ცხინვალი

First attested in the 14th century.

From Middle Georgian, from Old Georgian ქრცხილვანი (krcxilvani), from ქრცხილი (krcxili, “hornbeam”) + -ოვანი (-ovani, “adjectival suffix”), ultimately from Proto-Kartvelian *krcxeml- (*krcxeml-, “hornbeam”).

The earliest form was probably *ქრცხილოვანი (krcxilovani), *ქრცხილოანი (krcxiloani). In the 15th century it developed into კრცხილვანი (ḳrcxilvani) (the ქ (k) → კ (ḳ) development is regular in Middle Georgian). Due to metathesis of the consonants and due to natural drift in the language, the first two consonants of the root (*კ (ḳ) and *რ (r)) were lost, while *ლ (l) was replaced with the more convenient *ნ (n) (and vice versa. The same development is seen in Old Georgian ჟილვანი (žilvani) → ჟინვალი (žinvali)).

In all forms of the term the root is *ქრცხილ- (krcxil-) (or later *კრცხილ- (ḳrcxil-)), suffixed with -ოვანი (-ovani, “having certain characteristics or qualities”), where ო (o) is lost due to phonetic contraction. Old Georgian ქრცხილა (krcxila) (modern რცხილა (rcxila, “hornbeam”)) was the name of a certain type of an endemic tree (of genus Carpinus) commonly found in this region. Thus, the literal meaning of the toponym can be viewed as "the land of hornbeams".

• IPA^(key): /tsxinvɑli/
• Hyphenation: ცხინ‧ვა‧ლი

ცხინვალი • (cxinvali)

1. Tskhinvali

• Armenian: Ցխինվալ (Cʿxinval)
• English: Tskhinvali
• Ossetian: Цхинвал (Cxinval)
• Russian: Цхинвал (Cxinval), Цхинвали (Cxinvali)