Thomas Wier
@trwier.bsky.social
Linguist & Caucasologist • Professor at the Free University of Tbilisi • Research languages of the Caucasus, the Tonkawa language • Author of 'Tonkawa Texts' • Weekly Georgian Etymologies
Academic research: https://freeuni.academia.edu/ThomasWier
Academic research: https://freeuni.academia.edu/ThomasWier
Something similar probably happened to bazhe sauce, which gets its name metaphorically for the rich 'tax' or 'duty' used to make walnut paste with garlic, salt, vinegar, fenugreek, coriander, marigold and red pepper:
November 25, 2025 at 9:54 AM
Something similar probably happened to bazhe sauce, which gets its name metaphorically for the rich 'tax' or 'duty' used to make walnut paste with garlic, salt, vinegar, fenugreek, coriander, marigold and red pepper:
All scholars agree that the classic Georgian bazhe sauce, made from walnuts, garlic and vinegar, is in origin a Megrelian sauce, hailing from western Georgia. Despite its importance, it not attested until the 20th century -- it is not e.g. found in Barbare Jorjadze's 1874 famous cookbook.
November 25, 2025 at 9:45 AM
All scholars agree that the classic Georgian bazhe sauce, made from walnuts, garlic and vinegar, is in origin a Megrelian sauce, hailing from western Georgia. Despite its importance, it not attested until the 20th century -- it is not e.g. found in Barbare Jorjadze's 1874 famous cookbook.
Weekly Georgian Etymology: ბაჟე baže 'walnut sauce with garlic', from Megrelian ბაჟა baža, from Georgian ბაჟი baži toll, duty, tax, from Old Georgian ႡႠႯႨ baži, from Middle Persian bāǰ tax, from Old Persian 𐎲𐎠𐎪𐎶 tribute. It gets its name metaphorically from its enriched flavor.
November 25, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Weekly Georgian Etymology: ბაჟე baže 'walnut sauce with garlic', from Megrelian ბაჟა baža, from Georgian ბაჟი baži toll, duty, tax, from Old Georgian ႡႠႯႨ baži, from Middle Persian bāǰ tax, from Old Persian 𐎲𐎠𐎪𐎶 tribute. It gets its name metaphorically from its enriched flavor.
In Georgian cuisine, a ketsi is a commonplace part of meals for cooking and serving mushrooms, cheese, chicken and other kinds of stews. Here for example is the famous Shkmeruli dish, made from fried chicken in a bath of milk, garlic and other spices:
November 17, 2025 at 3:32 PM
In Georgian cuisine, a ketsi is a commonplace part of meals for cooking and serving mushrooms, cheese, chicken and other kinds of stews. Here for example is the famous Shkmeruli dish, made from fried chicken in a bath of milk, garlic and other spices:
Because the word is found in Svan with regular sound-reflexes, we can surely reconstruct it to Proto-Kartvelian. But even protolanguages borrowed words, and Nakh-Daghestanian broadly features this root across subfamilies, indicating its antiquity there:
November 17, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Because the word is found in Svan with regular sound-reflexes, we can surely reconstruct it to Proto-Kartvelian. But even protolanguages borrowed words, and Nakh-Daghestanian broadly features this root across subfamilies, indicating its antiquity there:
As this shows, the word could originally refer to a wide variety of clay-fired stoneware, still reflected in the Svan meaning:
Megrelian კიცი ḳici clay pan
Laz კიცი ḳici clay pan
Svan კეც ḳec wine amphora, kvevri
Zan *e regularly shifts to /i/ before coronal obstruents.
Megrelian კიცი ḳici clay pan
Laz კიცი ḳici clay pan
Svan კეც ḳec wine amphora, kvevri
Zan *e regularly shifts to /i/ before coronal obstruents.
November 17, 2025 at 11:16 AM
As this shows, the word could originally refer to a wide variety of clay-fired stoneware, still reflected in the Svan meaning:
Megrelian კიცი ḳici clay pan
Laz კიცი ḳici clay pan
Svan კეც ḳec wine amphora, kvevri
Zan *e regularly shifts to /i/ before coronal obstruents.
