Proto-Kartvelian language

The Proto-Kartvelian language, or Common Kartvelian (Georgian: წინარექართველური ენა, romanized: ts'inarekartveluri ena), is the linguistic reconstruction of the common ancestor of the Kartvelian languages, which was spoken by the ancestors of the modern Kartvelian peoples. The existence of such a language is widely accepted by specialists in linguistics, who have reconstructed a broad outline of the language by comparing the existing Kartvelian languages against each other.[1] Several linguists, namely, Gerhard Deeters and Georgy Klimov have also reconstructed a lower-level proto-language called Proto-Karto-Zan or Proto-Georgian-Zan, which is the ancestor of Karto-Zan languages (includes Georgian and Zan).[2]

Proto-Kartvelian
Reconstruction ofKartvelian languages
Lower-order reconstructions

Influences
See also: Proto-Indo-European language

The ablaut patterns of Proto-Kartvelian are highly similar to those of the Indo-European languages, and so it is thought that Proto-Kartvelian interacted with Indo-European at a relatively early date.[3] This is reinforced by cognates with Indo-European, such as the Proto-Kartvelian *mḳerd- (breast), and its possible relation to the Proto-Indo-European *ḱerd- (heart). Proto-Kartvelian *ṭep- (warm) may also be related to Proto-Indo-European *tep- "warm".[1]

Relation to descendants

The modern descendants of Proto-Kartvelian are Georgian, Svan, Mingrelian and Laz. The ablaut patterns of Proto-Kartvelian were better preserved in Georgian and (particularly) Svan than in either Mingrelian or Laz, in which new forms have been set up so that there is a single, stable vowel in each word element.[1]

The system of pronouns of Proto-Kartvelian is distinct on account of its category of inclusive–exclusive (so, for instance, there were two forms of the pronoun "we": one that includes the listener and one that does not). This has survived in Svan but not in the other languages. Svan also includes a number of archaisms from the Proto-Kartvelian era, and therefore it is thought that Svan broke off from Proto-Kartvelian at a relatively early stage: the later Proto-Kartvelian stage (called Karto-Zan) split into Georgian and Zan (Mingrelo-Laz).[1]

Phonology

Vowels
Proto-Kartvelian vowels[4][5][6]
Front Back
unrounded rounded
short long short long short long
Close (i [i]) (u [u])
Open-mid e [ɛ] ē [ɛː] o [ɔ] ō [ɔː]
Open a [ɑ] ā [ɑː]

Consonants
Proto-Kartvelian consonants[7][8]
Labial Alveolar Retroflex Postalveolar Velar Uvular Glottal
central lateral[8]
Nasal m [m] n [n]
Plosive voiced b [b] d [d] g [ɡ]
voiceless p [p] t [t] k [k] q [q]
ejective ṗ [pʼ] ṭ [tʼ] ḳ [kʼ] q̇ [qʼ]
Affricate voiced ʒ [d͡z] ʒ₁ [d͡ʐ] ǯ [d͡ʒ]
voiceless c [t͡s] c₁ [t͡ʂ] č [t͡ʃ]
ejective c̣ [t͡sʼ] c̣₁ [t͡ʂʼ] č̣ [t͡ʃʼ] ɬʼ [t͡ɬʼ]
Fricative voiceless s [s] s₁ [ʂ] š [ʃ] lʿ [ɬ] x [x] h [h]
voiced z [z] z₁ [ʐ] ž [ʒ] ɣ [ɣ]
Trill r [r]
Approximant w [w] l [l] y [j]

Distinction between plain q and ejective q' remains only in Svan language. This distinction also existed in Old Georgian.

Notes
  1. Britannica, 15th edition (1986): Macropedia, "Languages of the World", "Caucasian languages"
  2. Klimov (1998), p. VIII
  3. Gamkrelidze & Ivanov (1995), pp. 768, 774–776
  4. Gamkrelidze & Machavariani (1965)
  5. Klimov (1998), p. X
  6. Gamkrelidze (1966), p. 70, 73, 80
  7. Gamkrelidze (1966), p. 70
  8. Fähnrich (2002), p. 5

References
  • Encyclopædia Britannica, 15th edition (1986): Macropedia, "Languages of the World", see section titled "Caucasian languages".
  • Fähnrich, H. (2002). Kartwelische Wortschatzstudien. Jena: Friedrich-Schiller-Universität.
  • Gamkrelidze, Th. (1966) "A Typology of Common Kartvelian", Language, Vol. 42, No. 1 (Jan. – Mar.), pp. 69–83
  • Gamkrelidze, Th. & Ivanov, V. (1995). Indo-European and the Indo-Europeans: A Reconstruction and Historical Analysis of a Proto-Language and a Proto-Culture. 2 Vols. Berlin and New York: Mouton de Gruyter.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Gamkrelidze, Th. & Machavariani, G. (1965). The system of sonants and ablaut in Kartvelian languages (in Georgian and Russian). Tbilisi.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Klimov, G. (1998). Etymological Dictionary of the Kartvelian Languages. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
  • Schmidt, Karl Horst (1962). Studien zur Rekonstruktion des Lautstandes der südkaukasischen Grundsprache. Abhandlung für die Kunde des Morgenlandes XXXIV #3.
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