Reconstruction:Proto-Kartvelian/za-

This Proto-Kartvelian 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-Kartvelian

Etymology

The full form is only found in Svan. In Georgian and Zan languages it appears in compounds, such as Proto-Georgian-Zan *za-mt-ar- (“winter”) and Proto-Georgian-Zan *za-px-ul- (“summer”). According to Klimov (1998), Proto-Kartvelian speakers divided the year into two basic seasons.

Root

*za-

1. year
2. season

Derived terms

• ⇒ Proto-Georgian-Zan: *za-mt-ar- (“winter”)
  • Old Georgian: ზამთარი (zamtari)
    • Georgian: ზამთარი (zamtari)
  • Zan:
    • Mingrelian: ზოთონჯი (zotonǯi)
• ⇒ Proto-Georgian-Zan: *za-px-ul- (“summer”)
  • Old Georgian: ზაფხული (zapxuli)
    • Georgian: ზაფხული (zapxuli)
• ⇒? Proto-Kartvelian: *za-max- (“New Year”)
  • Proto-Georgian-Zan:
    • Zan:
      • >? Mingrelian: *ზომხა (*zomxa)
        • → Svan: ზომხა (zomxa)
  • >? Svan: ზა̈ჲმახე (zäymaxe), ზა̈მა̈ხე (zämäxe), ზაჲმახე (zaymaxe), ზა̈ჲმა̈ხე (zäymäxe)

Descendants

• Svan: ზა̈ჲ (zäy, “year”), ზა̈უ̂ (zäû, “this year”), ლჷზა̈ჲ (ləzäy, “of this year”)

References

• Klimov, G. A. (1998) Etymological Dictionary of the Kartvelian Languages (Trends in linguistics. Documentation; 16), New York, Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, page 56
• Fähnrich, Heinz, Sarǯvelaʒe, Zurab (2000) Kartvelur enata eṭimologiuri leksiḳoni [Etymological Dictionary of the Kartvelian Languages] (in Georgian), 2nd edition, Tbilisi: University Press, pages 206–207
• Fähnrich, Heinz (2007) Kartwelisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch [Kartvelian Etymological Dictionary] (Handbuch der Orientalistik; VIII.18) (in German), Leiden, Boston: Brill, page 166