Georgian language and alphabet

All topics about Georgia

Language

The Georgian government has declared the Georgian language the official language, while in the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, Abkhazian is also an official language. The Georgian language is spoken by about 4 million people worldwide and is the most widely spoken language in the country. Around 92 per cent of the population speak Georgian fluently. The language belongs to the South Caucasian language family and has its own alphabet, which has been in use since the 5th century but probably has much older origins.

Abkhazian, also a Caucasian language, is spoken mainly in the region of Abkhazia by about 100,000 people. High-level state documents are drafted in both official languages, and the news agencies of the Georgian president, government and parliament also work in both languages.

Linguistic diversity

In addition to the two official languages, there are 23 other languages in Georgia from six different language families. The most important of these are Azerbaijani, Armenian, Ossetian and Russian. Although these languages have no official status, they are protected and promoted by the state. There are a total of 642 public schools where minority languages are taught. In addition to Georgian and Abkhazian, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Ossetian, English and Russian are used for university entrance exams and on public radio.

The importance of the Russian language has declined since Georgia gained independence. While it was an official language and compulsory subject in schools during the Soviet era, it is now rarely taught as a second foreign language and is more common among the older generation. The Russian-speaking population has declined sharply and now accounts for only 1.2% of the country’s population.

By contrast, English is gradually increasing in importance. Although it is not an official language, state documents are often also published in English. English is taught as a compulsory foreign language from the first grade onwards, and many services are provided in two languages, which promotes the dissemination and use of English in the country.

Svan language

There are two regional languages in Georgia: Svan and Mingrelian. These languages are so specific that they cannot be understood by people outside these regions of Georgia.

Svan, also known as ‘lušnu nin’ in its own term or as ‘svanuri ena’ in Georgian, is spoken by an estimated 15,000 to possibly 30,000 people. This language is mainly spoken in the Svaneti region of Georgia, but also in the western Kodori Gorge, which belongs to Abkhazia and is claimed by Georgia. There are also speakers of Svan in other parts of Georgia and abroad. The language belongs to the South Caucasian (Kartvelian) language family.

Svan differs markedly from the other South Caucasian languages in its greater vowel richness. However, it has no official written form and the Svan traditionally use Georgian as their established written language. Within Georgia, the Svan are traditionally considered a sub-ethnic group of the Georgians.

Megrelian language

Mingrelian, also known by its native name ‘Margaluri Nina’, is spoken by around 500,000 people in the Mingrelia region of western Georgia, making it the second-largest South Caucasian language in the region. Together with the closely related Laz, it forms the San group within this language family.

Historically, Mingrelian had no separate written language and is still not used officially as a school or official language in Georgia. Instead, Georgian, which is related to Mingrelian, served as the written language for Mingrelian speakers. In recent times, Mingrelian has been written with Georgian or, more rarely, Latin letters in informal settings, e.g. in public fora, but without a standardised orthography. In Abkhazia, there is a publication in Mingrelian, the newspaper ‘Gali’.

Writing

The Georgian alphabet has existed since at least the 5th century and is used for the Georgian language. It consists of 33 letters, each of which represents a sound. Before a reform in the 19th century, there were five additional letters that are no longer used in modern language. The writing is done from left to right and was influenced by the Greek alphabet, although the letters themselves are an independent invention.

There are three different types of Georgian script: Assomtawruli, Nuskhuri and Mchedruli. Sometimes people talk about three different Georgian scripts, although historically they are variants of the same script. They have a common order and similar letter names.

For typographic purposes, Assomtawruli and Nuschuri are considered to be the capital and small letters of the same script. Mchedruli is considered to be a separate script. Today, Assomtawruli and Nuschuri are officially used only by the Georgian Orthodox Church for religious texts. Mchedruli is the predominant Georgian script for general use.

In addition to Georgian, this script is also used for other South Caucasian languages such as Mingrelian, Svan, Laz and the Northeast Caucasian language Bat. Between 1938 and 1954, the Georgian script was also officially used for the languages Abkhaz and Ossetian. In the past, the letters were also used as numerals.

Short History

The origins of the Georgian script are interpreted differently by various historians and sources. An important source is the 11th-century Georgian historian Leonti Mroweli, who claims that Parnawas I, the first king of Iberia in the 3rd century BC, invented the Georgian alphabet.

While some consider this source to be reliable, most historians doubt that Parnawas actually created the Georgian alphabet. Some believe that he rather revised an existing writing system.

The oldest known examples of the Georgian script were found in Palestine, outside of Georgia. In 1952, an Italian archaeologist discovered three inscriptions on the floor of a Georgian monastery near Bir el Qutt in the Judean Desert, dated 430 and 532 AD. Other inscriptions found in a church in Nazareth between 1955 and 1960 are probably even older, dating from around 330 to 427.

