Georgian scripts
Three scripts for the Georgian language, with a unique alphabet order.
The Georgian language is written using three distinct scripts: Asomtavruli, Nuskhuri, and Mkhedruli. Though they look different, all three share the same letter names, alphabetical order, and are written left to right. Mkhedruli was once the official script of the Kingdom of Georgia, used mainly for royal charters, and today it is the standard script for modern Georgian and the related Kartvelian languages. In contrast, Asomtavruli and Nuskhuri are now reserved for the Georgian Orthodox Church, appearing only in ceremonial religious texts and iconography.
The exact origin of these scripts remains unknown, and their appearance is unique. Structurally, the alphabetical order is not derived from Greek; it follows its own traditional sequence, with letters representing sounds unique to Georgian placed accordingly. The alphabet originally had 38 letters, but modern Georgian uses 33, as five are obsolete. Other Kartvelian languages use different numbers of Georgian letters. Mingrelian uses 36: the 33 current Georgian letters, one obsolete Georgian letter, and two additional letters specific to Mingrelian and Svan. Laz uses 34 letters: the 33 current Georgian letters plus that same obsolete letter. Svan is rarely written, but when it is, it uses the same Georgian letters as Mingrelian, with an additional obsolete Georgian letter and sometimes diacritics for its many vowels.
In 2015, Georgia granted the "living culture of three writing systems of the Georgian alphabet" national status as intangible cultural heritage, and in 2016 it was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Quick Facts
- Languages
- Georgian, Mingrelian, Svan, Bats and Laz
- Time
- AD 430Dated per Bir el Qutt inscriptions, archaeologically documented oldest found Georgian inscription. Exact date of introduction is unclear.–present
- Unicode
- U+10A0–U+10FF Georgian / U+2D00–U+2D2F Supplement / U+1C90–U+1CBF Extended
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The origin of the Georgian script is poorly known, and no full agreement exists among scholars as to when the script was created, who designed it, or the main influences. The first attested version is Asomtavruli, dating to the 5th century; the other scripts formed in following centuries. Most scholars link the creation to the Christianization of Iberia, probably between the conversion under King Mirian III and the Bir el Qutt inscriptions of 430. A Georgian tradition assigns a pre-Christian origin to King Pharnavaz I, but this is considered legendary and rejected by scholarly consensus. Another controversy involves the role of Armenian cleric Mesrop Mashtots, with some sources claiming he created the Georgian alphabet, though this is disputed by Georgian scholarship.
Reader's Guide
The Georgian scripts are unique in appearance and their exact origin has never been established. Structurally, their alphabetical order largely corresponds to the Greek alphabet, except for letters denoting uniquely Georgian sounds, which are grouped at the end. Originally 38 letters, Georgian is now written in a 33-letter alphabet, with five obsolete letters. The number of letters used in other Kartvelian languages varies: Mingrelian uses 36, Laz uses 35, and Svan, when written, uses Georgian letters with additional obsolete letters and diacritics. The 'living culture of three writing systems of the Georgian alphabet' was granted national intangible cultural heritage status in Georgia in 2015 and inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List in 2016. Mkhedruli, once the official script of the Kingdom of Georgia used for royal charters, is now standard for modern Georgian.
Did You Know?
- The Georgian scripts share the same names and alphabetical order despite differing in appearance.
- The oldest attested script, Asomtavruli, dates back to the 5th century.
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