For Turkish-Azerbajani Mediation in Persian-Georgian language Relations

Abstract

Middle Persian and Parthian loans penetrated into Georgian either directly or via Armenian (Andronikashvili, 1966: 9, 161). However, until recently, it was considered that New Persian loans penetrated into Georgian only directly. Our research has proved that in some cases Persian words penetrated into Georgian via two Turkic languages – Anatolian Turkish and Azerbaijani. In the late Middle Ages, South-West Georgia fell under the Turkish-Ottoman political influence. This, naturally, led to close language contacts of certain Georgian territories with Turkey. Traces of these contacts are found even in those regions of Western Georgia which were not directly subject to the Ottoman Empire. At the same time, there are proofs of the contacts of Eastern Georgian dialects with the Turkish language. Loans, in particular, Persian loan words penetrated into these dialects from Anatolian Turkish as well as Azerbaijani. The paper analyzes 35 loan-words that have penetrated into Georgian via Turkish and Azerbaijani. Mediation of these languages is proved based on the phonetic and semantic criteria. In certain cases, Georgian dialectal data are also taken into account. Due to great similarity between Anatolian Turkish and Azerbaijani, in some cases, it is hard to identify which of the two languages was the source of borrowing of Persian words in Georgian. The paper presents 8 examples of this kind (for instance, Georgian გიაურ-ი [giaur-i][1] arch. „heathen” (an abusive word of Moslems referring to non-Moslems)“<Turkish gâvur 1. „faithless“; 2.„non-Moslem“/Azerbaijani gavur 1.„faithless“; non-Moslem“<classical Persian گبر [gabr] 1.„Zoroastrian, fire-worshipper“;2.„heathen, faithless, non-Moslem“). Georgian has borrowed 16 loan-words from Persian via Anatolian Turkish (e.g. Georgian ბეჯით-ი[bejit-i] 1.„hard-working, diligent, industrious, studious“; 2.„faithful, devoted“<Turk. becit „serious, important, necessary; /Azer. becid „quickly, fast!“<classical Persian بجد [bejed(d)] 1.adj. „hard-working, diligent, studious“; 2.adv. archaic „seriously, diligently, assuredly“). We have analyzed 11 Persian loans that have penetrated into Georgian via Azerbaijani (e.g. Georgian დაზგა [dazga] „a large table on which artesans work“<Azer. dəzgah „lathe“/Turk. tezgâh „lathe“<classical Persian دستگاه[dastgāh] „lathe“).