Mingrelian

Mingrelian (მარგალური ნინა)

Mingrelian is a South Caucasian language spoken in north-western Georgia by
perhaps half a million people. The language, which is also known as Megrelian
or Iverian, is spoken in the region of Samegrelo (Mingrelia) in Western Georgia
and in the Republic of Abkhazia. It is closely related to Laz, and more
distantly related to Svan and Georgian, though it is not mutually intelligible
with any of these languages. The native name for the language is
მარგალური ნინა
or margaluri nina.

Mingrelian has no offical status and is used mainly in families and in
informal situations, while Georgian, which is spoken by most Mingrelians,
is used elsewhere. The Georgian alphabet is used to write Mingrelian and
there is no written standard.

Mingrelian was first written in the late 19th century mainly in
ethnographic literature. A number of Mingrelian newspapers appeared
during the 1930s, and some dictionaries and collections of poetry
have been published since then.

Mingrelian pronunciation

Mingrelian pronunciation

Sample text in Mingrelian

აჟამ ჟიუშთი დო ჟინუა ნჟილაგარიში არიკი ართი ქევანას ცხოვრენც აჟამ ჟიუშთი დო მაჟირას ჟინუა ნჟილაგარი. ათე ჟინუა ნჟილაგარი ორე თინერი კოჩი, მუდგას მეჩანს კოცნი მუში სიცოხლეს ვეუაფე თინა ქაატუას, ოკო გინაგაფუას. აჟამ ჟიუშთი ორე თინერი – მუთუნს ვემეჩანს კოცს. ქეშეხვადეს თენენქ ართიანს.

Transliteration

aǯam ǯiušti do ǯinua nǯilagariši ariḳi
arti kevanas cxovrenc aǯam ǯiušti do mažiras ǯinua
nǯilagari. ate ǯinua nǯilagari ore tineri ḳoči, mudgas
mečans ḳocni muši sicoxles ve՚uape tina kāṭuas,
oḳo ginagapuas. aǯam ǯiušti ore tineri – mutuns vemečans
ḳocs. kešexvades tenenk artians.

German translation

Das Märchen von Aǯam Ǯiušti und Ǯinua Nǯilagari.
In einem Land lebten A. Ǯ. und in einem anderen Ǯ. N. Dieser Ǯinua war
ein solcher Mann, was er einem Mann gibt, in seinem [ganzen] Leben wird es nicht vorkommen,
dass er ihn das [umsonst] behalten läßt, er muß ihn dafür zahlen
lassen Aǯam Ǯiušti war ein solcher (Mann): Nichts gibt er einem Manne
zurück. Sie trafen einander.

From: The Story of Ajam Jushti and Jinua Njilagari
http://titus.fkidg1.uni-frankfurt.de/texte/caucasica/mingrel/adscham.htm

Links

Information about the Mingrelian language
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mingrelian_language
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megrelian_grammar
http://project.sol.lu.se/megrelian/megrelia/

Megrelian-Georgian Dictionary
http://titus.uni-frankfurt.de/texte/etca/cauc/megr/kajaia/kajai.htm

Megrelian Poetry collection
http://www.lakada.blog.com

Mengrelian Music
http://samegrelo.geguchadze.com

  • Categoria dell'articolo:Lingue
  • Tempo di lettura:3 minuti di lettura