Mingrelian has been steadily declining in favor of standard Georgian, with [[UNESCO]] designating Mingrelian as a "definitely [[endangered language]]".<ref>{{Cite web |title=UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger |url=http://www.unesco.org/culture/languages-atlas/en/atlasmap/language-id-1057.html |access-date=4 April 2018 |website=UNESCO}}</ref>

==Distribution and status== [[File:Mingrelian language map - en.svg|thumb|Mingrelian-speaking population]] No reliable figure exists for the number of native speakers of Mingrelian, but it is estimated to be between 300,000 and 500,000. Most speakers live in the [[Mingrelia]] (or Samegrelo and formerly [[Odishi]]) region of Georgia, which comprises the [[Odishi Hills]] and the [[Colchis Lowland|Colchis Lowlands]], from the [[Black Sea]] coast to the [[Svan Mountains]] and the [[Tskhenistskali River]]. Smaller enclaves existed in [[Abkhazia]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Georgia|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5253.htm|website=U.S. Department of State|access-date=9 April 2016|location=First paragraph, third sentence|quote=The United States supports Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, and does not recognize the Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions of Georgia, currently occupied by Russia, as independent.}}</ref> but the ongoing civil unrest there has displaced many Mingrelian speakers to other regions of Georgia. Their geographical distribution is relatively compact, which has helped to promote the transmission of the language between generations.

Mingrelian is generally written in the [[Georgian alphabet]], but it has no written standard or official status. Almost all speakers are bilingual; they use Mingrelian mainly for familiar and informal conversation, and [[Georgian language|Georgian]] (or, for expatriate speakers, the local official language) for other purposes.

==History== Mingrelian is one of the [[Kartvelian languages]]. It is closely related to [[Laz language|Laz]], from which it has become differentiated mostly in the past 500 years, after the northern (Mingrelian) and southern (Laz) communities were separated by Turkic invasions. It is less closely related to Georgian, the two branches having separated in the first millennium BC or earlier, and even more distantly related to [[Svan language|Svan]], which is believed to have branched off in the 2nd millennium BC or earlier.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schulze |first=Wolfgang |date=2009 |title=Languages in the Caucasus |url=http://wschulze.userweb.mwn.de/lgxcauc.pdf}}</ref> Mingrelian is [[mutually intelligible]] only with Laz.

Some linguists refer to Mingrelian and Laz as [[Zan languages]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=K2olxuri Ena (Colchian Language) |url=http://www.icgl.org/articles/ReviewofColchian.doc |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301071254/http://www.icgl.org/articles/ReviewofColchian.doc |archive-date=March 1, 2012 |format=DOC}}</ref> Zan had already split into Mingrelian and Laz variants by early modern times, however, and it is not customary to speak of a unified Zan language today.

The oldest surviving texts in Mingrelian date from the 19th century, and are mainly items of ethnographical literature. The earliest linguistic studies of Mingrelian include a phonetic analysis by [[Alexander von Zagareli|Aleksandre Tsagareli]] (1880), and grammars by [[Ioseb Kipshidze]] (1914) and [[Shalva Beridze]] (1920). From 1930 to 1938 several newspapers were published in Mingrelian, such as ''[[Kazakhishi Gazeti]]'', ''[[Komuna (Megrelian newspaper)|Komuna]]'', ''[[Samargalosh Chai]]'', ''[[Narazenish Chai]]'', and ''[[Samargalosh Tutumi]]''. More recently, there has been some revival of the language, with the publication of a Mingrelian–Georgian dictionary by [[Otar Kajaia]], a Mingrelian-German dictionary by Otar Kajaia and [[Heinz Fähnrich]], and books of poems by [[Lasha Gakharia]], [[Edem Izoria]], [[Lasha Gvasalia]], [[Guri Otobaia]], Giorgi Sichinava, [[Jumber Kukava]], and [[Vakhtang Kharchilava]], journal [[Skani]], Mingrelian Wikipedia, as well as books and magazines published by Jehovah's Witnesses.<ref>{{Cite web |title=იეჰოვაშ მოწმეეფიშ გიშაშკუმალირი ბიბლიური წიგნეფი დო ჟურნალეფი |url=https://www.jw.org/xmf/%E1%83%9E%E1%83%A3%E1%83%91%E1%83%9A%E1%83%98%E1%83%99%E1%83%90%E1%83%AA%E1%83%98%E1%83%94%E1%83%A4%E1%83%98/ |access-date=4 April 2018 |website=jw.org}}</ref>

