Ghalghai

Ghalghai (Ingush: pl. ГIалгIай, [ˈʁəlʁɑj], sg. ГIалгIа, [ˈʁəlʁɑ]) is the self-name (endonym) of the Ingush people.

See also: Ethnonyms of the Ingush
A medieval Ghalghai outpost built on a rocky ledge in the Assa Gorge, drawn by Moritz von Engelhardt in 1815

There's no consensus among scholars on the etymology of the ethnonym as there exists different theories and speculations on its etymology. However, it is most often associated with the word "ghalā" (гIала), meaning "tower" or "fortress" and the plural form of the suffix of person, "gha" (гIа), thus, translated as "people/inhabitants of towers". It is also associated by some scholars with the ancient Gargareans and Gelae mentioned in the classical sources.

In Georgian sources, the ethnonym is mentioned in the form of Gligvi as an ethnonym during the reign of Mirian I, as well as the ruler of Kakheti Kvirike III. In Russian sources, "Ghalghai" first becomes known in the second half of the 16th century, in the form of "Kalkans/Kolkans", "Kalkan people".

Morphology

The Chechen linguist, dr. of philological sciences Katy Chokaev, analyzed the internal structure of the ethnonym. According to the linguist:[1]

"In both the Chechen and Ingush languages, the ethnonym is divided into two parts: ghal+gha in the singular form and ghal+ghai in the plural form. The initial sound (gh) is an aspirated, back-lingual consonant, reminiscent of the Ukrainian fricative (g)¹. The same sound is present in the second syllable. The first syllable is stressed with a short middle [ǎ]. The second [ā] is long. The sonorant non-syllabic [th] in the outcome of the plural form is a plural formant."

Orthography

The ethnonym is spelled and pronounced in Ingush in its plural form as ghalghai (гӀалгӀай, [ˈʁəlʁɑj]), written and spelled in its singular form as ghalgha (гӀалгӀа, [ˈʁəlʁɑ]);[2][3] in declension by cases: ghalghacho/ghalghaicho (гӀалгӀачо/гӀалгӀайчо; ergative case), ghalghachuntsa/ghalghaichuntsa (гӀалгӀачунца/гӀалгӀайчунца; genitive case),[3] ghalghachuntsa/ghalghaichuntsa (гӀалгӀачунна/гӀалгӀайчунна; dative case).[4]

Variants of the ethnonym ghalghai in the languages that neighbor Ingush language:

Ethnonyms Transl. Languages Ref.
ǧalǧayolǧalǧayolAndi[5]
гъалгъаялǧalǧayalAvar[6]
гӀалгӀай/гӀалгӀаайghalghai/ghalghaai[lower-alpha 1]Chechen[7]
къалгъайqalǧaiKumyk[8]
хъулгъаqulǧaOssetian[9]

Etymology

There's no consensus among scholars on the etymology of the ethnonym,[10] therefore different theories and speculations exist on its etymology. Some scholars (e.g. Yunus Desheriev, Ibragim Aliroev) consider that "ghalghai" means "people/inhabitants of towers", while others (e.g. Evgeny Krupnov, Adrienne Mayor) connect the ethnonym to either Gargareans or to Gelae (Ivane Javakhishvili, Arnold Chikobava). Versions connecting ghalghai to the legendary figure Gha/Galga or to the God of Sun/Sky Gal in Vainakh religion are also found.

"Inhabitants of towers"

A number of scholars (e.g. Anatoly Genko, Yunus Desheriev, Ibragim Aliroev) connected ghalghai to the word "ghalā" (гIала, 'tower/fortress') thus, translating the word from Ingush as "people/inhabitants of towers".[11][12][13]

According to this version, ghalghai is combination of two Ingush words, "ghalā" (гIала, 'tower/fortress') and derivational affix "-gha" (гIа) Therefore, ghalghai is translated as "people/inhabitants of towers".[10] Katy Chokaev considers the "-gha" in ghalghai the suffix of person "-gha",[14] while Yunus Desheriev considers it a transformed affix from the Nakh affix "kho". He also notes that in Nakh languages, the sounds "kh" and "gh" often alternate which could have made the transformation of kho to gha. It's possible that in one of the dialects of Ingush language, case affix "-gha" was used instead to form the ethnonym.[12] According to Ibragim Aliroev, the "-gha" in ghalghai is the Vainakh syllable for place, "gha" (cf. ma-ghara, 'up', ēgha, 'down').[15]

Gelae
The Caucasus in the 1st century BC according to ancient Greek geopgrapher Strabo, composed by Frédéric DuBois de Montperreux.

