Mingrelian grammar
Mingrelian is a Kartvelian language that is mainly spoken in the Western Georgian regions Samegrelo and Abkhazia. In Abkhazia the number of Mingrelian speakers declined dramatically in the 1990s as a result of heavy ethnic cleansing of ethnic Georgians, the overwhelming majority of which were Mingrelians.
Mingrelian has two dialects: Zugdidi-Samurzaqano (northwestern) and Senaki-Martvili (southeastern). The dialects are extremely close to each other.
Grammatical cases[]
Mingrelian has nine grammatical cases. For pluralization the suffix -ep is used, which is inserted between stem and case marker.
Case | Singular | Plural | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mingrelian | Laz | Georgian | Svan | Mingrelian | Laz | Georgian | Svan | ||
nominative | -i | -i/-e | -i | -i | -ep-i | -ep-e | -eb-i | -är | |
ergative | -k | -k | -ma | -d | -ep-k | -epe-k | -eb-ma | -är-d | |
dative | -s | -s | -s | -s | -ep-s | -epe-s | -eb-s | -är-s | |
genitive | -iš | -iš | -is | -iš | -ep-iš | -epe-š | -eb-is | -are-š | |
lative | -iša | -iša | n/a | n/a | -ep-iša | -epe-ša | n/a | n/a | |
ablative | -iše | -iše | n/a | n/a | -ep-iše | -epe-še | n/a | n/a | |
instrumental | -it | -ite | -it | -šw | -ep-it | -epe-te | -eb-it | -är-šw | |
adverbial | -o(t) | -ot | -ad | -d | -ep-o(t) | n/a | -eb-ad | -är-d | |
benefactive | -išo(t) | n/a | -isad | -išd | -ep-išo(t) | n/a | -eb-isad | -är-išd |
Nouns[]
Mingrelian shares a noun classification scheme with other Kartvelian languages and classifies objects as:
- 'Intelligent' entities (question mi? "who?")
- 'Non-intelligent' entities (question mu? "what?)
Noun classification scheme[]
Concrete | Abstract | ||
Animate | Inanimate | ||
Human and "human-like" beings (e.g. God, deities, angels) | Animals | Inanimate physical entities | Abstract objects |
Intelligent | Non-Intelligent | ||
mi? ("who?") | mu? ("what?") |
Noun declension[]
Declension of noun stem ḳoč ("man") in comparison to corresponding Laz ḳoč (id.), Georgian ḳac (id.) and Svan č'äš (husband) forms:
Case | Singular | Plural | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mingrelian | Laz | Georgian | Svan | Mingrelian | Laz | Georgian | Svan | ||
Nominative | ḳoč-i | ḳoč-i | ḳac-i | č'äš | ḳoč-ep-i | ḳoč-ep-e | ḳac-eb-i | č'äš-är | |
Ergative | ḳoč-k | ḳoč-i-k | ḳac-ma | č'äš-d | ḳoč-ep-k | ḳoč-epe-k | ḳac-eb-ma | č'äš-är-d | |
Dative | ḳoč-s | ḳoč-i-s | ḳac-s | č'äš-s | ḳoč-ep-s | ḳoč-epe-s | ḳac-eb-s | č'äš-är-s | |
Genitive | ḳoč-iš | ḳoč-iš | ḳac-is | č'äš-iš | ḳoč-ep-iš | ḳoč-epe-š | ḳac-eb-is | č'äš-är-iš | |
Lative | ḳoč-iša | ḳoč-iša | n/a | n/a | ḳoč-ep-iša | ḳoč-epe-ša | n/a | n/a | |
Ablative | ḳoč-iše | ḳoč-iše | n/a | n/a | ḳoč-ep-iše | ḳoč-epe-še | n/a | n/a | |
Instrumental | ḳoč-it | ḳoč-ite | ḳac-it | č'äš-šw | ḳoč-ep-it | ḳoč-epe-te | ḳac-eb-it | č'äš-är-šw | |
Adverbial | ḳoč-o | n/a | ḳac-ad | č'äš-d | ḳoč-ep-o | n/a | ḳac-eb-ad | č'äš-är-d | |
Benefactive | ḳoč-išo | n/a | ḳac-isad | č'äš-išd | ḳoč-ep-išo | n/a | ḳac-eb-isad | č'äš-är-išd |
Adjectives[]
Adjectives in Mingrelian are declined like nouns.
