Proto-Kartvelian language

Proto-Kartvelian
Reconstruction ofKartvelian languages
EraUntil c. 2000 BC
Lower-order reconstructions

The Proto-Kartvelian language, or Common Kartvelian (Georgian: წინარექართველური ენა, romanized: ts'inarekartveluri ena, Georgian: პროტოქართველური ენა, romanized: p'rot'okartveluri 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. 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).

Dating

The split of Proto-Kartvelian into Svan and Proto-Georgian-Zan is usually estimated to have occurred around 2000 BC. However, a 2023 study using Bayesian linguistic phylogenetics found a mean split date of 7641 BP (5691 BC), in the Early Copper Age.

Influences

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. 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'.[better source needed]

Relation to descendants

The modern descendants of Proto-Kartvelian are Georgian, Svan, Mingrelian and Laz. These form two primary branches, with Svan constituting one primary branch and Karto-Zan forming the other. This latter is further subdivided into Georgian on one hand and the Zan languages (Mingrelian and Laz) on the other. 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.

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).

Phonology

Vowels

Proto-Kartvelian vowels
Front Back
unrounded rounded
shortlong shortlong shortlong
Close (*i [i]) (*u [u])
Open-mid *e [ɛ] *ē [ɛː] *o [ɔ] *ō [ɔː]
Open *a [ɑ] *ā [ɑː]

Consonants

Proto-Kartvelian consonants
Labial Alveolar Retroflex Postalveolar Velar Uvular Glottal
plainsibilant centrallateral
Nasal *m [m] *n [n]
Plosive voiced *b [b] *d [d] *ʒ [d͡z] *ʒ₁ [d͡ʐ] *ǯ [d͡ʒ] *g [ɡ]
voiceless *p [p] *t [t] *c [t͡s] *c₁ [t͡ʂ] *č [t͡ʃ] *k [k] *q [q]
ejective *ṗ [pʼ] *ṭ [tʼ] *c̣ [t͡sʼ] *c̣₁ [t͡ʂʼ] *č̣ [t͡ʃʼ] *ɬʼ [t͡ɬʼ] *ḳ [kʼ] *q̇ [qʼ]
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 [qʼ] remains only in Svan language. This distinction also existed in Old Georgian.

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Britannica, 15th edition (1986): Macropedia, "Languages of the World", "Caucasian languages"
  2. ↑ Klimov (1998), p. VIII
  3. ↑ Fenwick, Rhona S. H. (2017). "An Indo-European Origin of Kartvelian Names for Two Maloid Fruits". Iran & the Caucasus. 21 (3). Brill: 310–323. ISSN 1609-8498.
  4. ↑ Gavashelishvili, Alexander; Chukhua, Merab; Sakhltkhutsishvili, Kakhi; Koptekin, Dilek; Somel, Mehmet (2023-11-30). "The time and place of origin of South Caucasian languages: insights into past human societies, ecosystems and human population genetics". Scientific Reports. 13 (1): 21133. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-45500-w. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 10689496. PMID 38036582.
  5. ↑ Gamkrelidze & Ivanov (1995), pp. 768, 774–776
  6. ↑ Gamkrelidze & Machavariani (1965)
  7. ↑ Klimov (1998), p. X
  8. ↑ Gamkrelidze (1966), p. 70, 73, 80
  9. ↑ Gamkrelidze (1966), p. 70
  10. 1 2 Fähnrich (2002), p. 5

References