THE HOUSEHOLD AND CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF GEORGIANS

(according to Svan and Adjariananthroponymy and ethnographic vocabulary)

Authors

  • Davit Shavianidze Doctor of History, Associate Professor, Akaki Tsereteli State University

Keywords:

surname, the second hereditary name of the family, ethnographic vocabulary, faith life, cultural life, laws of language, family speech, sub-ethnicity

Abstract

We bring up for discussion issuess follows: 1. The results of studying onomastic material found in the historical-ethnographic regions of Georgia, such as Adjara and Svaneti; 2. Several terms concerning to the studied material, found during the research on surnames and hereditary names of surnames, toponyms, reflecting the household, cultural and religious details of Georgians existing in general Kartvelian dialects of communities and regions. The attempt of the Ottomans and Russians was to use the centuries-old surname telling the great socio-cultural history in order to change the established, time-tested, traditional way of life, the protection of which was guaranteed by this most important part of anthroponymy. The conquerors never achieved their goals. The names of people confirming the relations of Georgians with representatives of Caucasian and other ethnic groups are a means of studying the ethnic-cultural, socio-political history of the country. The primary source for the study of the Georgian social and cultural life is the common name of the brotherhood in Svaneti - "Kavi". Hereditary family names ("Ali-oglus", "Alaverd-oglus", "Ialam-oglus", "Shalikoglus", "Kadir-oglus", "Bidz-oglus", "Dari-oglus", "Mokhdilis", "Agatakhums", "Kobos"), anthropotoponyms (GobianKhidi, GudadziAkho, Kamajoghlebi, Lomsanidze, Dartsikana, Memishoglebi, Kukharti, RamazanGhele); Names of places explained in Turkish (Trubelughi, TunoBichegi, KuchugAraz, HajiogliYurdi); Toponyms denoting religious-cult and Georgian ethnic-cultural existence, relief (church and back of the church, Nafuzari and side of Nafuzari, LasharaGori, NakhizNavi, Shua Tem-ari, Akvanasseri, KalisSakazmavi (women’s decoration), Saghoria, Darchidzi Kana, GhamisSatevi (night lodging), Satsikhvela, (Tsikvilis Kari (mill doo), Nabeglavi, Nakaloeb and Gzabatsara, NadaburiGza, NadaburiTsveri) is a kind of carpet reflecting the cultural-historical and linguistic development of the respective era of the nation, thrown over a certain place, section of the land.
The terms describing the faith defining the life ("khelisgakhsna” (opening of the hand), "begara", "mogipso", "tavi” (head) “tvali” (eye), "rigdeba", "begara", "momapsebeli"...) tell us about the Georgian mentality about how the natives formed lexical units in accordance with the laws of their state-literary, native language, preserved and saved by the Adjarians and Svans.

Published

2023-12-31