Example of adjective declension[]
Declension of stem ǯveš ("old") in comparison to corresponding Laz (mǯveš), Georgian (ʒvel) and Svan (ǯwinel) forms:
Case | Singular | Plural | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mingrelian | Laz | Georgian | Svan | Mingrelian | Laz | Georgian | Svan | ||
Nominative | ǯveš-i | mǯveš-i | ʒvel-i | ǯwinel | ǯveš-ep-i | mǯveš-ep-e | ʒvel-eb-i | ǯwinel-är | |
Ergative | ǯveš-k | mǯveš-i-k | ʒvel-ma | ǯwinel-d | ǯveš-ep-k | mǯveš-epe-k | ʒvel-eb-ma | ǯwinel-är-d | |
Dative | ǯveš-s | mǯveš-i-s | ʒvel-s | ǯwinel-s | ǯveš-ep-s | mǯveš-epe-s | ʒvel-eb-s | ǯwinel-är-s | |
Genitive | ǯveš-iš | mǯveš-iš | ʒvel-is | ǯwinl-iš | ǯveš-ep-iš | mǯveš-epe-š | ʒvel-eb-is | ǯwinel-är-iš | |
Lative | ǯveš-iša | mǯveš-iša | n/a | n/a | ǯveš-ep-iša | mǯveš-epe-ša | n/a | n/a | |
Ablative | ǯveš-iše | mǯveš-iše | n/a | n/a | ǯveš-ep-iše | mǯveš-epe-še | n/a | n/a | |
Instrumental | ǯveš-it | mǯveš-ite | ʒvel-it | ǯwinel-šw | ǯveš-ep-it | mǯveš-epe-te | ʒvel-eb-it | ǯwinel-är-šw | |
Adverbial | ǯveš-o | mǯveš-ot | ʒvel-ad | ǯwinel-d | ǯveš-ep-o | n/a | ʒvel-eb-ad | ǯwinel-är-d | |
Benefactive | ǯveš-išo | n/a | ʒvel-isad | ǯwinel-išd | ǯveš-ep-išo | n/a | ʒvel-eb-isad | ǯwinel-är-išd |
Numerals[]
The Mingrelian numerals are almost identical to Laz with minor phonetic differences. The number system is vigesimal like in Georgian.
Cardinal numbers[]
Most of the Mingrelian cardinal numbers are inherited from Proto-Kartvelian language, except arti (one) and eči (twenty), which are considered as a Karto-Zan heritage, since there are no regular equivalents in Svan.
Mingrelian | Laz | Georgian | Svan | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | arti | ar(t) | erti | ešxu |
2 | žiri/žəri | žur/ǯur | ori | yori |
3 | sumi | sum | sami | semi |
4 | otxi | otxo | otxi | oštxw |
5 | xuti | xut | xuti | woxušd |
6 | amšvi | anši | ekvsi | usgwa |
7 | škviti | škvit | švidi | išgwid |
8 | ruo/bruo | ovro | rva | ara |
9 | čxoro | čxoro | cxra | čxara |
10 | viti | vit | ati | ešd |
11 | vitaarti | vitoar | tertmeṭi | ešdešxu |
12 | vitožiri | vitožur | tormeṭi | ešdori |
13 | vitosumi | vitosum | cameṭi | ešdsemi |
14 | vitaantxi | vitotxo | totxmeṭi | ešdoštx |
15 | vitoxuti | vitoxut | txutmeṭi | ešdoxušd |
20 | eči | eči | oci | yerwešd |
21 | ečdoarti | ečdoar | ocdaerti | yerwešdiešxu |
30 | ečdoviti | ečdovit | ocdaati | semešd |
