What Languages are Spoken in Georgia?

Where is Georgia and What’s its History?

Georgia is a country located in the Caucasus region, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It borders Russia to the north, Turkey and Armenia to the south, Azerbaijan to the east, and the Black Sea to the west.

As for its history, Georgia boasts a rich and ancient heritage that spans thousands of years back. It was an important cultural and commercial center in antiquity and has been controlled by various empires over the centuries, including the Roman Empire, the Persian Empire, and the Ottoman Empire.

In the 19th century, Georgia became part of the Russian Empire, and later the Soviet Union. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Georgia declared its independence and has been a sovereign country ever since.

Today, Georgia is known for its unique culture, delicious food, mountainous landscapes, and hospitality.

What is the Official Language of Georgia?

The official language of Georgia is Georgian.

Georgian belongs to the Kartvelian language family, also known as the Iberian or South Caucasian languages. This family includes Svan, Mingrelian, and Laz. Georgian is the most prominent Kartvelian language and the only one with an ancient literary tradition.

There are approximately 5.2 million speakers of Kartvelian languages worldwide. This group of languages is actually also one of the oldest in the world, with origins dating back to 6,000 BCE.

The Georgian alphabet is called Mkhedruli and is rather unique. The current alphabet was introduced in the 10th century and standardized in the 11th century. Before that time, two other alphabets were cycled through, but are no longer used today.

As the official language, Georgian is used in government, education, and media. However, in regions with significant ethnic minorities, local languages can also be taught in schools. While there are several Georgian dialects, the standard form, based on the Tbilisi dialect, is taught in schools and used in the media.

What Other Languages are Spoken in Georgia?

Georgia is a country with great ethnic and cultural diversity, so many more languages are spoken in addition to Georgian. Let’s look at the most common ones:

• Svan: Spoken in the mountainous region of Svaneti. Although it is a Kartvelian language, it has many unique features and is quite different from standard Georgian.
• Mingrelian: Primarily spoken in the Samegrelo region in western Georgia. While related to Georgian, people in Georgia wouldn’t necessarily be able to understand what was being said.
• Laz: Spoken by the Laz community in southwestern Georgia and northeastern Turkey. It is similar to Mingrelian.
• Abkhaz: Spoken in the Abkhazia region in northwestern Georgia. Abkhazia is a separatist region, where Abkhaz is one of the official languages.
• Ossetian: Spoken in the South Ossetia region, another separatist area. Ossetian is an Iranian language belonging to the Indo-European language family.
• Russian: Although its use has declined since Georgia’s independence, Russian is still widely spoken, especially among older generations and in urban areas.
• Foreign languages: English and Turkish are the most widely spoken foreign languages in Georgia. English is increasingly popular, especially among younger people and in urban areas, due to globalization and increased education on these languages. Turkish is spoken predominantly in regions near the Turkish border and among the Turkish community in Georgia.

As you can see, Georgia has a lot of linguistic diversity. And there are even more languages, this was just a list of the most common ones!

What Language Should You Learn to Visit Georgia?

As we mentioned, Georgian is the most spoken language in the country, but learning it can be a daunting task for English speakers.

For those who speak English, the language is becoming more widespread in Georgia, especially in cities and among younger people.

So if you’re in a time crunch to learn Georgian, defaulting to English could be a potential option to communicate with locals when you don’t have the words in Georgian.

As we always say, it’s recommended to learn a few basic words and expressions in the country’s official language. This helps you connect with locals and shows your interest in their history and culture.