==Phonology==

===Vowels=== Mingrelian has five vowel [[Phoneme|phonemes]] /i ɛ a ɔ u/. The Zugdidi-Samurzaqano dialect has a sixth /ə/ which is the result of [[Assimilation (phonology)|assimilation]] of /i/ and /u/.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" |+Mingrelian vowels ! rowspan="2" | ! rowspan="2" | [[Front vowel|Front]] ! colspan="2" | [[Back vowel|Back]] |- ! unrounded ! rounded |- ! [[Close vowel|High]] | i {{IPAblink|i}} ი | | u {{IPAblink|u}} უ |- ! [[Mid vowel|Mid]] | e {{IPAblink|ɛ}} ე | (ə {{IPAblink|ə}}) ჷ | o {{IPAblink|ɔ}} ო |- ! [[Open vowel|Low]] | | a {{IPAblink|ɑ}} ა | |}

===Consonants=== The consonant inventory of Mingrelian contains series of [[Aspirated consonant|aspirated]] and [[Ejective consonant|ejective]] consonants that contrast with voiced consonants. The inventory and is almost identical to that of [[Laz language|Laz]], [[Georgian language|Georgian]], and [[Svan language|Svan]]. The table below shows the consonants of Mingrelian in [[Romanization|romanized]] script, phonetic symbols from the [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]], and in [[Georgian scripts|Mkhedruli]] script.

{| class=wikitable style=text-align:center |+Mingrelian consonants ! colspan=2 | ! [[Labial consonant|Labial]] ! [[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]] ! [[Palatal consonant|Palatal]] ! [[Velar consonant|Velar]] ! [[Uvular consonant|Uvular]] ! [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]] |- ! colspan=2 | [[Nasal consonant|Nasal]] | m {{IPAblink|m}} მ | n {{IPAblink|n}} ნ | | | | |- ! rowspan=3 | [[Plosive consonant|Plosive]] ! [[voice (phonetics)|voiced]] | b {{IPAblink|b}} ბ | d {{IPAblink|d}} დ | | g {{IPAblink|ɡ}} გ | | |- ! [[Aspirated consonant|aspirated]] | p {{IPAblink|pʰ}} ფ | t {{IPAblink|tʰ}} თ | | k {{IPAblink|kʰ}} ქ | | |- ! [[ejective consonant|ejective]] | p̌ {{IPAblink|pʼ}} პ | ţ {{IPAblink|tʼ}} ტ | | ǩ {{IPAblink|kʼ}} კ | qʼ {{IPAblink|qʼ}} ყ | ɔ {{IPAblink|ʔ}} ჸ |- ! rowspan=3 | [[Affricate consonant|Affricate]] ! [[voice (phonetics)|voiced]] | | ž {{IPAblink|d͡z}} ძ | dj {{IPAblink|d͡ʒ}} ჯ | | | |- ! [[Aspirated consonant|]][[voicelessness|aspirated]] | | ʒ {{IPAblink|t͡sʰ}} ც | ç {{IPAblink|t͡ʃʰ}} ჩ | | | |- ! [[ejective consonant|ejective]] | | ǯ {{IPAblink|t͡sʼ}} წ | č {{IPAblink|t͡ʃʼ}} ჭ | | | |- ! rowspan=2 | [[Fricative consonant|Fricative]] ! [[voice (phonetics)|voiced]] | v {{IPAblink|v}} ვ | z {{IPAblink|z}} ზ | j {{IPAblink|ʒ}} ჟ | colspan=2 | ɣ {{IPAblink|ɣ}} ღ | |- ! [[voicelessness|voiceless]] | | s {{IPAblink|s}} ს | ş {{IPAblink|ʃ}} შ | colspan=2 | x {{IPAblink|x}} ხ | h {{IPAblink|h}} ჰ |- ! colspan=2 | [[Trill consonant|Trill]] | | r {{IPAblink|r}} რ | | | | |- ! colspan="2" | [[Approximant consonant|Approximant]] | | l {{IPAblink|l}} ლ | y {{IPAblink|j}} ჲ | | | |}

