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Mingrelian grammar
Grammar of the Mingrelian language
Grammar of the Mingrelian language
Mingrelian is a Kartvelian language from the Caucasus. Like other languages in the area, it contains a large number of grammatical cases and shows ergative alignment. Mingrelian is mostly agglutinative in terms of morphological inflection, although it has no grammatical gender or noun classes, unlike neighbouring Caucasian languages from the Nakh-Dagestanian family. Mingrelian verbs index numerous tense-aspect-moods, with traces of evidentiality indexation.
Mingrelian has two dialects: Zugdidi-Samurzakano (northwestern) and Senaki-Martvili (southeastern).
Grammatical cases
Mingrelian has nine grammatical cases, which are indexed in all nominals. Unlike neighboring Nakh-Dagestanian languages, Mingrelian verbs show no case markings. Grammatical case endings are the same for nouns and adjectives, both in the singular and the plural, unlike many Indo-European languages such as Latin or Polish. Mingrelian case morphemes are shown below.
| Case | Mingrelian | nominative | ergative | dative | locative | genitive | lative | ablative | instrumental | adverbial | benefactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -ი | -i | ||||||||||
| -ქ | -k | ||||||||||
| -ს | -s | ||||||||||
| -ს | -s | ||||||||||
| -იშ | -iş /iʃ/ | ||||||||||
| -იშა | -işa /iʃa/ | ||||||||||
| -იშე | -işe /iʃe/ | ||||||||||
| -ით | -it | ||||||||||
| -ო(თ) | -o(t) | ||||||||||
| -იშო(თ) | -işo(t) /iʃot/ |
Nominals
Mingrelian nouns and adjectives occur in singular and plural forms.
Example of noun declension
Example of the declension of noun stem კოჩ- (ǩoç- “man”) in singular and plural forms.
| Case/Number | Singular | Plural | Nominative | Ergative | Dative | Genitive | Lative | Ablative | Instrumental | Adverbial | Benefactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Mkhedruli* | *Romanized* | IPA | *Mkhedruli* | *Romanized* | *IPA* | ||||||
| კოჩ**ი** | ǩoç-**i** | / kʼɔtʃʰi / | კოჩ**ეფი** | ǩoç-**ep-i** | / kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰi / | ||||||
| კოჩ**ქ** | ǩoç-**k** | / kʼɔtʃʰkʰ / | კოჩ**ეფქ** | ǩoç-**ep-k** | / kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰkʰ / | ||||||
| კოჩ**ს** | ǩoç-**s** | / kʼɔtʃʰs / | კოჩ**ეფს** | ǩoç-**ep-s** | / kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰs / | ||||||
| კოჩ**იშ** | ǩoç-**iş** | / kʼɔtʃʰiʃ / | კოჩ**ეფიშ** | ǩoç-**ep-iş** | / kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰiʃ / | ||||||
| კოჩ**იშა** | ǩoş-**işa** | / kʼɔtʃʰiʃa / | კოჩ**ეფიშა** | ǩoç-**ep-işa** | / kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰiʃa / | ||||||
| კოჩ**იშე** | ǩoç-**işe** | / kʼɔtʃʰiʃɛ / | კოჩ**ეფიშე** | ǩoç-**ep-işe** | / kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰiʃɛ / | ||||||
| კოჩ**ით** | ǩoç-**it** | / kʼɔtʃʰit / | კოჩ**ეფით** | ǩoç-**ep-it** | / kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰit / | ||||||
| კოჩ**ო** | ǩoç-**o** | / kʼɔtʃʰɔ / | კოჩ**ეფო** | ǩoç-**ep-o** | / kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰɔ / | ||||||
| კოჩ**იშო** | ǩoç-**išo** | / kʼɔtʃʰiʃɔ / | კოჩ**ეფიშო** | ǩoç-**ep-işo** | / kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰiʃɔ / |
Example of adjective declension
Declension of stem ჯვეშ- (ǯveş- “old”) in singular and plural forms.