40 | žaarneči | žurneči | ormoci | woštxuešd |
50 | žaarnečidoviti | žurnečdovit | ormocdaati | woxušdešd |
60 | sumoneči | sumeneči | samoci | usgwašd |
70 | sumonečdoviti | sumenečidovit | samocdaati | išgvidašd |
80 | otxoneči | otxoneči | otxmoci | arašd |
90 | otxonečdovit | otxonečidovit | otxmocdaati | chxarašd |
100 | oši | oši | asi | ašir |
101 | ošarti | oši do ar | aserti | ašir i ešxu |
102 | ošžiri | oši do žur | asori | ašir i yori |
110 | ošviti | oši do vit | asati | ašir i ešd |
200 | žiroši | žuroši | orasi | yorašir |
500 | xutoši | xutoši | xutasi | woxušdaršir |
1000 | antasi | šilya/vitoši | atasi | atas |
1999 | antas čxoroš
otxonečdovitočxoro |
šilya čxoroš
otxonečdoviṭočxoro |
atas cxraas
otxmocdacxrameṭi |
atas čxara ašir
chxarašd chxara |
2000 | žiri antasi | žuršilya | ori atasi | yori atas |
10000 | viti antasi | vit šilya | ati atasi | ešd atas |
Ordinal numbers[]
In Mingrelian the circumfix ma-...-a produces ordinal numbers, which is a Common-Kartvelian heritage, since it has regular phonetical equivalents in Svan and Georgian (me-...-e in both)
Mingrelian | Laz | Georgian | Svan |
---|---|---|---|
ma-NUMBER-a | ma-NUMBER-a(ni) | me-NUMBER-e | me-NUMBER-e |
Mingrelian | Laz | Georgian | Svan | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1st | ṗirveli | maartani | ṗirveli | manḳwi |
2nd | mažira | mažura | meore | merme |
3rd | masuma | masuma | mesame | meseme |
4th | maotxa/mantxa | maotxa | meotxe | meuštxwe |
5th | maxuta | maxuta | mexute | meuxušde |
6th | maamšva | maanša | meekvse | meusgwe |
7th | maškvita | maškvita | mešvide | meyšgwide |
8th | maruo | maovra | merve | meare |
9th | mačxora | mačxora | mecxre | meyčxre |
10th | mavita | mavita | meate | meyšde |
11th | mavitaarta | mavitoarta | metertmeṭe | meyšdešxue |
12th | mavitožira | mavitožura | metormeṭe | meyšdore |
20th | maeča | maeča | meoce | meyerwešde |
21st | ečdomaarta | ečdomaarta | ocdameerte | |
30th | ečdomavita | ečdomavita | ocdameate | mesemešde |
100th | maoša | maoša | mease | meašire |
101st | ošmaarta | ošmaarta | asmeerte | |
102nd | ošmažira | ošmažura | asmeore | |
110th | ošmavita | ošmavita | asmeate | |
200th | mažiroša | mažuroša | meorase | meyorašire |
500th | maxutoša | maxutoša | mexutase | meuxušdašire |
1000th | maantasa | mavitoša | meatase | meatase |
Fractional numbers[]
The fractional numbers derivation rule in Mingrelian is akin to Old Georgian and Svan.