In the first century AD, the ancient Greek geographer Strabo mentioned the Gelae and Legae tribes in his work Geographica. He mentioned how according to Theophanes of Mytilene, who participated Caucasian campaign of Pompey, the Gelae and Legae lived between the Amazons and Albanians:[16]

"Now Theophanes, who made the expedition with Pompey and was in the country of the Albanians, says that the Gelae and the Legae, Scythian people, live between the Amazons and the Albanians, and that the Mermadalis River flows there, midway between these people and the Amazons."

Georgian historian and linguist Ivane Javakhishvili and linguist, dr. of philological sciences Arnold Chikobava have connected the Gelae with the ethnonym ghalghai (Ingush).[17][18]

Gargareans

Strabo had also mentioned another tribe inhabiting the Caucasus, that is, Gargareans. According to him, the Amazons lived on their borders:[16]

But others, among whom are Metrodorus of Scepsis and Hypsicrates, who themselves, likewise, were not unacquainted with the region in question, say that the Amazons live on the borders of the Gargarians (...)"

The Gargareans like Gelae, were also connected to the ethnonym ghalghai by a number of scholars like Vasily Latyshev,[19] Evgeny Krupnov,[20] Gamrekeli,[21] Adrienne Mayor.[22]

Gal of the Vainakh religion

The Chechen linguist, dr. of philological sciences Katy Chokaev connected ghalghai with the name of the God of Sun/Sky Gal (ГӀал, Ghal) of the Vainakh religion. Together with plural form of suffix of person "-ghai", it formed the ethnonym which translates, according to Chokaev, as "those who pray to the God of Sun, Gal". He also found a parallel of this etymology with the ethnonym in Mountain Chechen dialects, Ghielaga (ГӀиелага).[23][14] The cult of Gal was found in Ingushetia, and according to the Ossetian scholar, professor Boris Alborov, originated in Assa Gorge.[24]

Ancestor Gha

The Nakh legends recorded in the 19th century are often interpreted by researchers in a historical context, however, such use requires special source study methods and does not allow establishing an exact chronology to describe any events from the life of the ancestors of the Chechens and Ingush.[25] In such legends, ethnonym ghalghai is connected to the legendary ancestor Gha.[1] The Gha's name on the other hand, is explained due to him being supposedly named after leaf's name (Ingush: ГӀа, lit. 'leaf') as he was born with it in his hand.[26]

Legends recorded by the Dargin ethnographer Bashir Dalgat in mountainous villages (auls) of Erzi and Falkhan mention how once upon a time there lived three brothers, Ga, Orshtkho/Arshtkho and Nakhcho, from whom the Galgai (Ingush), Orstkhoi and Nokhchi (Chechens) descended. The brothers arrived in the mountains from the east and settled in the area of Galga, from where they began to settle throughout the territories of modern Chechnya and Ingushetia.[27] In Chechen legends about the origin of the Vainakhs, other combinations of the brothers' names were also found, for example, Ako/Akho and Shoto (eponyms for the Akkins and Shatois) could be added.[28]

History

Gligvi
Main article: Gligvi
Ghalghai (Gligvi) on d'Anville's map in 1751

In Georgian sources, in the form of Gligvi, it is mentioned as an ethnonym that existed during the reign of Mirian I,[29] as well as the ruler of Kakheti Kvirike III.[30][31]

Kalkans
Main article: Kalkans

In the Russian sources of 16th–17th centuries, "Ghalghai" was known in the form of "Kalkans/Kolkans", "Kalkan people".[32] Ethnonym "Kalkan" was first mentioned in the article list of Semyon Zvenigorodskiy and Diyak Torkh in 1589–1590. They were sent by Alexis of Russia to Georgia, when it so happened on their way back they were ambushed and attacked by the Kalkans.[33] Later on, Kalkans become reported in many Russian sources of the 16th century, one of which

Toponymy

See also

Notes
  1. According to Ibragim Aliroev, the spelling ghalghaai is present in the literary Chechen dialect, while in dialects like Cheberloi, it is spelled ghalghai.[7]

