Languages in Georgia

Georgian is the national and primary language of the people in Georgia. With its population reaching 5 million, 83% or 3.9 million of them speak the Georgian language. Others speak Russian and/or different dialects. It is also the language used in schools all throughout the country. Moreover, the ethnographic groups of Georgia also speak the language especially the Svans, Megrelians and Laz who speak other South Caucasian languages. Though it is part of the Caucasus region, the Georgian language is very much different from the other languages outside its area.

The Georgian language is known throughout the world for its consonants. Quite unique to their language, their words usually start with two combined consonants. Some words even have a combination of 8 consonants (ingvprtskvni) which is quite hard to learn for non-Georgians. Non-caucasians and non-Georgians usually find it difficult to understand and learn the language as their alphabet and the language itself are quite complicated.

Mkhedruli is the most dominant alphabet used in the Georgian language (aside from Asomtavruli or the capital letters and Nuskhuri or the small letters). Thirty three letters in the alphabet are of common use, and 6 others are now obsolete.

There are a number of Georgian dialects namely: Imeretian, Kartlian, Gurian, Adjaran, Kakhetian, Tush, Pshavian, Meskhetian and Mtiuletian. Svan and Megrelian languages are also spoken in the northwest part of Georgia.

Aside from Georgian language, Russian language is also spoken by a number of people in Georgia. It is used by non-Georgians and taxi drivers who are used to different people in the country. English is also spoken in the country especially by the elites.