Mingrelian/Laz | Georgian | Svan | |
---|---|---|---|
Old | New | ||
na-NUMBER-al/or | na-NUMBER-al | me-NUMBER-ed | na-NUMBER-al/ul |
Mingrelian/Laz | Georgian | Svan | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Old | New | |||
whole | teli (m)
mteli (l) |
mrteli | mteli | tel |
half | gverdi | naxevari | naxevari | xənsga |
1/3 | nasumori | nasamali | mesamedi | nasemal |
1/4 | naotxali (m-l)
naantxali (m) |
naotxali | meotxedi | naoštxul |
1/5 | naxutali | naxutali | mexutedi | naxušdal |
1/6 | naamšvali (m)
naanšali (l) |
naekvsali | meekvsedi | nausgwul |
1/7 | naškvitali | našvidali | mešvidedi | nayšgwidal |
1/8 | naruali (m)
naovrali (l) |
narvali | mervedi | naaral |
1/9 | načxorali | nacxrali | mecxredi | načxaral |
1/10 | navitali | naatali | meatedi | naešdal |
1/11 | navitaartali (m)
navitoartali (l) |
natertmeṭali | metertmeṭedi | naešdešxul |
1/12 | navitožirali (m)
navitožurali (l) |
natormeṭali | metormeṭedi | naešdoral |
1/20 | naečali | naocali | meocedi | nayerwešdal |
1/100 | naošali | naasali | measedi | naaširal |
1/1000 | naantasali (m)
navitošali (l) |
naatasali | meatasedi | naatasal |
Pronouns[]
Personal pronouns[]
Mingrelian | Laz | Georgian | |
---|---|---|---|
I | ma | ma | me |
You (sing.) | si | si | šen |
That (close to speaker) | ena | aya | es |
This | ina | ia | is |
We | čki/čkə | čki | čven |
You (pl.) | tkva | tkvan | tkven |
Those | (t)inepi | entepe | isini |
These | (t)enepi | antepe | eseni |
Possessive pronouns[]
Mingrelian | Laz | Georgian | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1st person | singular | čkimi/čkəmi | čkimi | čemi |
plural | čkini/čkəni | čkini | čveni | |
2nd person | singular | skani | skani | šeni |
plural | tkvani | tkvani | tkveni | |
3rd person | singular | muši | muši | misi |
plural | inepiš | mutepeši | mati |
Verbs[]
The Mingrelian verb has the categories of person, number, version, tense, mood, aspect, voice, and verbal focus.
Personality and number[]
In Mingrelian the verbs can be monovalent, bivalent or trivalent. This feature is also shared with other Kartvelian languages.
- Monovalent verbs are represented only by subjective person and are always intransitive.
- Bivalent verbs together with subject have also one object (direct or indirect). They are:
- transitive in the case of direct object
- intransitive if the object is indirect
- Trivalent verbs have one subject and always both, direct and indirect objects and are ditransitive.
Table of verb personality[]
Unipersonal | Bipersonal | Tripersonal | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
intransitive | transitive | intransitive | ditransitive | |
Subject | + | + | + | + |
Direct Object | + | + | ||
Indirect Object | + | + |
The person may be singular or plural.
Subject and object markers in Mingrelian are roughly the same as in Laz.
Subject markers[]
Singular | Plural | |
---|---|---|
S1 | v- | v-...-t |
S2 | ∅- | ∅-...-t |
S3 | ∅-...-∅/-s/-u | ∅-...-an/-es |
Object markers[]
Singular | Plural | |
---|---|---|
O1 | m- | m-...-an/-es/-t |
O2 | g- | g-...-an/-es/-t |
O3 | ∅- | ∅-...-an/-es |
In pre-consonant position the markers v- and g- may change phonetically:
- v- → b- (in Zugdidi-Samurzaqano dialect)
- g- → r- (in both dialects)
Version[]
In Mingrelian there are four types of version marking like in other Kartvelian languages:
- subjective - shows that the action is intended for oneself,
- objective - action is intended for another person,
- objective-passive - the action is intended for another person and at the same time indicating the passiveness of subject,
- neutral - neutral with respect to intention.
Version | Mingrelian | Laz | Georgian | Svan |
---|---|---|---|---|
Subjective | -i- | -i- | -i- | -i- |
Objective | -u- | -u- | -u- | -o- |
Objective-passive | -a- | -a- | -e- | -e- |
Neutral | -o-/-a | -o- | -a- | -a- |
Tenses[]
In total there are 20 screeves in Mingrelian. They are grouped in four series.