Megrelian კიცი ḳici clay pan
Laz კიცი ḳici clay pan
Svan კეც ḳec wine amphora, kvevri
Zan *e regularly shifts to /i/ before coronal obstruents.
Weekly Georgian Etymology: კეცი ḳeci 'ceramic pan', from Old Georgian ႩႤႺႨ ḳeci wine vessel, from Proto-Kartvelian *ḳec- ceramic vessel, loan from/into Nakh-Daghestanian *kɨ̄ṭV- vessel: cf. Chechen kad pot, Tsez ḳoṭi cup, Udi kot:o-war pan. Ancient pan-Caucasian Wanderwort.
November 17, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Weekly Georgian Etymology: კეცი ḳeci 'ceramic pan', from Old Georgian ႩႤႺႨ ḳeci wine vessel, from Proto-Kartvelian *ḳec- ceramic vessel, loan from/into Nakh-Daghestanian *kɨ̄ṭV- vessel: cf. Chechen kad pot, Tsez ḳoṭi cup, Udi kot:o-war pan. Ancient pan-Caucasian Wanderwort.
So this word ლეკვი leḳvi puppy ultimately is connected not only to more familiar words like English wolf, Latin lupus, and Russian волк, it is also indirectly related to the name of Georgia itself.
November 10, 2025 at 10:47 AM
So this word ლეკვი leḳvi puppy ultimately is connected not only to more familiar words like English wolf, Latin lupus, and Russian волк, it is also indirectly related to the name of Georgia itself.
Several Indo-European branches featured an L-initial form for wolf, including Hellenic, Italic and Paeonian, a poorly attested Paleo-Balkan language. So it may have been a feature of that region's IE languages. Other IE words often preserved the initial *w:
November 10, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Several Indo-European branches featured an L-initial form for wolf, including Hellenic, Italic and Paeonian, a poorly attested Paleo-Balkan language. So it may have been a feature of that region's IE languages. Other IE words often preserved the initial *w:
The word is in turn a loan from a late Indo-European form *lúkʷos, whose metathesis probably reflects some kind of taboo deformation: across languages, it is common for speakers to alter a taboo word for wild animals. Cf. Slavic медведь for bear, lit. 'honey-eater'.
November 10, 2025 at 10:14 AM
The word is in turn a loan from a late Indo-European form *lúkʷos, whose metathesis probably reflects some kind of taboo deformation: across languages, it is common for speakers to alter a taboo word for wild animals. Cf. Slavic медведь for bear, lit. 'honey-eater'.
Weekly Georgian Etymology: ლეკვი leḳvi 'puppy', from Old Georgian ႪႤႩႥႨ leḳvi, from Georgian-Zan *leḳw-, an ancient loan from Indo-European *lúkʷos, metathesis of *wĺ̥kʷos 'wolf': cf. Greek λύκος, Proto-Italic *lukʷos. It is thus cognate to English wolf and Latin lupus.
November 10, 2025 at 10:12 AM
Weekly Georgian Etymology: ლეკვი leḳvi 'puppy', from Old Georgian ႪႤႩႥႨ leḳvi, from Georgian-Zan *leḳw-, an ancient loan from Indo-European *lúkʷos, metathesis of *wĺ̥kʷos 'wolf': cf. Greek λύκος, Proto-Italic *lukʷos. It is thus cognate to English wolf and Latin lupus.
Weekly Georgian Etymology: ფოცხი pocxi 'rake', from Old Georgian ႴႭႺႾႨ pocxi rake, harrow, from Georgian-Zan *porcx-/*porcʲx- rake, broom, compound of Kartvelian *purcʲ- leaf and *cx- comb. Thus also related to ცოცხი cocxi broom and dialect forms like ფორჩხი porčxi rake.
