Mingrelian grammar

Mingrelian is a Kartvelian language that is mainly spoken in the Western Georgian regions Samegrelo and Abkhazia. In Abkhazia the number of Mingrelian speakers declined dramatically in the 1990s as a result of heavy ethnic cleansing of ethnic Georgians, the overwhelming majority of which were Mingrelians.

Mingrelian has two dialects: Zugdidi-Samurzakano (northwestern) and Senaki-Martvili (southeastern). The dialects are extremely close to each other.

Grammatical cases

Mingrelian has nine grammatical cases. For pluralization the suffix -ep is used, which is inserted between stem and case marker.

Case	Singular					Plural
	Mingrelian	Laz	Georgian	Svan		Mingrelian	Laz	Georgian	Svan
nominative	-i	-i/-e	-i	-i		-ep-i	-ep-e	-eb-i	-är
ergative	-k	-k	-ma/m	-d		-ep-k	-epe-k	-eb-ma	-är-d
dative	-s	-s	-s	-s		-ep-s	-epe-s	-eb-s	-är-s
genitive	-iş	-iş	-is	-iš		-ep-iş	-epe-ş	-eb-is	-are-š
lative	-işa	-işa	n/a	n/a		-ep-işa	-epe-şa	n/a	n/a
ablative	-işe	-işe	n/a	n/a		-ep-işe	-epe-şe	n/a	n/a
instrumental	-it	-ite	-it	-šw		-ep-it	-epe-te	-eb-it	-är-šw
adverbial	-o(t)	-ot	-ad	-d		-ep-o(t)	n/a	-eb-ad	-är-d
benefactive	-işo(t)	n/a	-istvis	-išd		-ep-işo(t)	n/a	-eb-istvis	-är-išd

Nouns

Mingrelian shares a noun classification scheme with other Kartvelian languages and classifies objects as:

• 'Intelligent' entities (question mi? "who?")
• 'Non-intelligent' entities (question mu? "what?)

Noun classification scheme

Concrete			Abstract
Animate		Inanimate
Human and "human-like" beings (e.g. God, deities, angels)	Animals	Inanimate physical entities	Abstract objects
Intelligent	Non-Intelligent
mi? ("who?")	mu? ("what?")

Noun declension

Declension of noun stem ǩoç ("man") in comparison to corresponding Laz ǩoç (id.), Georgian ḳac (id.) and Svan č'äš (husband) forms:

Case	Singular					Plural
	Mingrelian	Laz	Georgian	Svan		Mingrelian	Laz	Georgian	Svan
Nominative	ǩoç-i	ǩoç-i	ḳac-i	č'äš		ǩoç-ep-i	ǩoç-ep-e	ḳac-eb-i	č'äš-är
Ergative	ǩoç-k	ǩoç-i-k	ḳac-ma	č'äš-d		ǩoç-ep-k	ǩoç-epe-k	ḳac-eb-ma	č'äš-är-d
Dative	ǩoç-s	ǩoç-i-s	ḳac-s	č'äš-s		ǩoç-ep-s	ǩoç-epe-s	ḳac-eb-s	č'äš-är-s
Genitive	ǩoç-iş	ǩoç-iş	ḳac-is	č'äš-iš		ǩoç-ep-iş	ǩoç-epe-ş	ḳac-eb-is	č'äš-är-iš
Lative	ǩoş-işa	ǩoç-işa	n/a	n/a		ǩoç-ep-işa	ǩoç-epe-şa	n/a	n/a
Ablative	ǩoç-işe	ǩoç-işe	n/a	n/a		ǩoç-ep-işe	ǩoç-epe-şe	n/a	n/a
Instrumental	ǩoç-it	ǩoç-ite	ḳac-it	č'äš-šw		ǩoç-ep-it	ǩoç-epe-te	ḳac-eb-it	č'äš-är-šw
Adverbial	ǩoç-o	n/a	ḳac-ad	č'äš-d		ǩoç-ep-o	n/a	ḳac-eb-ad	č'äš-är-d
Benefactive	ǩoç-išo	n/a	ḳac-istvis	č'äš-išd		ǩoç-ep-işo	n/a	ḳac-eb-istvis	č'äš-är-išd

Adjectives

Adjectives in Mingrelian are declined like nouns.

Example of adjective declension

Declension of stem ǯveş ("old") in comparison to corresponding Laz (mǯveş), Georgian (ʒvel) and Svan (ǯwinel) forms:

Case	Singular					Plural
	Mingrelian	Laz	Georgian	Svan		Mingrelian	Laz	Georgian	Svan
Nominative	ǯveş-i	mǯveş-i	ʒvel-i	ǯwinel		ǯveş-ep-i	mǯveş-ep-e	ʒvel-eb-i	ǯwinel-är
Ergative	ǯveş-k	mǯveş-i-k	ʒvel-ma	ǯwinel-d		ǯveş-ep-k	mǯveş-epe-k	ʒvel-eb-ma	ǯwinel-är-d
Dative	ǯveş-s	mǯveş-i-s	ʒvel-s	ǯwinel-s		ǯveş-ep-s	mǯveş-epe-s	ʒvel-eb-s	ǯwinel-är-s
Genitive	ǯveş-iş	mǯveş-iş	ʒvel-is	ǯwinl-iš		ǯveş-ep-iş	mǯveş-epe-ş	ʒvel-eb-is	ǯwinel-är-iš
Lative	ǯveş-işa	mǯveş-işa	n/a	n/a		ǯveş-ep-işa	mǯveş-epe-şa	n/a	n/a
Ablative	ǯveş-işe	mǯveş-işe	n/a	n/a		ǯveş-ep-işe	mǯveş-epe-şe	n/a	n/a
Instrumental	ǯveş-it	mǯveş-ite	ʒvel-it	ǯwinel-šw		ǯveş-ep-it	mǯveş-epe-te	ʒvel-eb-it	ǯwinel-är-šw
Adverbial	ǯveş-o	mǯveş-ot	ʒvel-ad	ǯwinel-d		ǯveş-ep-o	n/a	ʒvel-eb-ad	ǯwinel-är-d
Benefactive	ǯveş-işo	n/a	ʒvel-istvis	ǯwinel-išd		ǯveş-ep-işo	n/a	ʒvel-eb-istvis	ǯwinel-är-išd

Numerals

The Mingrelian numerals are almost identical to Laz with minor phonetic differences. The number system is vigesimal 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' table

	Mingrelian	Laz	Georgian	Svan
1	arti	ar(t)	erti	ešxu
2	zhiri/zhƨri	zhur/jur	ori	yori
3	sumi	sum	sami	semi
4	otxi	otxo	otxi	woštxw
5	xuti	xut	xuti	woxušd
6	amşvi	anşi	ekvsi	usgwa
7	şkviti	şkvit	švidi	išgwid
8	bruo/ruo	ovro	rva	ara
9	çxoro	çxoro	cxra	čxara
10	viti	vit	ati	yešd
11	vitaarti	vitoar	tertmeṭi	ešdešxu
12	vitozhiri	vitojur	tormeṭi	ešdori
13	vitosumi	vitosum	cameṭi	ešdsemi
14	vitaantxi	vitotxo	totxmeṭi	ešdoštx
15	vitoxuti	vitoxut	txutmeṭi	ešdoxušd
20	eçi	eçi	oci	yerwešd
21	eçdoarti	eçdoar	ocdaerti	yerwešdiešxu
30	eçdoviti	eçdovit	ocdaati	semešd
40	zhaarneçi	jurneçi	ormoci	woštxuešd
50	zhaarneçidoviti	jurneçdovit	ormocdaati	woxušdešd
60	sumoneçi	sumeneçi	samoci	usgwašd
70	sumoneçdoviti	sumeneçidovit	samocdaati	išgvidašd
80	otxoneçi	otxoneçi	otxmoci	arašd
90	otxoneçdovit	otxoneçidovit	otxmocdaati	chxarašd
100	oşi	oşi	asi	ašir
101	oşarti	oşi do ar	aserti	ašir i ešxu
102	oşzhiri	oşi do jur	asori	ašir i yori
110	oşviti	oşi do vit	asati	ašir i ešd
200	zhiroşi	juroşi	orasi	yorašir
500	xutoşi	xutoşi	xutasi	woxušdaršir
1000	antasi	şilya/vitoşi	atasi	atas
1999	antas çxoroş otxoneçdovitoçxoro	şilya çxoroş otxoneçdoviťoçxoro	atas cxraas otxmocdacxrameṭi	atas čxara ašir chxarašd chxara
2000	zhiri antasi	jurşilya	ori atasi	yori atas
10000	viti antasi	vit şilya	ati atasi	ešd atas

Ordinal numbers

In Mingrelian the circumfix ma-...-a produces ordinal numbers, which is a Common-Kartvelian heritage, since it has regular phonetical equivalents in Svan and Georgian (me-...-e in both)

Ordinal numbers' derivation rule

Mingrelian	Laz	Georgian	Svan
ma-NUMBER-a	ma-NUMBER-a(ni)	me-NUMBER-e	me-NUMBER-e

Ordinal number's table

	Mingrelian	Laz	Georgian	Svan
1st	p̌irveli	maartani	ṗirveli	manḳwi
2nd	mazhira	majura	meore	merme
3rd	masuma	masuma	mesame	meseme
4th	maotxa/mantxa	maotxa	meotxe	meuštxwe
5th	maxuta	maxuta	mexute	meuxušde
6th	maamşva	maanşa	meekvse	meusgwe
7th	maşkvita	maşkvita	mešvide	meyšgwide
8th	maruo	maovra	merve	meare
9th	maçxora	maçxora	mecxre	meyčxre
10th	mavita	mavita	meate	meyšde
11th	mavitaarta	mavitoarta	metertmeṭe	meyšdešxue
12th	mavitozhira	mavitojura	metormeṭe	meyšdore
20th	maeça	maeça	meoce	meyerwešde
21st	eçdomaarta	eçdomaarta	ocdameerte
30th	eçdomavita	eçdomavita	ocdameate	mesemešde
100th	maoşa	maoşa	mease	meašire
101st	oşmaarta	oşmaarta	asmeerte
102nd	oşmazhira	oşmazhura	asmeore
110th	oşmavita	oşmavita	asmeate
200th	mazhiroşa	majuroşa	meorase	meyorašire
500th	maxutoşa	maxutoşa	mexutase	meuxušdašire
1000th	maantasa	mavitoşa	meatase	meatase

Fractional numbers

The fractional numbers derivation rule in Mingrelian is akin to Old Georgian and Svan.