I series | ||
---|---|---|
Screeve | Stem: č'ar- "to write" | Translation |
present | č'aruns | s/he writes |
imperfect | č'arundu | s/he was writing |
imperfective optative | č'arundas | s/he were writing |
imperfective conditional | č'arundu-ḳon | if s/he were writing |
future imperfect | č'arundas
iʔuapu(n)/iʔii(n) |
s/he will be writing |
conditional of future imperfect in the past | č'arundu-ḳon
iʔuapudu/iʔiidu |
if she were writing |
future | doč'aruns | s/he will write |
future in the past | doč'arundu | s/he would write |
future optative | doč'arundas | |
II series | ||
aorist | č'aru | s/he wrote |
aorist optative | č'aras | should s/he write |
aorist conditional | č'aru-ḳon | if s/he wrote |
III series | ||
inferential I | uč'aru(n) | (it seems) s/he has written |
inferential II | uč'arudu | (it seems) s/he had written |
inferential optative I | uč'arudas | may s/he have written |
inferential conditional II | uč'arudu-ḳon | if s/he have written |
IV series | ||
inferential III | noč'arue(n) | (it seems) s/he has written |
inferential IV | noč'aruedu | (it seems) s/he had written |
inferential optative III | noč'aruedas | may s/he have written |
Inferential conditional IV | noč'aruedu-ḳon | if s/he have written |
Mood[]
Indicative
Indicative statement claims that the proposition should be taken as an apparent fact.
Interrogative
There are two ways to express interrogative mood:
- with interrogative words, e.g. mi? (who?), mu? (what?), so? (where?), mužams? (when?), muč'o? (how?) etc. This rule is shared with other Kartvelian languages.
- by attaching an interrogative particle -o to the end of a verb. Cf. the interrogative particles in Laz -i, Old Georgian -a and Svan -ma/-mo/-mu.
Imperative
Indicates a command or request. The aorist form is used when addressing 2nd person (singular/plural) and aorist optative in all other cases.
Subjunctive
Expresses possibility, wish, desire. The subjunctive mood in Mingrelian is provided by optative screeves.
Conditional
Indicates condition in contrary to a fact. It is produced by adding a verbal suffix -ḳo(ni) to the end of a verb.
Aspect[]
In Mingrelian the verbs may have two aspects depending on the completeness of action (perfective aspect) or the lack of it (imperfective aspect). The perfective aspect is derived by adding a preverb to the verb.
In 2nd, 3rd, 4th series the verbs equally have both aspect forms, while in the 1st series the screeves are distributed between two aspects.
Imperfective Aspect | ||
---|---|---|
Screeve | Stem: č'ar- "to write" | Translation |
present | č'aruns | s/he writes |
imperfect | č'arundu | s/he was writing |
imperfective optative | č'arundas | s/he were writing |
imperfective conditional | č'arundu-ḳon | if s/he were writing |
future imperfect | č'arundas
iʔuapu(n)/iʔii(n) |
s/he will be writing |
conditional of future imperfect in the past | č'arundu ḳon
iʔuapudu/iʔiidu |
if she were writing |
Perfective Aspect | ||
future | doč'aruns | s/he will write |
future in the past | doč'arundu | s/he would write |
future optative | doč'arundas |
References[]
- Chikobava, Arn. (1936). Grammatical analysis of Laz with texts (in Georgian). Tiflis.
- Chikobava, Arn. (1938). Chan-Megrel-Georgian Comparative Dictionary (in Georgian). Tbilisi.
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- Kajaia, O. (2001–2002). Megrelian-Georgian dictionary. 3 Vols. (in Georgian). Tbilisi.
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- Klimov, G. (1964). Etymological Dictionary of the Kartvelian Languages (in Russian). Moscow.
- Klimov, G. (1998a). Etymological Dictionary of the Kartvelian Languages. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
- Klimov, G. (1998b). Languages of the World: Caucasian languages (in Russian). Moscow: Academia.
- Marr [Марръ], N. [Н.] (1910). Грамматика ̔чанскаго (лазскаго) языка съ хрестоматіею и словаремъ [Grammar of Chan (Laz) with chrestomathy and dictionary (in Russian)]. St. Petersburg.
- Qipshidze, I. (1914). The Grammar of Megrelian (Iver) Language with reader and dictionary. St. Petersburg.. (in Russian and Mingrelian)
- Shanidze, A. (1973). Essentials of Georgian Grammar (in Georgian). Tbilisi.
- Topuria, V. & Kaldani, M. (2000). Svan Dictionary (in Georgian). Tbilisi.
- Mingrelian language
- Kartvelian grammars