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Definition 2024

გურია

გურია

Georgian

Picture dictionary

  The top-level historical and geographical subdivision of Republic of Georgia. 

Proper noun

გურია • ‎(guria)

  1. Guria

Descendants

Inflection

Declension of გურია (see Georgian declension)
singular plural archaic plural
nominative გურია
ergative გურიამ
dative გურიას(ა)
genitive გურიის(ა)
instrumental გურიით(ა)
adverbial გურიად(ა)
vocative გურიავ
Notes: archaic plurals might not exist.

References

  • bedošvili, guram (2002) kartul ṭoṗonimta ganmarṭebit-eṭimologiuri leksiḳoni [Dictionary of Georgian Geographical Names] (in Georgian), Tbilisi: Bakur Sulakauri Publishing, ISBN 99928-913-6-X

Etymology

Origin is uncertain and no consensus exists on its etymology to this day. Some of the theories are:

  • The word is of the same origin as ე-გრ-ისი ‎(e-gr-isi, “Egrisi”) and მ-ე-გრ-ელ-ი ‎(m-e-gr-el-i, “Mingrelian”). The fact that Guria was a historical region of Kingdom of Egrisi may be a proof of this. Marr, Javakhishvili and Ingorokva accept this etymology and reconstruct earlier *ეგურია ‎(*eguria) (which developed from ეგრისი ‎(egrisi) and into გურია ‎(guria)).
  • According to another theory, the stem can be traced back to the name of a tribe, *გვერ- ‎(*gver-), which developed from earlier *ჰიბერ ‎(*hiber), *ჰბერ ‎(*hber) (whence იბერია ‎(iberia)) and *ჰივერ ‎(*hiver), *ჰვერ ‎(*hver) (whence ივერია ‎(iveria)). However, there is no historical account of such tribe in the ancient world.
  • According to a less popular theory, the toponym developed from Mingrelian გურ-ი ‎(gur-i, “heart”). Scholars claim, that Gurians were renown for their boldness and bitterness since the ancient times. Since the names of these qualities include the stem *გურ- ‎(*gur-, “heart”) in Mingrelian (implying that these traits ascend from the heart of a man), this could be another indicator in this respect.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɡuriɑ/
  • Hyphenation: გუ‧რი‧ა

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