Laz is a South Caucasian language. It is sometimes considered as a southern dialect of

Zan languages The Zan languages, or Zanuri ( ka, ზანური ენები) or Colchidian, are a branch of the Kartvelian languages constituted by the Mingrelian and Laz languages. The grouping is disputed as some Georgian linguists consider the two ...

, the northern dialect being the

Mingrelian language Mingrelian or Megrelian (, ) is a Kartvelian language spoken in Western Georgia (regions of Mingrelia and Abkhazia), primarily by the Mingrelians. The language was also called kolkhuri (Georgian ) in the early 20th century. Mingrelian has hist ...

. Today, the area where Laz is spoken stretches from the village Sarpi of

Khelvachauri Khelvachauri ( ka, ხელვაჩაური ) is a village in the Autonomous Republic of Adjara in the southwest of Georgia, southeast of the regional capital Batumi and situated on the right bank of the Chorokhi River. Between 1968 and 2 ...

district in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

to the village Kemer of

Rize province Rize Province ( tr, Rize ili) is a Provinces of Turkey, province of northeast Turkey, on the eastern Black Sea coast between Trabzon Province, Trabzon and Artvin Province, Artvin. The province of Erzurum Province, Erzurum is to the south. It was ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

. Laz is spoken also in Western

in the villages created by Laz muhajirs in 1877–1878. In

, out of Sarpi, the Laz language islets were also in

Abkhazia Abkhazia, ka, აფხაზეთი, tr, , xmf, აბჟუა, abzhua, or ( or ), officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, recognised by most countries as part of Georgia, which vi ...

, but the fate of them is obscure at present. Laz is divided into three dialects: Khopa-Chkhala, Vitze-Arkabe and Atina-Artasheni. Dialectical classification is mainly conditioned by phonetic characteristics. More specifically, the crucial point is the reflexes of the Kartvelian phoneme , which is maintained only in the Khopa-Chkhala dialect but has different reflections in Vitze-Arkabe and Atina-Artasheni dialects (see below).

Phonology and writing system

Vowels

Laz vowel inventory consists of five sounds: ''a'', ''e'', ''i'', ''o'', ''u''.

Consonants

The consonant inventory of Laz varies among the dialects. A full set of sounds is present in the Khopa-Chkhala dialect, while the Vitze-Arkabe and Atina-Artasheni dialects lost glottalized uvular ''q''.

Phonological processes

Uvular ''q'' sound change

Glottalized uvular ''q'' is preserved only in the Khopa-Chkhala dialect before the vowels and the consonants ''v'' and ''l''. This sound is also evidenced after glottalized stops and affricates in several words, such as ''p̌qorop'' (I love smb./sth.); ''ǩqorop'' (I love you); ''t̆qubi'' (twins), ''ǯqv-/ǯqvin-'' (to reconcile); ''ç̌qint̆i'' (fresh-soft and unripe). But in the most of cases ''*t̆q → t̆ǩ''; ''*ǯq → ǯǩ''; ''*ç̌q → ç̌ǩ''. In the Vitze-Arkabe dialect, in the neighborhood of consonants ''*q → ǩ'' (exception is the verb ''ovapu ← *oqvapu'' "to be"). In the word-initial prevocalic and in the intervocalic positions ''*q → ∅''. In Atina-Artasheni dialect: *in word-initial prevocalic position ''q → ∅''. E.g. ''*qoropa → oropa'' "love", ''*qona → ona'' "cornfield" etc. * in intervocalic position ''*q → y/∅''. E.g. ''*loqa → *loʔa → loya/loa'' "sweet", *luqu → *luʔu → luu'' "cabbage" etc. *word-initial ''qv → ''ǩv/v''. E.g. ''qvali → ''ǩvali/vali'' "cheese, ''*qvaci → ǩvaci/vaci'' "testicle" etc. *intervocalic ''qv → y''. E.g. ''*oqvapu → oyapu'' "to be/become", ''*iqven → iyen'' "s/he will be/become" etc. *in all other cases ''q → ∅''

Regressive assimilation

The most common types are: * regressive voicing: ** ''s → z'' ** ''t → d'' ** ''k → g'' ** ''ş → j'' ** ''ç → c'' ** ''p → b'' * regressive devoicing: ** ''b → p'' ** ''g → k'' * regressive glottalization ** ''b → p̌'' ** ''p → p̌'' ** ''g → ǩ''

Dissimilative deletion of consonant

In some morphological contexts featuring two consonants ''n'' split only with a vowel, the former can be deleted. ''miqonun → miqoun'' (I have ), ''iqvasinon → iqvasion'' (s/he will be), ''mulunan → *muluan → mulvan'' (they are coming). Another dissimilation, presumably sporadic, occurs in ''deǩiǩe → deiǩe'' (minute); note also that the Arabic source of this word دقيقة ''daqīqa'' contains a uvular , and as above uvulars are unstable in Laz.