===Phonetic processes===

====Vowel reduction==== Certain pairs of vowels reduce to single vowels:{{clarify|reason=are "ee aa uu" supposed to be historical forms, underlying forms or what?|date=April 2013}} *''ae'' and ''ai'' → ''ee'' → ''e'' *''ao'', ''oa'' and ''oo'' → ''aa'' → ''a'' *''ou → uu → u''

In Zugdidi-Samurzaqano dialect the vowels ''i'' and ''u'' also often reduce to ''ə''.

====Pre-consonant change of velar ''g''==== Before consonants, ''g'' → ''r''.

====Positional change of uvular ''q''' sound==== In word-initial prevocalic and intervocalic positions, ''q' → ʔ''. Before the consonant ''v'', ''q' → ɣ/ǩ''.

====Regressive assimilation of consonants==== The common types are: *voicing/devoicing of voiceless/voiced consonants before voiced/voiceless ones (respectively). *glottalization of consonants before the glottalized ones and the glottal stop.

====Progressive dissimilation==== If the stem contains ''r'' then the suffixes ''-ar'' and ''-ur'' transform to ''-al'' and ''-ul'', e.g. {{Lang|xmf|xorga}} ''({{Interlanguage link|Gaghma Pirveli Khorga|ka|გაღმა პირველი ხორგა}}, the village)→'' {{Lang|xmf|xorg-ul-i}} ("Khorgan"). The rule is not valid if in the stem with ''r'' an ''l'' appears later, e.g. {{Lang|xmf|marṫvili}} ''("[[Martvili]]", the town) dj'' {{Lang|xmf|marṫvil-ur-i}} ''(adj. "Martvilian")''

In a stem with voiceless affricates or voiceless sibilants, a later ''ǯ'' is [[Deaffrication|deaffricated]] to ''d'', e.g. {{Lang|xmf|orcxondji}} ''dj'' {{Lang|xmf|orcxondi}} "comb", {{Lang|xmf|ç̌andji}} ''dj'' {{Lang|xmf|ç̌andi}} "fly (insect)", {{Lang|xmf|isindji}} ''dj'' {{Lang|xmf|isindi}} "arrow", etc.

====The transformation of ''l''==== *in all dialects of Mingrelian, before consonants ''l'' → ''r''. *in the Martvili subdialect in word-initial prevocalic position, ''l → y → ∅'' and in intervocalic position ''l → ∅'' {{elucidate|reason=how do these differ?|date=February 2011}}

====Intervocalic deletion of ''v''==== Between the vowels the organic{{Clarify|date=February 2011}} ''v'' disappears, e.g. {{Lang|xmf|xvavi}} ''(Geo. "abundance, plenty") →'' {{Lang|xmf|*xvai}} ''→'' {{Lang|xmf|xvee}} (id.), {{Lang|xmf|mṭevani}} ''(Geo. "raceme") →'' {{Lang|xmf|ţiani}} (id.), etc.

====Phonetic augmentation ''n''==== Before the stops and affricates, an inorganic{{Clarify|date=February 2011}} augmentation ''n'' may appear (before labials ''n → m'').