November 5, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Weekly Georgian Etymology: ფოცხი pocxi 'rake', from Old Georgian ႴႭႺႾႨ pocxi rake, harrow, from Georgian-Zan *porcx-/*porcʲx- rake, broom, compound of Kartvelian *purcʲ- leaf and *cx- comb. Thus also related to ცოცხი cocxi broom and dialect forms like ფორჩხი porčxi rake.
So ultimately this word for a shape-shifting mythological creature comes from some form of verb of motion. In western Georgia, another name for such a creature is found: მგელკაცა mgelḳaca lit. 'wolf-man', probably a calque of Greek λυκάνθρωπος, whence English lycanthrope.
October 27, 2025 at 11:42 AM
So ultimately this word for a shape-shifting mythological creature comes from some form of verb of motion. In western Georgia, another name for such a creature is found: მგელკაცა mgelḳaca lit. 'wolf-man', probably a calque of Greek λυκάνθρωπος, whence English lycanthrope.
In later times, in the verse epic about King Teimuraz written by King Archil of Kakheti in 1684, we see this word used as a metaphor for the psychological loss of control:
October 27, 2025 at 11:40 AM
In later times, in the verse epic about King Teimuraz written by King Archil of Kakheti in 1684, we see this word used as a metaphor for the psychological loss of control:
Weekly Georgian Etymology: მაქცია makcia 'werewolf', from Old Georgian ႫႠႵႺႨႠ makcia shape-shifting monster, agent noun of Kartvelian *kecʲ- turn, behave, run, possible loan from/into Nakh-Daghestanian *ḳān[c̣]V- run, jump, or Altaic *kăči pass. An old part of Georgian folklore since the Middle Ages.
October 27, 2025 at 11:39 AM
Weekly Georgian Etymology: მაქცია makcia 'werewolf', from Old Georgian ႫႠႵႺႨႠ makcia shape-shifting monster, agent noun of Kartvelian *kecʲ- turn, behave, run, possible loan from/into Nakh-Daghestanian *ḳān[c̣]V- run, jump, or Altaic *kăči pass. An old part of Georgian folklore since the Middle Ages.
Weekly Georgian Etymology: საბანი sabani 'blanket', from Middle Georgian, from Greek σάβανον linen cloth or towel, from Coptic ⲥⲁⲃⲟⲛ sabon cloth, from Egyptian 𓋴𓃀𓈖 seben bandage for wrapping mummies, perhaps reflecting Afro-Asiatic *sVp- weave, sew.
October 20, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Weekly Georgian Etymology: საბანი sabani 'blanket', from Middle Georgian, from Greek σάβανον linen cloth or towel, from Coptic ⲥⲁⲃⲟⲛ sabon cloth, from Egyptian 𓋴𓃀𓈖 seben bandage for wrapping mummies, perhaps reflecting Afro-Asiatic *sVp- weave, sew.
But when did Kartvelian languages come into contact with Akkadian? Akkadian had already become a trade language in eastern Anatolia by the late 3rd mill. BCE, and ceased to be spoken there after the Fall of Assyria. Probably the word spread through trade and diplomatic networks such as these:
October 15, 2025 at 12:34 PM
But when did Kartvelian languages come into contact with Akkadian? Akkadian had already become a trade language in eastern Anatolia by the late 3rd mill. BCE, and ceased to be spoken there after the Fall of Assyria. Probably the word spread through trade and diplomatic networks such as these:
Weekly Georgian Etymology: ნისლი nisli 'fog, mist', from Old Georgian ႬႨႱႪႨ nisli, from Georgian-Zan *nisɬ- fog, metathesis of Akkadian 𒈾𒀊𒋗 nalšum dew, deverbal noun of 𒈾𒆷𒀀𒋗 nalāšum fall as dew. Across languages, 'fog' words are often related to other weather phenomena.
October 15, 2025 at 10:38 AM
Weekly Georgian Etymology: ნისლი nisli 'fog, mist', from Old Georgian ႬႨႱႪႨ nisli, from Georgian-Zan *nisɬ- fog, metathesis of Akkadian 𒈾𒀊𒋗 nalšum dew, deverbal noun of 𒈾𒆷𒀀𒋗 nalāšum fall as dew. Across languages, 'fog' words are often related to other weather phenomena.