| Case | Singular | Plural | Nominative | Ergative | Dative | Genitive | Lative | Ablative | Instrumental | Adverbial | Benefactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mkhedruli | Romanization | IPA | Mkhedruli | Romanization | |||||||
| ჯვეშ**ი** | ǯveş-**i** | / dʒveʃi / | ჯვეშ**ეფი** | ǯveş-**ep-i** | |||||||
| ჯვეშ**ქ** | ǯveş-**k** | / dʒveʃk / | ჯვეშ**ეფქ** | ǯveş-**ep-k** | |||||||
| ჯვეშ**ს** | ǯveş-**s** | / dʒveʃs / | ჯვეშ**ეფს** | ǯveş-**ep-s** | |||||||
| ჯვეშ**იშ** | ǯveş-**iş** | / dʒveʃiʃ / | ჯვეშ**ეფიშ** | ǯveş-**ep-iş** | |||||||
| ჯვეშ**იშა** | ǯveş-**işa** | / dʒveʃiʃa / | ჯვეშ**ეფიშა** | ǯveş-**ep-işa** | |||||||
| ჯვეშ**იშე** | ǯveş-**işe** | / dʒveʃiʃe / | ჯვეშ**ეფიშე** | ǯveş-**ep-işe** | |||||||
| ჯვეშ**ით** | ǯveş-**it** | / dʒveʃit / | ჯვეშ**ეფით** | ǯveş-**ep-it** | |||||||
| ჯვეშ**ო** | ǯveş-**o** | / dʒveʃo / | ჯვეშ**ეფო** | ǯveş-**ep-o** | |||||||
| ჯვეშ**იშო** | ǯveş-**işo** | / dʒveʃiʃo / | ჯვეშ**ეფიშო** | ǯveş-**ep-işo** |
Comparison with other Kartvelian languages
Example of the declension of noun stem კოჩ- (ǩoç- “man”) in comparison to corresponding Laz კოჩ- (ǩoç-), Georgian კაც- (kʼats-) and Svan č'äš (“husband”) forms. Note that Laz does not index adverbial and benefactive cases through suffixes, neither do Georgian nor Svan index the lative or ablative.
| Case | Singular | Plural | Mingrelian | Laz | Georgian | Svan | Mingrelian | Laz | Georgian | Svan | Nominative | Ergative | Dative | Genitive | Lative | Ablative | Instrumental | Adverbial | Benefactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| კოჩი | ǩoç**i** | *ǩoçi* | ''kʼats'''i''''' | *č'äš* | კოჩეფი | ǩoç**epi** | *ǩoçepe* | *kʼatsebi* | *č'äšär* | ||||||||||
| კოჩქ | ǩoç**k** | *ǩoçik* | ''kʼats'''ma''''' | *č'äšd* | კოჩეფქ | ǩoç**epk** | *ǩoçepek* | *kʼatsebma* | *č'äšärd* | ||||||||||
| კოჩს | ǩoç**s** | *ǩoçis* | ''kʼats'''s''''' | *č'äšs* | კოჩეფს | ǩoç**eps** | *ǩoçepes* | *kʼatsebs* | *č'äšärs* | ||||||||||
| კოჩიშ | ǩoç**iş** | *ǩoçiş* | ''kʼats'''is''''' | *č'äšiš* | კოჩეფიშ | ǩoç**epiş** | *ǩoçepeş* | *kʼatsebis* | *č'äšäriš* | ||||||||||
| კოჩიშა | ǩoş**işa** | *ǩoçişa* | *-* | *-* | კოჩეფიშა | ǩoç**epişa** | *ǩoçepeşa* | ||||||||||||
| კოჩიშე | ǩoç**işe** | *ǩoçişe* | კოჩეფიშე | ǩoç**epişe** | *ǩoçepeşe* | ||||||||||||||
| კოჩით | ǩoç**it** | *ǩoçite* | ''kʼats'''it''''' | *č'äššw* | კოჩეფით | ǩoç**epit** | *ǩoçepete* | *kʼatsebit* | *č'äšäršw* | ||||||||||
| კოჩო | ǩoç**o** | ''kʼats'''ad''''' | *č'äšd* | კოჩეფო | ǩoç**epo** | *kʼatsebad* | *č'äšärd* | ||||||||||||
| კოჩიშო | ǩoç**išo** | ''kʼats'''istvis''''' | *č'äšišd* | კოჩეფიშო | ǩoç**epişo** | *kʼatsebistvis* | *č'äšärišd* |
Traces of noun classification
Mingrelian has traces of a noun classification system that distinguishes animacy semantically along the lines of human-like or un-human-like.