Fractional numbers' derivation rule

Mingrelian/Laz	Georgian		Svan
	Old	New
na-NUMBER-al/or	na-NUMBER-al	me-NUMBER-ed	na-NUMBER-al/ul

Fractional numbers' table

	Mingrelian/Laz	Georgian		Svan
		Old	New
whole	teli (m) mteli (l)	mrteli	mteli	tel
half	gverdi	naxevari	naxevari	xənsga
1/3	nasumori	nasamali	mesamedi	nasemal
1/4	naotxali (m–l) naantxali (m)	naotxali	meotxedi	naoštxul
1/5	naxutali	naxutali	mexutedi	naxušdal
1/6	naamşvali (m) naanşali (l)	naekvsali	meekvsedi	nausgwul
1/7	naşkvitali	našvidali	mešvidedi	nayšgwidal
1/8	naruali (m) naovrali (l)	narvali	mervedi	naaral
1/9	naçxorali	nacxrali	mecxredi	načxaral
1/10	navitali	naatali	meatedi	naešdal
1/11	navitaartali (m) navitoartali (l)	natertmeṭali	metertmeṭedi	naešdešxul
1/12	navitozhirali (m) navitojurali (l)	natormeṭali	metormeṭedi	naešdoral
1/20	naeçali	naocali	meocedi	nayerwešdal
1/100	naoşali	naasali	measedi	naaširal
1/1000	naantasali (m) navitoşali (l)	naatasali	meatasedi	naatasal

Pronouns

Personal pronouns

	Mingrelian	Laz	Georgian	Svan
I	ma	ma	me	mi
You (sing.)	si	si	šen	si
That	ena	aya	is	ala
This	ina	ia	es	eǯa
We	çki/çkƨ	çki	čven	näy
You (pl.)	tkva	tkvan	tkven	sgäy
Those	(t)inepi	entepe	isini	eǯyär
These	(t)enepi	antepe	eseni	alyär

Possessive pronouns

		Mingrelian	Laz	Georgian	Svan
1st person	singular	çkimi/çkƨmi	çkimi	čemi	mišgu
	plural	çkini/çkƨni	çkini	čveni	gwišgwey
2nd person	singular	skani	skani	šeni	isgu
	plural	tkvani	tkvani	tkveni	isgwey
3rd person	singular	muşi	muşi	misi	miča
	plural	inepiş	mutepeşi	mati	mine

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 like in other Kartvelian languages:

• 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

Mood

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. This rule is shared with other Kartvelian languages.
• by attaching an interrogative particle -o to the end of a verb. Cf. the interrogative particles in Laz -i, Old Georgian -a and Svan -ma/-mo/-mu.

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
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 iʔuapudu/iʔiidu	if s/he were writing
Perfective Aspect
future	doç̌aruns	s/he will write
future in the past	doç̌arundu	s/he would write
future optative	doç̌arundas

References

• Chikobava, Arn. (1936). Grammatical analysis of Laz with texts (in Georgian). Tiflis.
• Chikobava, Arn. (1938). Chan-Megrel-Georgian Comparative Dictionary (in Georgian). Tbilisi.
• Fähnrich, H. & Sardzhveladze, Z. (2000). Etymological Dictionary of the Kartvelian Languages (in Georgian). Tbilisi.
• Kajaia, O. (2001–2002). Megrelian-Georgian dictionary. 3 Vols. (in Georgian). Tbilisi.
• Kartozia, G. (2005). The Laz language and its place in the system of Kartvelian languages (in Georgian). Tbilisi.
• Klimov, G. (1964). Etymological Dictionary of the Kartvelian Languages (in Russian). Moscow.
• Klimov, G. (1998a). Etymological Dictionary of the Kartvelian Languages. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
• Klimov, G. (1998b). Languages of the World: Caucasian languages (in Russian). Moscow: Academia.
• Marr [Марръ], N. [Н.] (1910). Грамматика ̔чанскаго (лазскаго) языка съ хрестоматіею и словаремъ [Grammar of Chan (Laz) with chrestomathy and dictionary (in Russian)]. St. Petersburg.
• Qipshidze, I. (1914). The Grammar of Megrelian (Iver) Language with reader and dictionary. St. Petersburg.. (in Russian and Mingrelian)
• Shanidze, A. (1973). Essentials of Georgian Grammar (in Georgian). Tbilisi.
• Topuria, V. & Kaldani, M. (2000). Svan Dictionary (in Georgian). Tbilisi.