Some Lexical Features of the Speech of the Ghorjomi Gorge

Abstract

Ajarian holds a prominent position among the Georgian dialects. It is distinguished by significant dialectal differentiation and is notably rich in subdialects. Like all living linguistic systems, the Ajarian dialect is subject to constant change, with lexical shifts being particularly pronounced, given that vocabulary is the most dynamic component of language. The study of the dialect’s lexicon remains a consistently valuable endeavor, providing both scholarly interest and new linguistic insights.
The detailed study of dialects assigns particular significance to localized research, as it elucidates specific speech forms and features, thereby contributing to the comprehensive and nuanced portrayal of a given dialect. The present study, „Some Lexical Features of the Speech of the Ghorjomi Valley,” focuses on the lexical characteristics of the speech of the inhabitants of the Ghorjomi Valley – a distinct and emblematic subregion of Upper Ajara. To date, the speech of the Ghorjomi Valley has remained relatively underexplored within Georgian dialectology. This research is grounded in empirical data collected through fieldwork conducted by the author in the valley. A localized, discourse-level investigation of the Ghorjomi speech reveals numerous noteworthy lexical strata. In many instances, elements that appear to have faded from the standard literary language persist in the dialectal forms, thereby enriching our understanding of linguistic continuity and variation.
The lexical material of the Ghorjomi Valley is distinguished by the presence of archaic words and lexical dialectisms, alongside traces of a Zan (Megrelian-Laz) substratum. Foreign lexical elements are also frequent, reflecting the historical and cultural processes that have unfolded in the region over time.