Mingrelian is a Kartvelian language from the Caucasus. Like other languages in the area, it contains a large number of grammatical cases and shows ergative alignment. Mingrelian is mostly agglutinative in terms of morphological inflection, although it has no grammatical gender or noun classes, unlike neighbouring Caucasian languages from the Nakh-Dagestanian family. Mingrelian verbs index numerous tense-aspect-moods, with traces of evidentiality indexation.
Mingrelian has two dialects: Zugdidi-Samurzakano (northwestern) and Senaki-Martvili (southeastern).
Grammatical cases Mingrelian has nine grammatical cases, which are indexed in all nominals. Unlike neighboring Nakh-Dagestanian languages, Mingrelian verbs show no case markings. Grammatical case endings are the same for nouns and adjectives, both in the singular and the plural, unlike many Indo-European languages such as Latin or Polish. Mingrelian case morphemes are shown below.
CaseMingrelian nominative -ი -i ergative -ქ -k dative -ს -s locative -ს -s genitive -იშ -iş /iʃ/ lative -იშა -işa /iʃa/ ablative -იშე -işe /iʃe/ instrumental -ით -it adverbial -ო(თ) -o(t) benefactive -იშო(თ) -işo(t) /iʃot/
Nominals Mingrelian nouns and adjectives occur in singular and plural forms.
Example of noun declension Example of the declension of noun stem კოჩ- (ǩoç- “man”) in singular and plural forms.
Case/Number SingularPluralMkhedruliRomanizedIPAMkhedruliRomanizedIPA Nominative კოჩიǩoç-i/ kʼɔtʃʰi /კოჩეფი ǩoç-ep-i / kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰi / Ergative კოჩქǩoç-k/ kʼɔtʃʰkʰ /კოჩეფქ ǩoç-ep-k/ kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰkʰ / Dative კოჩსǩoç-s/ kʼɔtʃʰs /კოჩეფს ǩoç-ep-s/ kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰs / Genitive კოჩიშǩoç-iş/ kʼɔtʃʰiʃ /კოჩეფიშ ǩoç-ep-iş/ kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰiʃ / Lative კოჩიშაǩoş-işa/ kʼɔtʃʰiʃa /კოჩეფიშა ǩoç-ep-işa/ kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰiʃa / Ablative კოჩიშეǩoç-işe/ kʼɔtʃʰiʃɛ /კოჩეფიშე ǩoç-ep-işe/ kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰiʃɛ / Instrumental კოჩითǩoç-it/ kʼɔtʃʰit /კოჩეფით ǩoç-ep-it/ kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰit / Adverbial კოჩოǩoç-o/ kʼɔtʃʰɔ /კოჩეფო ǩoç-ep-o/ kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰɔ / Benefactive კოჩიშოǩoç-išo/ kʼɔtʃʰiʃɔ /კოჩეფიშო ǩoç-ep-işo/ kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰiʃɔ /
Example of adjective declension Declension of stem ჯვეშ- (ǯveş- “old”) in singular and plural forms.
CaseSingularPluralMkhedruliRomanizationIPAMkhedruliRomanization Nominativeჯვეში ǯveş-i/ dʒveʃi /ჯვეშეფი ǯveş-ep-i Ergativeჯვეშქ ǯveş-k/ dʒveʃk /ჯვეშეფქ ǯveş-ep-k Dativeჯვეშს ǯveş-s/ dʒveʃs /ჯვეშეფს ǯveş-ep-s Genitiveჯვეშიშ ǯveş-iş/ dʒveʃiʃ /ჯვეშეფიშ ǯveş-ep-iş Lativeჯვეშიშა ǯveş-işa/ dʒveʃiʃa /ჯვეშეფიშა ǯveş-ep-işa Ablativeჯვეშიშე ǯveş-işe/ dʒveʃiʃe /ჯვეშეფიშე ǯveş-ep-işe Instrumentalჯვეშით ǯveş-it/ dʒveʃit /ჯვეშეფით ǯveş-ep-it Adverbialჯვეშო ǯveş-o/ dʒveʃo /ჯვეშეფო ǯveş-ep-o Benefactiveჯვეშიშო ǯveş-işo / dʒveʃiʃo /ჯვეშეფიშო ǯveş-ep-işo
