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Svan

Svan is a Kartvelian language spoken in Russia and Georgia, by about 15 thousand people. Glottolog rates it threatened.

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Svan · 42.9°N 42.6°E

Svan (ლუშნუ ნინ lušnu nin; Georgian: სვანური ენა, romanized: svanuri ena) is a Kartvelian language spoken in the western Georgian region of Svaneti primarily by the Svans, a subgroup of Georgians. It is of particular interest because it has retained many features that have been lost in the other Kartvelian languages.

Historically, Svan has only been a spoken, regional language used informally in day-to-day activities. Svan speakers have traditionally relied on the standard Georgian as their literary language and through the late 19th century there were no known written Svan grammar books or dictionaries. With its speakers variously estimated to be between 30,000 and 80,000, the UNESCO designates Svan as a "definitely endangered language".

From Wikipedia · Svan language · CC BY-SA 4.0

Words in Svan

MeaningWordRomanization
motherდედეdede
fatherმუmu
friendაფხნეგapxneg
eyeთეte
earშდიმšdim
noseნეფხვნაnepxvna
toothშდიქšdik
handშიši
heartგვიgvi
headთხვიმtxvim
bloodზისხzisx
boneჯიჯვǯiǯv
kneeღულა̈ჲɣuläy
liverყუ̂იჟეq̇ûiže
waterლიცlic
fireლემესგlemesg
sunბჟაbža
moonდოშდულdošdul
starამტყუ̂ა̈სგamṭq̇ûäsg
skyდეცdec
rainუჩხაučxa
snowმუსmus
windბიქუ̂bikû
nightლე̄თlēt
dogჟეღžeɣ
catციცუ̂cicû
fishცუზcuz
birdმეპო̈̄რmeṗȫr
horseჩა̈̄ჟčǟž
cowფუ̈რpür

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Vocabulary

Vocabulary compares 40 basic words (ASJP); grammar compares 195 features (Grambank). Similar is not always related.

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Glottolog · svan1243 · Wikipedia (English) · Ethnologue · sva