There is also evidence of this writing in Georgia itself. The inscriptions in the Sioni Church in Bolnissi are the oldest and date from the end of the 5th century. The Abakedarium on the stele of Davati deserves a special mention. Although this view is controversial, some scholars consider it to be the very first example of Georgian writing, dating from 367. The Nekresi inscriptions, often considered to date from the 1st to 3rd century, are also not clearly recognised, although they are considered to be very old examples.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Christoph Koch 
 
24/09/2026
 
 
 Trustindex überprüft, ob die Originalquelle der Bewertung Google ist. 
Giorgi hat uns zu viert zwei Wochen lang auf einer kombinierten Kultur- und Wanderreise durch Georgien und Armenien begleitet. Er hat sich vom ersten Kontakt bis zur Verabschiedung stets freundlich und professionell um alles gekümmert. Wir haben in schönen Hotels gewohnt und sehr gut gegessen. Die Wanderrouten waren konditionell anspruchsvoll, haben uns aber mit tollen Ausblicken in die Landschaft belohnt, inklusive der Sichtung von Steinböcken am Kasbeg. Wer Lust auf die spannenden Reiseländer Georgien und Armenien hat, kann sich bedenkenlos Giorgi anvertrauen.
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Nico Lampe 
 
03/09/2026
 
 
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Vielen Dank für die wunderbare Begleitung bei unserem dreitägigen Ausflug nach Stepantsminda. Die gesamte Reiseorganisation und Betreuung hat super funktioniert. Bei unserem nächsten Aufenthalt in Georgien melden wir uns auf jeden Fall wieder.
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Khatuna Bagrationi 
 
02/09/2026
 
 
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Perfekte Reise durch Georgien mit Giorgi! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Wir haben unsere Georgien-Reise für meine Deutsche Freunden gemeinsam mit Reiseziel Kaukasus geplant und durchgeführt und könnten nicht glücklicher mit unserer Entscheidung sein. Ein ganz großes Dankeschön geht an Giorgi! Er hat unsere Tour (unter anderem nach Mzcheta, Signagi und Tiflis) perfekt organisiert. Dank seiner hervorragenden Fachkenntnisse, seiner warmherzigen Art und den vielen spannenden Einblicken in die georgische Kultur und Geschichte wurde die Reise zu einem unvergesslichen Erlebnis. Alles lief reibungslos und super entspannt ab. Wer Georgien individuell, authentisch und bestens betreut erleben möchte, ist hier genau an der richtigen Adresse. Absolute Empfehlung!
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Natalja K. 
 
10/07/2026
 
 
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Wir haben im Juni 2026 eine Rundreise durch Georgien gemacht, im Zuge der Planung sind wir auf Giorgi‘s Kontakt gestoßen. Leider hat terminlich keine gemeinsame Tour geklappt, aber Giorgi hat uns über die gesamte Planung und Reise wertvolle Tips gegeben und Kontakte vermittelt. Wir haben uns auch einmal in seiner Heimatstadt auf Durchreise getroffen und uns über unsere Erfahrungen und weiteren Ziele ausgetauscht. Er ist sehr kompetent, hilfsbereit und spricht sehr gut deutsch. Meine nächste Reise in Georgien wird definitiv eine von ihm angebotene Trekking Tour sein. Bis demnächst!
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Helena Dirksen 
 
21/03/2026
 
 
 Trustindex überprüft, ob die Originalquelle der Bewertung Google ist. 
Die Tour mit Giorgi war sehr informationsreich! Giorgi war sehr freundlich und ist absolut auf uns eingegangen! Vielen lieben Dank!
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Davit Logua 
 
28/02/2026
 
 
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Amazing place and environment, made special by Giorgi with his knowledge and experience 🇬🇪❤️
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Archil Todua 
 
28/02/2026
 
 
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Einfach gesagt ist es das beste Reiseunternehmen in Georgien. Besser gesagt, es ist das allerbeste Reiseunternehmen in Georgien.
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Manana Songulia 
 
01/02/2026
 
 
 Trustindex überprüft, ob die Originalquelle der Bewertung Google ist. 
Die Radreise in Georgien war perfekt für alle, die das Land aktiv und nah erleben möchten. Die Strecken waren abwechslungsreich, landschaftlich sehr reizvoll und gut ausgewählt. Besonders schön war, dass immer wieder Zeit für Pausen und spontane Entdeckungen blieb.
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Demetre 
 
01/02/2026
 
 
 Trustindex überprüft, ob die Originalquelle der Bewertung Google ist. 
Auf der FotoReise in Georgien haben wir Orte besucht, die fotografisch unglaublich viel zu bieten haben. Landschaften, Menschen und Architektur ergänzen sich perfekt. Die Reise war klar auf Fotografie ausgerichtet und trotzdem entspannt und inspirierend.
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
    
 
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