Comparison with other Kartvelian languages Example of the declension of noun stem კოჩ- (ǩoç- “man”) in comparison to corresponding Laz კოჩ- (ǩoç-), Georgian კაც- (kʼats-) and Svan č'äš (“husband”) forms. Note that Laz does not index adverbial and benefactive cases through suffixes, neither do Georgian nor Svan index the lative or ablative. Case SingularPlural Mingrelian Laz Georgian SvanMingrelian Laz Georgian Svan Nominative კოჩი ǩoçi ǩoçi kʼatsi č'äšკოჩეფი ǩoçepi ǩoçepe kʼatsebi č'äšär Ergative კოჩქ ǩoçk ǩoçik kʼatsma č'äšdკოჩეფქ ǩoçepk ǩoçepek kʼatsebma č'äšärd Dative კოჩს ǩoçs ǩoçis kʼatss č'äšsკოჩეფს ǩoçeps ǩoçepes kʼatsebs č'äšärs Genitive კოჩიშ ǩoçiş ǩoçiş kʼatsis č'äšišკოჩეფიშ ǩoçepiş ǩoçepeş kʼatsebis č'äšäriš Lative კოჩიშა ǩoşişa ǩoçişa - -კოჩეფიშა ǩoçepişa ǩoçepeşa Ablative კოჩიშე ǩoçişe ǩoçişeკოჩეფიშე ǩoçepişe ǩoçepeşe Instrumental კოჩით ǩoçit ǩoçite kʼatsit č'äššwკოჩეფით ǩoçepit ǩoçepete kʼatsebit č'äšäršw Adverbial კოჩო ǩoço kʼatsad č'äšdკოჩეფო ǩoçepo kʼatsebad č'äšärd Benefactive კოჩიშო ǩoçišo kʼatsistvis č'äšišdკოჩეფიშო ǩoçepişo kʼatsebistvis č'äšärišd
Traces of noun classification Mingrelian has traces of a noun classification system that distinguishes animacy semantically along the lines of human-like or un-human-like. ConcreteAbstractAnimateInanimateHuman and "human-like" beings (e.g. God, deities, angels)AnimalsInanimate physical entitiesAbstract objectsHuman-likeUn-human-likemi? ("who?")mu? ("what?")
Pronouns
Personal pronouns (nominative) Iმა ma You (sing.)სი si Weჩქი/ჩქჷ çki/çkə You (pl.)თქვა tkva
Demonstrative pronouns (nominative) SingularPlural This inaThese(t)enepi That enaThose(t)inepi
Possessive pronouns 1st person singularჩქიმი/ჩქჷმი çkimi/çkəmi pluralჩქინი/ჩქჷნი çkini/çkəni 2nd person singularსქანი skani pluralთქვანი tkvani 3rd person singularმუში muşi pluralინეფიშ inepiş
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 ∅-...-na/-es
Object markers
Singular Plural O1 m- m-...-na/-es/-t O2 g- g-...-na/-es/-t O3 ∅- ∅-...-na/-es
In pre-consonant position the markers v- and g- may change phonetically: v- → b- (in Zugdidi-Samurzakano dialect) g- → r- (in both dialects)
Version
In Mingrelian there are four types of version marking: 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 markers 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. + Verb screeves (sample conjugation) I series Screeve Stem: ç̌ar- "to write" Translation present ç̌aruns s/he writes imperfect ç̌arundu s/he was writing imperfective optative ç̌arundas s/he were writing imperfective conditional ç̌arundu-ǩon if s/he were writing future imperfect ç̌arundas iʔuapu(n)/iʔii(n) s/he will be writing conditional of future imperfect in the past ç̌arundu-ǩon iɣuapudu/iɣiidu if s/he were writing future doç̌aruns s/he will write future in the past doç̌arundu s/he would write future optative doç̌arundas II series aorist ç̌aru s/he wrote aorist optative ç̌aras should s/he write aorist conditional ç̌aru-ǩon if s/he wrote III series inferential I uç̌aru(n) (it seems) s/he has written inferential II uç̌arudu (it seems) s/he had written inferential optative I uç̌arudas may s/he have written inferential conditional II uç̌arudu-ǩon if s/he have written IV series inferential III noç̌arue(n) (it seems) s/he has written inferential IV noç̌aruedu (it seems) s/he had written inferential optative III noç̌aruedas may s/he have written Inferential conditional IV noç̌aruedu-ǩon if s/he have written
Moods
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?), muzhams? (when?), muç̌o? (how?) etc. by attaching an interrogative particle -o to the end of a verb.
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 -ǩo(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.