Intervocalic reduction of ''r''

This process is evidenced in the Khopa-Chkhala and Vitze-Arkabe dialects, where in intervocalic position facultatively ''r → y → ∅''.

Palatalization of velars

In the Atina-Artasheni dialect, the velars followed by the front vowels ''e'' and ''i'' and the glide ''y'' transform to alveolar affricates: *''g → c'' *''ǩ → ç̌'' *''k → ç''

Alphabet

Laz is written in a

Georgian script The Georgian scripts are the three writing systems used to write the Georgian language: Asomtavruli, Nuskhuri and Mkhedruli. Although the systems differ in appearance, their letters share the same names and alphabetical order and are written hor ...

or in the

Latin script The Latin script, also known as Roman script, is an alphabetic writing system based on the letters of the classical Latin alphabet, derived from a form of the Greek alphabet which was in use in the ancient Greek city of Cumae, in southern Italy ...

(as used in Turkish, but with specific Laz extensions).

Grammatical cases

Laz has eight

grammatical case A grammatical case is a category of nouns and noun modifiers (determiners, adjectives, participles, and Numeral (linguistics), numerals), which corresponds to one or more potential grammatical functions for a nominal group in a wording. In vari ...

nominative In grammar, the nominative case (abbreviated ), subjective case, straight case or upright case is one of the grammatical cases of a noun or other part of speech, which generally marks the subject of a verb or (in Latin and formal variants of Engl ...

, ergative,

dative In grammar, the dative case (abbreviated , or sometimes when it is a core argument) is a grammatical case used in some languages to indicate the recipient or beneficiary of an action, as in "Maria Jacobo potum dedit", Latin for "Maria gave Jacob a ...

genitive In grammar, the genitive case (abbreviated ) is the grammatical case that marks a word, usually a noun, as modifying another word, also usually a noun—thus indicating an attributive relationship of one noun to the other noun. A genitive can al ...

lative In grammar, the lative (; list of glossing abbreviations, abbreviated ) is a grammatical case which indicates motion to a location. It corresponds to the English prepositions "to" and "into". The lative case belongs to the group of the general loca ...

ablative In grammar, the ablative case (pronounced ; sometimes abbreviated ) is a grammatical case for nouns, pronouns, and adjectives in the grammars of various languages; it is sometimes used to express motion away from something, among other uses. T ...

instrumental An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instru ...

and almost extinct

adverbial In English grammar, an adverbial (abbreviated ) is a word (an adverb) or a group of words (an adverbial clause or adverbial phrase) that modifies or more closely defines the sentence or the verb. (The word ''adverbial'' itself is also used as a ...

Example of adjective declension

Example of noun declension

Nouns

As in other

South Caucasian languages The Kartvelian languages (; ka, ქართველური ენები, tr; also known as South Caucasian, Kartvelic, and Iberian languagesBoeder (2002), p. 3) are a language family indigenous to the South Caucasus and spoken primari ...

, Laz distinguishes two classes of nouns and classifies objects as: * 'Intelligent' entities. Respective interrogative is ''mi?'' (who?) * 'Non-intelligent' entities. Respective interrogative is ''mu?'' (what?)

Noun classification scheme

Numerals

The Laz numerals are near identical to their

Megrelian Mingrelian or Megrelian (, ) is a Kartvelian language spoken in Western Georgia (regions of Mingrelia and Abkhazia), primarily by the Mingrelians. The language was also called kolkhuri (Georgian ) in the early 20th century. Mingrelian has his ...

equivalents with minor phonetic differences. The number system is

vigesimal vigesimal () or base-20 (base-score) numeral system is based on twenty (in the same way in which the decimal numeral system is based on ten). '' Vigesimal'' is derived from the Latin adjective '' vicesimus'', meaning 'twentieth'. Places In ...

like in

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

Cardinal numbers

Almost all basic Laz cardinal numbers stem from the

Proto-Kartvelian language The Proto-Kartvelian language, or Common Kartvelian ( ka, წინარექართველური ენა, tr), is the linguistic reconstruction of the common ancestor of the Kartvelian languages, which was spoken by the ancestors of th ...