==Mingrelian orthography== {{More citations needed section|date=May 2025}} Mingrelian is written in the Georgian [[Mkhedruli]] script. The spelling using the Mkhedruli script uses symbols not used in Georgian : ⟨ჲ ჷ ჸ⟩ to represent /j ə ʔ/, respectively. The Mkhedruli script was used in Mingrelian publications from 1866 to 1906, from 1930 to 1939, in 1966, and has been used from 1995 on.

One book in Mingrelian was printed in the [[Cyrillic]] script in 1899 using the alphabet shown below. Slightly different Cyrillic orthographies were used in several printed texts from 1887 to 1903. The 1887 version had several Cyrillic letters in unusual phonetic values: я [dz], ѣ [h].

The Latin script column shows romanizations used by linguists.

{| style="text-align: center" class="wikitable" ! Mkhedruli ! Mingrelian Latin ! Mingrelian Cyrillic ! IPA transcription |- |ა |a |а |{{IPA|ɑ}} |- |ბ |b |б |{{IPA|b}} |- |გ |g |г |{{IPA|ɡ}} |- |დ |d |д |{{IPA|d}} |- |ე |e |е |{{IPA|ɛ}} |- |ვ |v |в |{{IPA|v}} |- |ზ |z |з |{{IPA|z}} |- |თ |t |ꚋ |{{IPA|t}} |- |ი |i |і |{{IPA|i}} |- |კ |ǩ |к |{{IPA|kʼ}} |- |ლ |l |л |{{IPA|l}} |- |მ |m |м |{{IPA|m}} |- |ნ |n |н |{{IPA|n}} |- |ჲ |y |ј |{{IPA|j}} |- |ო |o |о |{{IPA|ɔ}} |- |პ |p̌ |п |{{IPA|pʼ}} |- |ჟ |zh |ж |{{IPA|ʒ}} |- |რ |r |р |{{IPA|r}} |- |ს |s |с |{{IPA|s}} |- |ტ |ṫ |т |{{IPA|tʼ}} |- |უ |u |у |{{IPA|u}} |- |ჷ |ƨ |ѵ |{{IPA|ə}} |- |ფ |p |ҧ |{{IPA|p}} |- |ქ |k |ӄ |{{IPA|k}} |- |ღ |ǧ |ҕ |{{IPA|ɣ}} |- |ყ |q̌ |k |{{IPA|qʼ}} |- |ჸ |ɔ |ɣ |{{IPA|ʔ}} |- |შ |ş / sh |ш |{{IPA|ʃ}} |- |ჩ |ç / ch |ч |{{IPA|t͡ʃ}} |- |ც |ʒ / ts |ц |{{IPA|t͡s}} |- |ძ |dz |ӡ |{{IPA|d͡z}} |- |წ |ǯ / tz |ҵ |{{IPA|t͡sʼ}} |- |ჭ |ç̌ |ꚓ |{{IPA|t͡ʃʼ}} |- |ხ |x |х |{{IPA|x}} |- |ჯ |dj |џ |{{IPA|d͡ʒ}} |- |ჰ |h |һ |{{IPA|h}} |}

==Grammar== {{main|Mingrelian grammar}}

==Dialects== The main dialects and subdialects of Mingrelian are:

* [[Zugdidi]]-[[Samurzakano]] or Northwest dialect ** Jvari * [[Senaki]]-[[Poti]] or Southeast dialect ** Martvili-Bandza ** Abasha {{InterWiki|code=xmf}}

==Famous speakers== *[[Lavrenti Beria]], Soviet leader [[Joseph Stalin]]'s chief of secret police *[[Konstantine Gamsakhurdia]], one of the most influential [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]n writers of the 20th century *[[Zviad Gamsakhurdia]], first president of post-Soviet Georgia *Antisa Khvichava, claimed world's oldest person (purportedly 132 years old at the time of her death in 2012).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dzhindzhikhashvili |first=Misha |date=8 July 2010 |title=Georgia Claims it Has World's Oldest Person, 130 |work=Yahoo! News |agency=Associated Press |url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100708/ap_on_re_eu/eu_georgia_oldest_person |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100712142917/http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100708/ap_on_re_eu/eu_georgia_oldest_person |archive-date=2010-07-12}}</ref> *[[Khvicha Kvaratskhelia]], [[Georgians|Georgian]] footballer *[[Ilia Topuria]], [[Spaniards|Spanish]] and Georgian [[mixed martial artist]]

