The Mingrelian Alphabet

Q: What is the difference between "Mingrelian" and "Megrelian"?

"Mingrelian" and "Megrelian" are two English names for exactly the same language [3] . "Mingrelian" is the older English form, derived from the historical European name for the region ("Mingrelia," from the Italian/Portuguese "Mingrelia" or "Mengrellia" used since at least the 17th century). "Megrelian" is derived from the Georgian name for the region (სამეგრელო, Samegrelo) and the people (მეგრელები, Megrelebi). "Megrelian" is now the more standard term in modern linguistics, while "Mingrelian" remains in historical texts and some regional references. Both names share the same ISO 639-3 code xmf .

Q: What makes the Mingrelian alphabet different from Georgian?

Mingrelian (Megrelian) uses the Georgian Mkhedruli script with one additional letter: ჷ (Yn, U+10F7) [4] , representing the schwa vowel /ə/. This gives Mingrelian 34 letters compared to Georgian's 33. The schwa vowel is the most phonologically distinctive feature of the Zan branch of Kartvelian — it appears in many common Mingrelian words and cannot be written using any of the standard 33 Georgian letters. Without ჷ, Mingrelian cannot be accurately represented in the Georgian script.

Q: What language family is Mingrelian?

Mingrelian (Megrelian) belongs to the Kartvelian (South Caucasian) language family [1] . Within Kartvelian, it forms the Zan branch alongside Laz. The Kartvelian family is indigenous to the Caucasus region and has no established genetic relationship to any other language family. Mingrelian is more closely related to Laz than either is to Georgian or Svan, making the Zan languages a distinct sub-group within the broader Kartvelian family. [2]

Q: How many people speak Mingrelian?

Mingrelian (Megrelian) is spoken by approximately 500,000 people [1] — the same count applies whether the language is called "Mingrelian" or "Megrelian." Speakers are located primarily in the Samegrelo (Mingrelia) and Abkhazia regions of Georgia. All Mingrelian/Megrelian speakers are also fluent in Georgian, which is the official language of education, government, and public life in Georgia. Despite the large number of speakers, Mingrelian/Megrelian lacks official status and is considered vulnerable to language shift toward Georgian.

Q: Where is Mingrelian spoken?

Mingrelian is spoken in western Georgia , specifically in the Samegrelo (historical Mingrelia) region [1] . The name "Mingrelia" is the historical European name for the same region that Georgians call Samegrelo — this regional name is the origin of "Mingrelian" as an English word for the language. Mingrelian/Megrelian is spoken in and around the cities of Zugdidi and Senaki, in Abkhazia (where the ethnic Megrelian population lives), and by diaspora speakers in Tbilisi and other Georgian cities.

Q: What is the ISO code for Mingrelian?

The ISO 639-3 code for Mingrelian is xmf [3] — the same code used for "Megrelian," since they are the same language. The Glottolog identifier is ming1252 . The ISO registration covers both names and both spellings. Mingrelian/Megrelian does not have an ISO 639-1 two-letter code, which is typical for minority and endangered languages. The single code xmf identifies all speakers of the Zan Kartvelian language of Samegrelo, whether they encounter it labeled as "Mingrelian," "Megrelian," or "Margaluri" (the native name used by speakers themselves).

Mingrelian Alphabet at a Glance

"Mingrelian" is the older English name for the language now more commonly called "Megrelian" in linguistics — the same language, same people, same 34-letter Georgian script alphabet ^[3]
The Mingrelian/Megrelian alphabet uses Georgian Mkhedruli script with 34 letters — 33 standard Georgian letters plus ჷ (U+10F7), the distinctive schwa vowel ^[4]
Spoken by approximately 500,000 people in the Samegrelo (Mingrelia) and Abkhazia regions of Georgia — the largest minority language in Georgia ^[1]
Mingrelian/Megrelian belongs to the Zan branch of the Kartvelian (South Caucasian) family alongside Laz — the two are more closely related to each other than either is to Georgian ^[2]
The distinctive ჷ vowel (Yn, U+10F7) representing the schwa /ə/ is what makes the Mingrelian/Megrelian alphabet different from standard Georgian ^[4]
"Mingrelia" is the historical European name for Samegrelo — derived from Mingrelian/Megrelian geography, hence "Mingrelian" as the name for the language spoken there ^[1]
The ISO 639-3 code xmf covers both names "Mingrelian" and "Megrelian" — they refer to exactly the same language ^[3]

Mingrelian Vowel Letters

Mingrelian (Megrelian) has 6 vowels — the 5 standard Georgian vowels (ა, ე, ი, ო, უ) plus ჷ (U+10F7, Yn), the schwa vowel /ə/ absent from Georgian. This 6th vowel is the defining feature of the Zan branch of Kartvelian.

Whether you call it "Mingrelian" or "Megrelian," the vowel system is identical — these are two English names for the same language. The Mtavruli (capital) and Mkhedruli (standard) forms of each vowel are shown below.

Megrelian Vowels (Mtavruli — Capital Form)

Ა

[AH]

Ე

[EH]

Ი

[EE]

Ო

[OH]

Უ

[OO]

Ჷ

[EH (schwa)]

Ა

[AH]

Ani (Mtavruli) — represents /a/, open central vowel, like "a" in "father"

Ე

[EH]

Eni (Mtavruli) — represents /e/, mid front vowel

Ი

[EE]

Ini (Mtavruli) — represents /i/, close front vowel, like "ee" in "see"

Ო

[OH]

Oni (Mtavruli) — represents /o/, mid back rounded vowel

Უ

[OO]

Uni (Mtavruli) — represents /u/, close back rounded vowel, like "oo" in "moon"

Ჷ

[EH (schwa)]

Yn (Mtavruli, U+1CB7) — represents /ə/, a central mid vowel (schwa). This vowel is unique to Megrelian and Svan within the Kartvelian family.

