Names of Georgia information

Georgia (/ˈdʒɔːrdʒə/ ^ⓘ JOR-jə) is the Western exonym for the country in the Caucasus natively known as Sakartvelo (Georgian: საქართველო [sakʰaɾtʰʷelo] ^ⓘ). The Armenian exonym is Vrastan (Armenian: Վրաստան [vəɾɑsˈtɑn]); predominantly Muslim nations refer to it as Gurjistan or its many similar variations; while in mostly Slavic languages it is Gruziya.

The first mention of the name spelled as "Georgia" was recorded in Italian on the mappa mundi of Pietro Vesconte dated AD 1320.^[1] In early appearances in the Latin world, the name was not always written in the same transliteration, the first consonant originally being spelt with J, as Jorgia.^[2]

Both endonym and exonym for the country are derived from the same state-forming core and central Georgian region of Kartli (known as Iberia to the Classical and Byzantine sources) around which the early medieval cultural and political unity of the Georgians was formed.

All external exonyms are likely derived from gorğān (گرگان), the Persian designation of the Georgians, evolving from Parthian wurğān (𐭅𐭓𐭊𐭍) and Middle Persian wiručān (𐭥𐭫𐭥𐭰𐭠𐭭), rooting out from Old Persian vrkān (𐎺𐎼𐎣𐎠𐎴) meaning "the land of the wolves". This is also reflected in Old Armenian virk (վիրք), it being a source of Ancient Greek ibēríā (Ἰβηρία), that entered Latin as Hiberia. The transformation of vrkān into gorğān and alteration of v into g was a phonetic phenomenon in the word formation of Proto-Aryan and ancient Iranian languages. All exonyms are simply phonetic variations of the same root vrk/varka (𐎺𐎼𐎣) meaning wolf.^[3]

The full, official name of the country is simply "Georgia", as specified in the Georgian constitution which reads "Georgia is the name of the state of Georgia."^[4] Before the 1995 constitution came into force the country's name was the Republic of Georgia. Since 2005^[5] the Georgian Government works actively to remove the Russian-derived exonym Gruziya from usage around the world.^[6]

^ Rouben Galichian (2007) Countries South of the Caucasus in Medieval Maps: Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. pp. 188—189
^ Boeder; et al. (2002). Philology, typology and language structure. Peter Lang. p. 65. ISBN 978-0820459912
^ Khintibidze, Elguja (1998), The Designations of the Georgians and Their Etymology, pp. 85-86-87, Tbilisi State University Press, ISBN 5-511-00775-7
^ "Article 2.1", Constitution of Georgia, Legislative Herald of Georgia, 'Georgia' is the name of the state of Georgia.
^ Mikaberidze, Alexander (2015) Historical Dictionary of Georgia (2 ed.). p.4, Rowman & Littlefield, ISBN 978-1-4422-4146-6
^ "Government changing official pronunciation of Georgia", The Japan Times, April 15, 2015, archived from the original on 2015-04-18

[1] Rouben Galichian (2007) Countries South of the Caucasus in Medieval Maps: Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. pp. 188—189

[2] Boeder; et al. (2002). Philology, typology and language structure. Peter Lang. p. 65. ISBN 978-0820459912

[3] Khintibidze, Elguja (1998), The Designations of the Georgians and Their Etymology, pp. 85-86-87, Tbilisi State University Press, ISBN 5-511-00775-7

[4] "Article 2.1", Constitution of Georgia, Legislative Herald of Georgia, 'Georgia' is the name of the state of Georgia.

[5] Mikaberidze, Alexander (2015) Historical Dictionary of Georgia (2 ed.). p.4, Rowman & Littlefield, ISBN 978-1-4422-4146-6

[6] "Government changing official pronunciation of Georgia", The Japan Times, April 15, 2015, archived from the original on 2015-04-18

Names of Georgia information

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Names of Georgia

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Name of Georgia

List of counties in Georgia

Ancient Georgian place names

President of Georgia

Georgian calendar

Georgians

Parliament of Georgia

List of United States representatives from Georgia

Prime Minister of Georgia

Georgia Tennant

Defence Forces of Georgia

Georgian lari

Visa policy of Georgia

Democratic Republic of Georgia

Georgian language

Public holidays in Georgia

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Bagrationi dynasty

Georgian wine

History of Georgia
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Prehistoric Georgia Shulaveri–Shomu culture Kura–Araxes culture Legend of Kartlos Trialeti culture Colchian culture Diauehi Mushki
Ancient history Colchis Aryan Kartli Kingdom of Iberia Pharnavazid dynasty Georgia in the Roman era Artaxiad dynasty of Iberia Campaign of Pompey Iberian–Armenian War Lazica Arsacid dynasty of Iberia Sasanian Iberia Chosroid dynasty Christianization of Iberia
Middle Ages Iberian War Lazic War Principality of Iberia Umayyad invasion of Georgia Arab rule in Georgia Emirate of Tbilisi Duchy of Tao Duchy of Klarjeti Bagrationi dynasty Kingdom of Hereti Kingdom of the Iberians Kingdom of Abkhazia Theme of Iberia Duchy of Kldekari Unification of the Georgian realm Kingdom of Georgia Duchy of Racha Kingdom of Kakheti-Hereti Byzantine–Georgian wars Great Turkish Invasion Georgian–Seljuk wars Georgian Golden Age Mongol invasions of Georgia Kingdom of Georgia (1256–1329) Kingdom of Western Georgia Armenia within the Kingdom of Georgia Timurid invasions of Georgia Turkoman invasions of Georgia Duchy of Aragvi Collapse of the Georgian realm
Early modern history Duchy of Ksani Samtskhe-Saatabago Kingdom of Kartli Kingdom of Kakheti Kingdom of Imereti Principality of Guria Principality of Svaneti Principality of Mingrelia Principality of Abkhazia Safavid Georgia Childir Eyalet Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti
Modern history Georgia within the Russian Empire 1832 Georgian plot Gurian Republic Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic Democratic Republic of Georgia Red Army invasion of Georgia Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic Georgia since 1991 Russo-Georgian War
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