| mi? ("who?") | mu? ("what?") |
|---|
Pronouns
Personal pronouns (nominative)
| *You (pl.)* | თქვა | tkva |
|---|
Demonstrative pronouns (nominative)
| *That* | ena | *Those* | (t)inepi |
|---|
Possessive pronouns
| 1st person | singular | plural | 2nd person | singular | plural | 3rd person | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ჩქიმი/ჩქჷმი | çkimi/çkəmi | |||||||
| ჩქინი/ჩქჷნი | çkini/çkəni | |||||||
| სქანი | skani | |||||||
| თქვანი | tkvani | |||||||
| მუში | muşi | |||||||
| ინეფიშ | inepiş |
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** | **S2** | **S3** | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| v- | v-...-t | ||||
| ∅- | ∅-...-t | ||||
| ∅-...-∅/-s/-u | ∅-...-na/-es |
Object markers
| **Singular** | **Plural** | **O1** | **O2** | **O3** | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| m- | m-...-na/-es/-t | ||||
| g- | g-...-na/-es/-t | ||||
| ∅- | ∅-...-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:
- 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** | **Mingrelian** | **Laz** | **Georgian** | **Svan** | *Subjective* | *Objective* | *Objective-passive* | *Neutral* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *-i-* | *-i-* | *-i-* | *-i-* | |||||
| *-u-* | *-u-* | *-u-* | *-o-* | |||||
| *-a-* | *-a-* | *-e-* | *-e-* | |||||
| *-o-/-a* | *-o-* | *-a-* | *-a-* |
Tenses
In total there are 20 screeves in Mingrelian. They are grouped in four series.
| **I series** | **Screeve** | *present* | *imperfect* | *imperfective optative* | *imperfective conditional* | *future imperfect* | *conditional of future imperfect in the past* | *future* | *future in the past* | *future optative* | **II series** | *aorist* | *aorist optative* | *aorist conditional* | **III series** | *inferential I* | *inferential II* | *inferential optative I* | *inferential conditional II* | **IV series** | *inferential III* | *inferential IV* | *inferential optative III* | *Inferential conditional IV* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Stem: ç̌ar- "to write"** | **Translation** | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| ç̌aruns | s/he writes | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| ç̌arundu | s/he was writing | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| ç̌arundas | s/he were writing | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| ç̌arundu-ǩon | if s/he were writing | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| ç̌arundas | s/he will be writing | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| ç̌arundu-ǩon | if s/he were writing | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| doç̌aruns | s/he will write | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| doç̌arundu | s/he would write | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| doç̌arundas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ç̌aru | s/he wrote | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| ç̌aras | should s/he write | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| ç̌aru-ǩon | if s/he wrote | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| uç̌aru(n) | (it seems) s/he has written | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| uç̌arudu | (it seems) s/he had written | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| uç̌arudas | may s/he have written | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| uç̌arudu-ǩon | if s/he have written | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| noç̌arue(n) | (it seems) s/he has written | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| noç̌aruedu | (it seems) s/he had written | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| noç̌aruedas | may s/he have written | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| noç̌aruedu-ǩon | if s/he have written |
Moods
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.
- by attaching an interrogative particle -o to the end of a verb.
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.
| *Imperfective Aspect* | **Screeve** | *present* | *imperfect* | *imperfective optative* | *imperfective conditional* | *future imperfect* | *conditional of future imperfect in the past* | *Perfective Aspect* | *future* | *future in the past* | *future optative* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Stem: ჭარ- *ç̌ar-* "to write"** | **Translation** | ||||||||||
| ჭარუნს | ç̌aruns | s/he writes | |||||||||
| ჭარუნდუ | ç̌arundu | s/he was writing | |||||||||
| ჭარუნდას | ç̌arundas | s/he were writing | |||||||||
| ჭარუნდუ კონ | ç̌arundu ǩon | if s/he were writing | |||||||||
| ჭარუნდას | ç̌arundas | s/he will be writing | |||||||||
| ç̌arundu ǩon | if s/he were writing | ||||||||||
| **დო**ჭარუნს | do-ç̌ar-uns | s/he will write | |||||||||
| **დო**ჭარუნდუ | do-ç̌arundu | s/he would write | |||||||||
| **დო**ჭარუნდას | doç̌arundas |
Lexicon
Kinship terms
Mingrelian words for kinship reflect both generation and gender, although many words are derived. It has a mixed system of classificatory and descriptive system. Mingrelian kinship terms denote a large number of members of one's extended family as well as in-laws.