Megrelian Vowels (Mkhedruli — Standard Form)

ა

[ah]

ე

[eh]

ი

[ee]

ო

[oh]

უ

[oo]

ჷ

[uh (schwa)]

ა

[ah]

Ani — /a/, open central vowel, like "a" in "father". Common in Megrelian words.

ე

[eh]

Eni — /e/, mid front vowel. Used in many Megrelian and Georgian words.

ი

[ee]

Ini — /i/, close front vowel, like "ee" in "see"

ო

[oh]

Oni — /o/, mid back rounded vowel

უ

[oo]

Uni — /u/, close back rounded vowel, like "oo" in "moon"

ჷ

[uh (schwa)]

Yn (U+10F7) — represents /ə/, the central mid vowel (schwa). This is the defining phonological feature that sets Megrelian apart from Georgian. Found in words like ჷნ- (un-) meaning "not".

Mingrelian Consonant Letters

Mingrelian (Megrelian) uses all 28 Georgian consonants, including the ejective stops (კ k', პ p', ტ t', ყ q') and ejective affricates (წ ts', ჭ ch'). The consonant system is identical regardless of whether the language is called "Mingrelian" or "Megrelian."

The three-way consonant distinction — voiced, aspirated voiceless, ejective — is a hallmark of the entire Kartvelian (South Caucasian) family shared by Georgian, Megrelian/Mingrelian, Laz, and Svan.

Megrelian Consonants (Mtavruli — Capital Form)

Ბ

[B]

Გ

[G]

Დ

[D]

Ვ

[V]

Ზ

[Z]

Თ

[TH]

Კ

[K']

Ლ

[L]

Მ

[M]

Ნ

[N]

Პ

[P']

Ჟ

[ZH]

Რ

[R]

Ს

[S]

Ტ

[T']

Ფ

[PH]

Ქ

[KH]

Ღ

[GH]

Ყ

[Q']

Შ

[SH]

Ჩ

[CH]

Ც

[TS]

Ძ

[DZ]

Წ

[TS']

Ჭ

[CH']

Ხ

[KH]

Ჯ

[J]

Ჰ

[H]

Megrelian Consonants (Mkhedruli — Standard Form)

ბ

[b]

გ

[g]

დ

[d]

ვ

[v]

ზ

[z]

თ

[th]

კ

[k']

ლ

[l]

მ

[m]

ნ

[n]

პ

[p']

ჟ

[zh]

რ

[r]

ს

[s]

ტ

[t']

ფ

[ph]

ქ

[kh]

ღ

[gh]

ყ

[q']

შ

[sh]

ჩ

[ch]

ც

[ts]

ძ

[dz]

წ

[ts']

ჭ

[ch']

ხ

[kh]

ჯ

[j]

ჰ

[h]

ჷ

[uh]

Ჷ

[UH]

ა

ბ

გ

დ

ე

ვ

ზ

თ

ი

კ

ლ

მ

ნ

ო

პ

ჟ

რ

ს

ტ

უ

ფ

ქ

ღ

ყ

შ

ჩ

ც

ძ

წ

ჭ

ხ

ჯ

ჰ

ჷ

[nuli]

[arti]

[juri]

[sumi]

[othi]

[khuti]

[ashi]

[shkviti]

[ovro]

[ochxo]

[vit]

[vitibi]

[nuli]

Zero — Megrelian: ნული (nuli); borrowed term used in modern Megrelian

[arti]

One — Megrelian: არti (arti)

[juri]

Two — Megrelian: ჯური (juri)

[sumi]

Three — Megrelian: სუმი (sumi)

[othi]

Four — Megrelian: ოthი (othi)

[khuti]

Five — Megrelian: ხუthი (khuti)

[ashi]

Six — Megrelian: ასhი (ashi); Zan root shared with Laz, distinct from Georgian ექვსი (ekvsi)

[shkviti]

Seven — Megrelian: შქვიthი (shkviti); Zan cognate of Georgian შვიდი (shvidi)

[ovro]

Eight — Megrelian: ოვრო (ovro); Zan cognate of Georgian რვა (rva)

[ochxo]

Nine — Megrelian: ოჩხhო (ochxo); Zan cognate of Georgian ცხრა (tsxra)

[vit]

Ten — Megrelian: ვit (vit)

[vitibi]

Twenty — Megrelian uses a vigesimal (base-20) counting system like Laz and Georgian

Expand All Collapse All

What is the difference between "Mingrelian" and "Megrelian"?

What makes the Mingrelian alphabet different from Georgian?

What language family is Mingrelian?

How many people speak Mingrelian?

Where is Mingrelian spoken?

What is the ISO code for Mingrelian?

References:

[1] Glottolog 5.1. "Mingrelian [ming1252]". Retrieved from Glottolog: Mingrelian
[2] World Atlas of Language Structures (WALS). "Mingrelian [min]". Retrieved from WALS: Mingrelian
[3] ISO 639-3 Registration Authority (SIL International). "ISO 639-3 Language Code: xmf — Mingrelian". Retrieved from ISO 639-3: xmf
[4] The Unicode Consortium. "Georgian Unicode Block — U10A0 Chart". Retrieved from Unicode: Georgian Script Chart