Reconstruction:Proto-Georgian-Zan/ǯinč̣wel-

This Proto-Georgian-Zan entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Georgian-Zan

Etymology

Note that Old Georgian ჯინჭველი (ǯinč̣veli) is much closer to the protoform than Modern Georgian ჭიანჭველა (č̣ianč̣vela), which is modelled after ჭია (č̣ia, “worm”) and appears to be contaminated by it. However, the original root *ǯinč̣wel- is partially preserved in some dialectal words, such as ჯინჭველაჲ (ǯinč̣velay) (in Gurian dialect) and ბუნჭველი (bunč̣veli).

The Mingrelian forms seem to continue the protoform *ǯič̣ḳ-, which is similar to the original root, but appears to be reduplicated and subsequently augmented with the diminutive suffix -ია (-ia).

Finally, in Laz *ǯ > d in initial position. The substitution of -ელ (-el) for -უ (-u) is also attested.

Noun

*ǯinč̣wel-

1. ant

Descendants

• Old Georgian: ჯინჭველი (ǯinč̣veli), ჯინჭუელი (ǯinč̣ueli)
  • Georgian: ჭიანჭველა (č̣ianč̣vela), (Gurian dialect) ჯინჭველაჲ (ǯinč̣velay), ბუნჭველი (bunč̣veli)
• Zan
  • Laz: დიმჭკუ (dimç̌ǩu) დუმჭკუ (dumç̌ǩu)
  • ⇒ Mingrelian: ჭკიჭკიტია (č̣ḳič̣ḳiṭia), ჯგიჯგიტია (ǯgiǯgiṭia)

References

• Klimov, G. A. (1998) Etymological Dictionary of the Kartvelian Languages (Trends in linguistics. Documentation; 16), New York, Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, page 344, attemps to further connect the highly-irregular Svan მჷრშკ (məršḳ)
• Fähnrich, Heinz, Sarǯvelaʒe, Zurab (2000) Kartvelur enata eṭimologiuri leksiḳoni [Etymological Dictionary of the Kartvelian Languages] (in Georgian), 2nd edition, Tbilisi: University Press, pages 727–728
• Fähnrich, Heinz (2007) Kartwelisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch [Kartvelian Etymological Dictionary] (Handbuch der Orientalistik; VIII.18) (in German), Leiden, Boston: Brill, page 716