Kartvelian languages facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kartvelian |
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|---|---|
| ქართველური | |
| Geographic distribution: |
Western Trans-Caucasus, Northeast Anatolia |
| Linguistic classification: | One of the world's primary language families |
| Proto-language: | Proto-Kartvelian |
| Subdivisions: |
Svan
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| ISO 639-5: | ccs |
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The Kartvelian languages are a language family. They are spoken mainly in Georgia. The most widely spoken language in this family is Georgian. There are two main groups of Kartvelian languages: the Karto-Zan languages and the Svan language. About 5.2 million people speak Kartvelian languages around the world.
Contents
What are Kartvelian Languages?
Kartvelian languages are a group of languages that are related to each other. This means they all came from an older language called Proto-Kartvelian. Think of it like a family tree, where the older language is the "grandparent" and the newer languages are the "children" and "grandchildren."
Where are they spoken?
Most Kartvelian languages are spoken in the country of Georgia. Georgia is located in the Caucasus region, which is between Europe and Asia. Some speakers also live in parts of Turkey and other countries, often because their families moved there.
How many people speak them?
Around 5.2 million people speak Kartvelian languages. Most of these speakers use Georgian, which is the official language of Georgia.
Main Kartvelian Languages
The Kartvelian language family has four main languages that are spoken today.
Georgian Language
Georgian is the most widely spoken Kartvelian language. It is the official language of Georgia. About 4 million people speak Georgian. It has its own special writing system called the Georgian alphabet. This alphabet looks very different from the English alphabet!
Svan Language
The Svan language is spoken by the Svan people in the mountainous Svaneti region of northwestern Georgia. It is an older language in the Kartvelian family and has some unique features. There are about 35,000 to 40,000 Svan speakers.
Karto-Zan Languages
The Karto-Zan branch includes two languages: Mingrelian and Laz.
Mingrelian Language
Mingrelian is spoken mainly in the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region of western Georgia. It is closely related to Laz. There are about 300,000 to 500,000 Mingrelian speakers.
Laz Language
Laz is spoken by the Laz people along the Black Sea coast in northeastern Turkey and a small part of southwestern Georgia. There are about 30,000 to 50,000 Laz speakers.
Unique Features
Kartvelian languages have some interesting features that make them stand out.
Unique Alphabet
Georgian, the main Kartvelian language, uses its own unique alphabet. It's called Mkhedruli. This alphabet has been used for centuries and is a big part of Georgian culture.
Sounds and Grammar
These languages have some special sounds that might be hard for English speakers to pronounce at first. Their grammar can also be quite complex, with many ways to change words to show different meanings.
History of Kartvelian Languages
The Kartvelian languages have a long history. They are believed to have developed from a single ancient language, Proto-Kartvelian, thousands of years ago. Over time, as groups of people moved and lived in different areas, their language slowly changed, leading to the different Kartvelian languages we know today.
See also
In Spanish: Lenguas kartvelianas para niños
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