In both Greek and Mesopotamian art, the κάλαθος and the 𒄭𒆷𒌅 ḫallatum became metaphors for prosperity, which is the origin of our modern notion of the cornucopia. Here for example is King Ashurbanipal of Assyria holding aloft a basket representing wealth:
September 29, 2025 at 6:24 PM
In both Greek and Mesopotamian art, the κάλαθος and the 𒄭𒆷𒌅 ḫallatum became metaphors for prosperity, which is the origin of our modern notion of the cornucopia. Here for example is King Ashurbanipal of Assyria holding aloft a basket representing wealth:
In Greek the word is fairly old; it is already attested in the 5th century BCE play 'The Birds' by Aristophanes, but has no agreed upon origin; Beekes suggests it is 'pre-Greek'. A more plausible alternative is Akkadian 𒄭𒆷𒌅 ḫallatum, a kind of basket used to ship goods.
September 29, 2025 at 6:23 PM
In Greek the word is fairly old; it is already attested in the 5th century BCE play 'The Birds' by Aristophanes, but has no agreed upon origin; Beekes suggests it is 'pre-Greek'. A more plausible alternative is Akkadian 𒄭𒆷𒌅 ḫallatum, a kind of basket used to ship goods.
The Old Georgian word is in turn a late Byzantine borrowing from Greek κάλαθος, which probably referred to a specific type of basket with 'top hat' and a narrow base. Though few/no wicker originals survive, we see them depicted on ancient Greek pottery for storing wool:
September 29, 2025 at 6:22 PM
The Old Georgian word is in turn a late Byzantine borrowing from Greek κάλαθος, which probably referred to a specific type of basket with 'top hat' and a narrow base. Though few/no wicker originals survive, we see them depicted on ancient Greek pottery for storing wool:
Weekly Georgian Etymology: კალათა ḳalata 'basket', from late Old Georgian ႩႠႪႠႧႨ ḳalati, from Greek κάλαθος basket, probably from Akkadian 𒄭𒆷𒌅 ḫallatum basket for transporting goods, from Sumerian 𒂁𒄬 hal pot, basket.
September 29, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Weekly Georgian Etymology: კალათა ḳalata 'basket', from late Old Georgian ႩႠႪႠႧႨ ḳalati, from Greek κάλαθος basket, probably from Akkadian 𒄭𒆷𒌅 ḫallatum basket for transporting goods, from Sumerian 𒂁𒄬 hal pot, basket.
Why is this? That is because while humans cannot eat chaff, animals often can, and they are regularly used as fodder in animal husbandry. These practices began to spread to Central Asia and India some time in the 4th millennium BCE, and perhaps took with them their vocabulary:
September 22, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Why is this? That is because while humans cannot eat chaff, animals often can, and they are regularly used as fodder in animal husbandry. These practices began to spread to Central Asia and India some time in the 4th millennium BCE, and perhaps took with them their vocabulary:
The most likely answer is not the innovation of agriculture/animal husbandry in Mesopotamia and the Caucasus, since here economic practices had developed long before reconstructible protolanguages came into being. Instead, it was probably the *spread* of such practices to Central Asia.
September 22, 2025 at 11:36 AM
The most likely answer is not the innovation of agriculture/animal husbandry in Mesopotamia and the Caucasus, since here economic practices had developed long before reconstructible protolanguages came into being. Instead, it was probably the *spread* of such practices to Central Asia.
So it seems likely that a root that looked something like *tVb-/*tVp/*tVv- referring to the processing of grains into edible seed parts and inedible husks spread anciently over a region from Mesopotamia perhaps even all the way to East Asia. But what triggered this spread?
September 22, 2025 at 11:35 AM
So it seems likely that a root that looked something like *tVb-/*tVp/*tVv- referring to the processing of grains into edible seed parts and inedible husks spread anciently over a region from Mesopotamia perhaps even all the way to East Asia. But what triggered this spread?