==References== {{reflist}}

==Further reading== * {{cite book |isbn=99940-61-43-7 |title=Kʻolkhuri (Megrul-Lazuri) Ena |last1=Amirejibi |first1=Rusudan |date=2006 |publisher=Gamomcʻemloba "Universali" |url=https://www.tsu.ge/data/image_db_innova/Kolxuri_GEO.pdf}} * {{cite book |last=Beridze |first=Shalva |author-link=Shalva Beridze |year=1920 |title=Megruli (Iveriuli) Ena |trans-title=Megrelian (Iverian) Language |lang=ka}} * {{cite book |last=Broers |first=Laurence |author-link=Laurence Broers |year=2012 |chapter='Two Sons of One Mother'. Nested Identities and Centre-Periphery Politics in Post-Soviet Georgia |editor-first1=Andreas |editor-last1=Schonle |editor-first2=Olga |editor-last2=Makarova |editor-first3=Jeremy |editor-last3=Hicks |title=When the Elephant Broke Out of the Zoo. A Festschrift for Donald Rayfield |series=Stanford Slavic Studies |volume=39 |isbn=9781572010888}} * {{cite book |last=Kʻajaia |first=Otʻar |title=Megrul-kʻartʻuli lekʻsikoni |trans-title=Mingrelian-English Dictionary |oclc=50676816 |publisher= Gamomcʻemloba "Nekeri", Tʻbilisi |date=2001–2002}} * {{cite book |last=Kipshidze |first=Ioseb |author-link=Ioseb Kipshidze |year=1914 |url=https://archive.org/details/GrammatikaMingrelskogoiverskogoJazyka |title=Grammatika mingrelʹskogo (iverskogo) i͡azyka |trans-title=Grammar of Megrelian (Iverian) Language |lang=ru}} * {{cite book |isbn=9789941421143 |title=Megruli Leksikʻoni |date=2010 |publisher=Gamomcʻemloba Artanuji |first1=Alio |last1=Kʻobalia |first2=Merab |last2=Čʻuxua |first3=Nana |last3=Kʻobalia}} * {{cite book |last=Tsargareli |first=Aleksandre |author-link=Alexander von Zagareli |year=1880 |title=Megrelʹskie ėti͡udy, Analiz fonetiki megrelʹskogo i͡azyka |trans-title=Megrelian Studies — The Analysis of Phonetics of Megrelian Language |lang=ru}}

==External links== *[https://titus.fkidg1.uni-frankfurt.de/texte/caucasica/mingrel/adscham.htm TITUS Caucasica: Megrelisch] {{in lang|de}} *[https://titus.uni-frankfurt.de/texte/etca/cauc/megr/kajaia/kajai.htm Otar Kajaia's Megrelian-Georgian dictionary] at TITUS. *[https://web.archive.org/web/20110927085309/http://www.ling.lu.se/projects/Megrelian/ Megrelian Project] at [[Lund University]], [[Sweden]] *[https://www.opendemocracy.net/od-russia/nikolaus-von-twickel/do-you-speak-mingrelian Article on the situation in 2017] from [[OpenDemocracy]] *[https://irinalobzhanidze.com/megrelian/converter/converter.html Rusudan Gersamia's and Irina Lobzhanidze's Megrelian Online Converter] at CML, [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mingrelian Language}} [[Category:Mingrelian language| ]] [[Category:Agglutinative languages]] [[Category:Definitely endangered languages]] [[Category:Languages of Abkhazia]] [[Category:Languages of Georgia (country)]] [[Category:Mingrelia| Language]]