References
  1. Chokaev 1992, p. 31.
  2. Kurkiev 2005, p. 117.
  3. Ghalghai-ērsiy doshlorg/Ingushsko-russkiy slovar 2009, p. 219.
  4. Barakhoeva, Ilieva & Khayrova 2020, p. 38.
  5. Marr 1922, p. 33.
  6. Avar-ghurus slovar/Avarsko-russkiy slovar 2006, p. 403.
  7. Aliroev 1975, p. 315.
  8. Qumuqcha-oruscha cëzlyuk/Kumyksko-russkiy slovar 2011, p. 132.
  9. Styr uyryssag-iron dzyrduat/Bolshoy russko-ossetinskiy slovar 2011, p. 237.
  10. Kurkiev 1979, p. 181.
  11. Genko 1930, p. 703.
  12. Desheriev 1963, p. 70.
  13. Aliroev 1990, p. 15.
  14. Chokaev 1992, p. 32.
  15. Aliroev 1978, p. 11.
  16. Strabo 1928.
  17. Javakhishvili 1937, p. 97: [translation of the Georgian text] "In ancient times, Greek and Roman geographers called the native inhabitants of the middle and eastern parts of the North Caucasus «Geli» and «Legi». The name Geli (Gelae) is the equivalent of the modern «Ghalgha», as pronounced in their own language and in the Tushin language; and the equivalent of Legi is the Georgian «Lekebi» (Leks, Avars). In Georgian, the first corresponds to «Ghilghvi» (singular) and «Ghilghvelebi» (plural), which are often found in old Tushin folk poems. And in other regions of Georgia, it is customary to designate them as «Ghlighvi»."
  18. Chikobava 2010, p. 31: "The terms «Sindian», «Gligvian», «Legian», «Albanian» correspond to the names of peoples mentioned in historical Greek sources: Sindi — are one of the Adyghe peoples; Γιλγ- [Gligvi] — the old Georgian name of for Nakh peoples, in particular the Ingush, Γαλγα- [Galga] — the self-name of the Ingush people is close to Ancient Greek 𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐢, and 𝐥𝐞𝐠 is close to Ancient Greek 𝐥𝐞́𝐠𝐨𝐢 (cf. Georgian «leḳ-i» — the collective name of the peoples of Dagestan)."
  19. Latyshev 1947, pp. 222, 281.
  20. Krupnov 1971, p. 26.
  21. Chokaev 1992, pp. 31–32.
  22. Mayor 2016, p. 361.
  23. Chokaev 1991, p. 125.
  24. Alborov 1928, p. 353.
  25. Kusheva 1963, p. 59.
  26. Yakovlev 1925, p. 41.
  27. Dalgat 1972, p. 42.
  28. Dalgat 1972, p. 113.
  29. Бердзенешвили et al. 1962, p. 25.
  30. Джанашвили 1897, p. 31.
  31. Volkova 1973, p. 158.
  32. Volkova 1973, pp. 154, 200.
  33. Volkova 1973, p. 154.
  34. Сулейманов 1978, p. 8.
  35. Яндаров А.Д. (1975). "Чах Ахриев. Жизнь и творчество (к 125-летию со дня рождения)". Вопросы философии. № 4 (in Russian). pp. 138–141.
  36. "Magas: The Silk Roads". UNESCO.
  37. Сулейманов 1978, p. 67.
  38. Д.Д. Мальсагов (1959). "О некоторых непонятных местах в "Слове о полку Игореве"". Известия Чечено-Ингушского научно-исследовательского института истории, языка и литературы (in Russian). Грозный. 1 (2): 152.
  39. Проект «Открытый Кавказ». "Карта" (in Russian).
  40. Genko 1930, p. 712.
  41. Сулейманов 1980, p. 47.
  42. Сулейманов 1980, p. 51.
  43. "Военно-топографическая пятиверстная карта Кавказского края 1926 года" [Military topographic map of Caucasus region, 1926].
  44. Цагаева 1971, p. 132.
  45. Робакидзе 1968, p. 161.
  46. Yakovlev 1925, pp. 102–103.
  47. Джанашвили 1897, p. 79.

Bibliography

English sources

Russian sources

Georgian sources
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