Nuclear family
| Nuclear family | *Mother* | *Father* | *Sister* | *Brother* | *Daughter* | *Son* | *Wife* | *Husband* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| დიდა | dida | |||||||
| მუმა | muma | |||||||
| და | da | |||||||
| ჯიმა | djima | |||||||
| ოსორისქუა | osoriskua | |||||||
| ბოში | boşi | |||||||
| ოსური | osuri | |||||||
| ქომონჯი | komondji |
Extended family
| Extended family | *Grandmother* | *Grandfather* | *Aunt* | *maternal* | *paternal* | *Uncle* | *maternal* | *paternal* | *Niece or* | *brother's child* | *sister's child* | *Cousin* | *aunt's child* | *uncle's child* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ბები | bebi | |||||||||||||
| ბაბუ | babu | |||||||||||||
| დეიდა | deida | |||||||||||||
| მამიდა | mamida | |||||||||||||
| ბიძია | bižia | |||||||||||||
| ჯიმასქუა | djimaskua | |||||||||||||
| დასქუა | daskua | |||||||||||||
| მამიდასქუა | mamidaskua | |||||||||||||
| ბიძასქუა | bižaskua |
In-laws and step-family
| In-laws and Step family | *Mother-in-law* | *Father-in-law* | *Son-in-law* | *Parents of your child's spouse* | *Sister-in-law* | *Brother-in-law* | *Stepmother* | *Stepfather* | *Stepchild* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| დიანთილი | diantili | ||||||||
| მუანთილი | muantili | ||||||||
| გესინჯებული | gesindjebuli | ||||||||
| ზახალეფი | zaxalefi | ||||||||
| ოხოლასქილი | oxolaskili | ||||||||
| სინჯა | sindja | ||||||||
| დიდაჸონირი | didaɔoneri | ||||||||
| მუმაჸონირი | mumaɔoneri | ||||||||
| სქუაჸონირი | skuaɔoniri |
Numerals
Mingrelian numerals follow a vigesimal system (i.e. base 20), 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.
| Mingrelian |
|---|
| 1 |
| 2 |
| 3 |
| 4 |
| 5 |
| 6 |
| 7 |
| 8 |
| 9 |
| 10 |
| 11 |
| 12 |
| 13 |
| 14 |
| 15 |
| 20 |
| 21 |
| 30 |
| 40 |
| 50 |
| 60 |
| 70 |
| 80 |
| 90 |
| 100 |
| 101 |
| 102 |
| 110 |
| 200 |
| 500 |
| 1000 |
| 1999 |
| 2000 |
| 10000 |
Ordinal numbers
In Mingrelian, ordinal numbers are derived by the circumfix ma- -a, with the exception of the word for “first”, პირველი (p̌irveli), which is not derived from the word for “one” ართი arti.
| Ordinal |
|---|
| **ma**-NUMBER-**a** |
| Mingrelian | |
|---|---|
| 1st | p̌irveli |
| 2nd | mazhira |
| 3rd | masuma |
| 4th | maotxa/mantxa |
| 5th | maxuta |
| 6th | maamşva |
| 7th | maşkvita |
| 8th | maruo |
| 9th | maçxora |
| 10th | mavita |
| 11th | mavitaarta |
| 12th | mavitozhira |
| 20th | maeça |
| 21st | eçdomaarta |
| 30th | eçdomavita |
| 100th | maoşa |
| 101st | oşmaarta |
| 102nd | oşmazhira |
| 110th | oşmavita |
| 200th | mazhiroşa |
| 500th | maxutoşa |
| 1000th | maantasa |
Fractional numbers
The fractional numbers derivation rule in Mingrelian is akin to Old Georgian and Svan.
| Mingrelian/Laz |
|---|
| **na**-NUMBER-**al/or** |
| Mingrelian | |
|---|---|
| whole | teli |
| 1/2 | gverdi |
| 1/3 | nasumori |
| 1/4 | naotxali or |
| 1/5 | naxutali |
| 1/6 | naamşvali |
| 1/7 | naşkvitali |
| 1/8 | naruali |
| 1/9 | naçxorali |
| 1/10 | navitali |
| 1/11 | navitaartali |
| 1/12 | navitozhirali |
| 1/20 | naeçali |
| 1/100 | naoşali |
| 1/1000 | naantasali |
References
- .
References
- Hewitt, Brian George. "The Kinship-Lexicon of Georgian, Mingrelian and Abkhaz." ''Bedi Kartlisa Paris'' 39 (1981): 256-267.
- K̕urdaje, Ramaz. (2015). "K̕art̕ul-megrul-lazur-svanur-inglisuri lek̕sikoni: = Georgian-Megrelian-Laz-Svan-English dictionary". Daibečda Gamomc̕emloba "Petitši".
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