, except ''ar(t)'' (one) and ''eči'' (twenty), which are reconstructed only for the Karto-Zan chronological level, having regular phonetical reflexes in Zan (Megrelo-Laz) and

. The numeral ''šilya'' (thousand) is a

Pontic Greek Pontic Greek ( pnt, Ποντιακόν λαλίαν, or ; el, Ποντιακή διάλεκτος, ; tr, Rumca) is a variety of Modern Greek indigenous to the Pontus region on the southern shores of the Black Sea, northeastern Anatolia, ...

loanword and is more commonly used than original Laz ''vitoši''.

Laz cardinal numbers compared to Megrelian, Georgian and Svan

Ordinal numbers

Ordinal numbers in Laz are produced with the circumfix ''ma-...-a'', which, in contrast with

, may be extended with suffix ''-n''. The circumfix ''ma-...-a'' originates from

Proto-Kartvelian The Proto-Kartvelian language, or Common Kartvelian ( ka, წინარექართველური ენა, tr), is the linguistic reconstruction of the common ancestor of the Kartvelian languages, which was spoken by the ancestors of th ...

and has regular phonetical equivalents in

(''me-...-e'') and Svan (''me-...-e'')

Ordinal numbers' derivation rule

Laz ordinal numbers compared to Megrelian, Georgian and Svan

Fractional numbers

The fractional numbers' derivation rule in Laz and

is akin to

Old Georgian Old Georgian (ႤႬႠჂ ႵႠႰႧႭჃႪႨ, ''enay kartuli'') was a literary language of the Georgian monarchies attested from the 5th century. The language remains in use as the liturgical language of the Georgian Orthodox Church and for ...

and Svan.

Fractional numbers' derivation rule

Laz fractional numbers compared to Megrelian, Georgian and Svan

Pronouns

Personal pronouns

Possessive pronouns

Verbs

Laz verbs are inflected for seven categories: person, number, version, tense, mood, aspect and voice.

Person and Number

In Laz, like

and Svan, verbs can be unipersonal, bipersonal and tripersonal *Monovalent verbs have only subjective person and are intransitive. *Bivalent verbs have one subject and one object (''direct'' or ''indirect''). They are: **transitive if the object is ''direct'' **intransitive if the object is ''indirect'' *Trivalent verbs have one subject and two objects (one ''direct'' and the other ''indirect'') and are ditransitive. The person may be singular or plural. Subject and object markers in Laz are the same as in

Subject markers

Object markers

In pre-consonant position, the markers ''v-'' and ''g-'' change phonetically: *Before voiced consonants:'' v- → b-'' *Before voiceless (nonglottalized) consonants: **''v- → b- → p-'' **''g- → k-'' *Before glottalized consonants: **''v- → b- → p̌-'' **''g- → ǩ-''

Version

and Svan, Laz has 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.

Laz version markers compared to Megrelian, Georgian and Svan

Tenses

The maximum number of

screeve Screeve is a term of grammatical description in traditional Georgian grammars that roughly corresponds to tense–aspect–mood marking in the Western grammatical tradition. It derives from the Georgian word ''mts’k’rivi'' (მწკრივ ...

s in Laz is 22. They are grouped in three series. Two screeves (''future I'' and ''past of future I'') exist only for the verb ''r-'', which serves as a 1st series root for ''oqopumu/ovapu/oyapu'' (to be).

Paradigm of verb conjugation

stems: ç̌ar- (to write) and r- (to be: just for ''future I'' and ''past of future I'') According to oldness these

s can be grouped in two sets: *old (primary) (common with

). *new (secondary) derived from the basic screeves (specific Laz). Classification of screeves according to oldness

Mood

Indicative

Indicative statement claims that the proposition should be taken as an apparent fact.

Interrogative

There are two ways to transform an indicative statement into a question: *by means of interrogative words. E.g. ''mi?'' (who?), ''mu?'' (what?), ''so?'' (where?), ''mundes?'' (when?), ''muç̌o?'' (how?) etc. This rule is valid for

and Svan as well. *by adding an interrogative particle ''-i'' to the end of a verb. It has the same function as

''-o'',

''-a'' and Svan ''-ma/-mo/-mu''.

Imperative

Indicates a command or request. The aorist form is used when addressing 2nd person (singular/plural) and aoristic optative in all other cases.

Subjunctive

Expresses possibility, wish, desire.

Conditional

Indicates condition in contrary to a fact. For this reason a verbal suffix ''-ǩo'' (At.-Arsh, Vtz.-Ark.) / ''-ǩon/-ǩoni'' (Khop.-Chkh.) is used.

Aspect

Voice

External links

Laz Georgian-Latin and Latin-Georgian converter
{{DEFAULTSORT:Laz Grammar Laz language Kartvelian grammars