+ Aspect distribution in the 1st series Imperfective Aspect ScreeveStem: ჭარ- ç̌ar- "to write" Translation presentჭარუნს ç̌aruns s/he writes imperfectჭარუნდუ ç̌arundu s/he was writing imperfective optativeჭარუნდას ç̌arundas s/he were writing imperfective conditionalჭარუნდუ კონ ç̌arundu ǩon if s/he were writing future imperfectჭარუნდას იჸუაფუნ/იჸიიდუ ç̌arundas iʔuapu(n)/iʔii(n) s/he will be writing conditional of future imperfect in the past ç̌arundu ǩon iʔuapudu/iʔiidu if s/he were writing Perfective Aspect futureდოჭარუნს do-ç̌ar-uns s/he will write future in the pastდოჭარუნდუ do-ç̌arundu s/he would write future optativeდოჭარუნდას doç̌arundas
Lexicon
Kinship terms Mingrelian words for kinship reflect both generation and gender, although many words are derived. It has a mixed system of classificatory and descriptive system. Mingrelian kinship terms denote a large number of members of one's extended family as well as in-laws.
Nuclear family Nuclear familyHewitt, Brian George. "The Kinship-Lexicon of Georgian, Mingrelian and Abkhaz." Bedi Kartlisa Paris 39 (1981): 256-267. Motherდიდა dida Fatherმუმა mumaSisterდაda Brotherჯიმა djimaDaughterოსორისქუაosoriskuaSonბოშიboşiWifeოსურიosuriHusbandქომონჯიkomondji
Extended family Extended familyGrandmotherბებიbebiGrandfatherბაბუbabuAuntmaternalდეიდაdeidapaternalმამიდაmamidaUnclematernalბიძიაbižiapaternalNiece or Nephewbrother's childჯიმასქუაdjimaskuasister's childდასქუაdaskuaCousinaunt's childმამიდასქუაmamidaskuauncle's childბიძასქუაbižaskua
In-laws and step-family In-laws and Step family Mother-in-lawდიანთილი diantili Father-in-lawმუანთილი muantiliSon-in-lawგესინჯებულიgesindjebuliParents of your child's spouseზახალეფიzaxalefiSister-in-lawოხოლასქილიoxolaskili Brother-in-lawსინჯა sindjaStepmotherდიდაჸონირიdidaɔoneriStepfatherმუმაჸონირიmumaɔoneriStepchildსქუაჸონირიskuaɔoniri
Numerals Mingrelian numerals follow a vigesimal system (i.e. base 20), like in Georgian.
Cardinal numbers Most of the Mingrelian cardinal numbers are inherited from Proto-Kartvelian language, except arti (one) and eçi (twenty), which are considered as a Karto-Zan heritage, since there are no regular equivalents in Svan.
+ Cardinal numbers' tableMingrelian 1ართი arti 2ჟირი/ჟჷრი zhiri/zhəri 3სუმი sumi 4ოთხი otxi 5ხუთი xuti 6ამშვი amşvi 7შქვითი şkviti 8(ბ)რუო (b)ruo 9ჩხორო çxoro 10ვითი viti 11ვითაართი vitaarti 12ვითოჟირი vitozhiri 13ვითოსუმი vitosumi 14ვითაანთხი vitaantxi 15ვითოხუთი vitoxuti 20ეჩი eçi 21ეჩდოართი eçdoarti 30ეჩდოვითი eçdoviti 40ჟაარნეჩი zhaarneçi 50ჟაარნეჩიდოვიჩი zhaarneçidoviti 60სუმონეჩი sumoneçi 70სუმონეჩდოვითი sumoneçdoviti 80ოთხონეჩი otxoneçi 90ოთხონეჩდოვითი otxoneçdoviti 100ოში oşi 101ოშართი oşarti 102ოშჟირი oşzhiri 110ოშვითი oşviti 200ჟიროში zhiroşi 500ხუთოში xutoşi 1000ანთასი antasi 1999ანთას ჩხოროშ ოთხონეჩდოვითოჩხორო antas çxoroş otxoneçdovitoçxoro 2000ჟირი ანთასი zhiri antasi 10000ვითი ანთასი viti antasi
Ordinal numbers In Mingrelian, ordinal numbers are derived by the circumfix ma- -a, with the exception of the word for “first”, პირველი (p̌irveli), which is not derived from the word for “one” ართი arti.
+Ordinal ma-NUMBER-a