Learning Georgian

Learning Georgian

Georgia, the Cradle of Wine
Map of Georgia

Whenever we travel I always make a point of trying to learn a few words of the local language so as to better communicate with the citizens of the country. Although I speak four languages fluently and consider myself something of a linguist, a few places have completely defeated me – namely Iceland and Greenland – where try as I might, my brain simply would not wrap itself around the language. Sad to say, it looks like the same thing is going to happen with Georgian!

Our trip to Georgia (the country not the state) has been several years in the making. My grandmother was born in Georgia and, as we grew up, regularly regaled us with stories about the beauty of Tbilisi (the capital), the Black Sea, and the people, as well as HER grandmother, an Italian diva who sang at the Tiflis (Tbilisi) Opera House in the mid-1800s. She, of course, spoke Georgian, one of many languages in her repertoire. Her granddaughter will be lucky to be able to read the street signs and say a few words without reference to a dictionary (at least without a longer stay).

Georgian is one of the oldest, continuously spoken languages on earth, and it is like no other you will ever run across. It belongs to its own ancient linguistic group, believed to originate from the Aramaic spoken over 5,000 years ago. According to legend, King Pharnavaz I of Kartli created the Georgian alphabet in the 3rd century BCE. (Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, is located in the area known as Kartli and the Georgians call themselves Kartvelebi). However, the oldest existing text on stone dates from 493 CE and is associated with the adoption of Christianity in Georgia. The oldest known manuscript in the Georgian language (864 CE) was found in St. Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai.

Learning the Georgian language
Learning Georgian

The 33-letter alphabet is perhaps one of only 20 true alphabets in the world. It does not look like Cyrillic or Latin or anything else. There are 5 vowels and 28 consonants. There are no capital letters. Each letter corresponds to a sound so, assuming you can recall them, it can be “relatively” easy to read or write.

The beautiful, written, calligraphic script flows dramatically with squiggles and swirls that look very much like the grape vines that trail through the countryside. One swirl too many, however, and your “r” becomes an “l”, your “t” into an “i”. For the novice, it is hard to remember which is which.

Speaking Georgian is an entirely different matter. Although over the centuries, Georgian has absorbed many foreign words from its various invaders including the Greeks and Romans, Mongols, Persians, Arabs, Turks and Ottomans, and Russians, most of the vocabulary is uniquely Georgian and has remained mostly unchanged over the centuries – an integral part of the Georgian identity.

A daunting, tongue-twisting juxtaposition of consonants makes the memorization of words a real challenge. For example, one of the phrases in my Georgian language primer (transliterated) reads “Qwelaperi k’argad aa?” which translates as “Is everything ok?” Or “Saghamo mshwidobisa,” Meaning “Good evening.” My tongue is tired!

As for the grammar, it probably will not sink into my brain without an extended stay in Georgia and a few classes at the International Center for the Georgian Language in Tbilisi (http://www.icgl.org/). Well…. Any excuse for another trip!

The one word I DO remember without any difficulty is GVINO, the Georgian word for “wine.” It is believed to be the origin of the word for the elixir of the vine in many languages; but then Georgia is believed to be the cradle of wine-making, dating back almost 8,000 years. It is another tale for another time!

 

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2 thoughts on “Learning Georgian

  1. Very interesting. Love you tales. If Georgian is more difficult than Icelandic, it would be impossible. Waiting anxiously for the images.

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