# Mingrelian grammar

Mingrelian is a Kartvelian language from the Caucasus. Like other languages in the area, it contains a large number of grammatical cases and shows ergative alignment. Mingrelian is mostly agglutinative in terms of morphological inflection, although it has no grammatical gender or noun classes, unlike neighbouring Caucasian languages from the Nakh-Dagestanian family. Mingrelian verbs index numerous tense-aspect-moods, with traces of evidentiality indexation.
Mingrelian has two dialects: Zugdidi-Samurzakano (northwestern) and Senaki-Martvili (southeastern).

## Phonology
### Vowels

Mingrelian has five vowel phonemes /i ɛ a ɔ u/. The Zugdidi-Samurzaqano dialect has a sixth /ə/ which is the result of assimilation of /i/ and /u/.
Mingrelian vowels :
| | Front | Back | Back |
| | Front | unrounded | rounded |
| High | i [i] ი | (ə [ə] ჷ) | u [u] უ |
| Mid | e [ɛ] ე | | o [ɔ] ო |
| Low | | a [ɑ] ა | |

### Consonants

The consonant inventory of Mingrelian contains series of aspirated and ejective consonants that contrast with voiced consonants. The inventory and is almost identical to that of Laz, Georgian, and Svan. The table below shows the consonants of Mingrelian in romanized script, phonetic symbols from the IPA, and in Mkhedruli script.
Mingrelian consonants :
| | | Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Uvular | Glottal |
| Nasal | Nasal | m [m] მ | n [n] ნ | | | | |
| Plosive | voiced | b [b] ბ | d [d] დ | | g [ɡ] გ | | |
| Plosive | aspirated | p [pʰ] ფ | t [tʰ] თ | | k [kʰ] ქ | | |
| Plosive | ejective | p̌ [pʼ] პ | ţ [tʼ] ტ | | ǩ [kʼ] კ | q̌ [qʼ] ყ | ɔ [ʔ] ჸ |
| Affricate | voiced | | ž [d͡z] ძ | dj [d͡ʒ] ჯ | | | |
| Affricate | aspirated | | ʒ [t͡sʰ] ც | ç [t͡ʃʰ] ჩ | | | |
| Affricate | ejective | | ǯ [t͡sʼ] წ | č [t͡ʃʼ] ჭ | | | |
| Fricative | voiced | v [v] ვ | z [z] ზ | j [ʒ] ჟ | ɣ [ɣ] ღ | ɣ [ɣ] ღ | |
| Fricative | voiceless | | s [s] ს | ş [ʃ] შ | x [x] ხ | x [x] ხ | h [h] ჰ |
| Trill | Trill | | r [r] რ | | | | |
| Approximant | Approximant | | l [l] ლ | y [j] ჲ | | | |

## Grammatical cases

Mingrelian has nine grammatical cases, which are indexed in all nominals. Unlike neighboring Nakh-Dagestanian languages, Mingrelian verbs show no case markings. Grammatical case endings are the same for nouns and adjectives, both in the singular and the plural, unlike many Indo-European languages such as Latin or Polish. Mingrelian case morphemes are shown below.
| Case | Mingrelian | Mingrelian |
| nominative | -ი | -i |
| ergative | -ქ | -k |
| dative | -ს | -s |
| genitive | -იშ | -iş /iʃ/ |
| lative | -იშა | -işa /iʃa/ |
| ablative | -იშე | -işe /iʃe/ |
| instrumental | -ით | -it |
| adverbial | -ო(თ) | -o(t) |
| benefactive | -იშო(თ) | -işo(t) /iʃot/ |

### Nominals

Mingrelian nouns and adjectives occur in singular and plural forms.

#### Example of noun declension

Example of the declension of noun stem კოჩ- (ǩoç- “man”) in singular and plural forms.
| Case/Number | Singular | Singular | Singular | Plural | Plural | Plural |
| Case/Number | Mkhedruli | Romanized | IPA | Mkhedruli | Romanized | IPA |
| Nominative | კოჩი | ǩoç-i | / kʼɔtʃʰi / | კოჩეფი | ǩoç-ep-i | / kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰi / |
| Ergative | კოჩქ | ǩoç-k | / kʼɔtʃʰkʰ / | კოჩეფქ | ǩoç-ep-k | / kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰkʰ / |
| Dative | კოჩს | ǩoç-s | / kʼɔtʃʰs / | კოჩეფს | ǩoç-ep-s | / kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰs / |
| Genitive | კოჩიშ | ǩoç-iş | / kʼɔtʃʰiʃ / | კოჩეფიშ | ǩoç-ep-iş | / kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰiʃ / |
| Lative | კოჩიშა | ǩoş-işa | / kʼɔtʃʰiʃa / | კოჩეფიშა | ǩoç-ep-işa | / kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰiʃa / |
| Ablative | კოჩიშე | ǩoç-işe | / kʼɔtʃʰiʃɛ / | კოჩეფიშე | ǩoç-ep-işe | / kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰiʃɛ / |
| Instrumental | კოჩით | ǩoç-it | / kʼɔtʃʰit / | კოჩეფით | ǩoç-ep-it | / kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰit / |
| Adverbial | კოჩო | ǩoç-o | / kʼɔtʃʰɔ / | კოჩეფო | ǩoç-ep-o | / kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰɔ / |
| Benefactive | კოჩიშო | ǩoç-išo | / kʼɔtʃʰiʃɔ / | კოჩეფიშო | ǩoç-ep-işo | / kʼɔtʃʰɛpʰiʃɔ / |

#### Example of adjective declension

Declension of stem წვეშ- (ǯveş- “old”) in singular and plural forms.
| Case | Singular | Singular | Plural | Plural |
| Nominative | წვეში | ǯveş-i | წვეშეფი | ǯveş-ep-i |
| Ergative | წვეშქ | ǯveş-k | წვეშეფქ | ǯveş-ep-k |
| Dative | წვეშს | ǯveş-s | წვეშეფს | ǯveş-ep-s |
| Genitive | წვეშიშ | ǯveş-iş | წვეშეფიშ | ǯveş-ep-iş |
| Lative | წვეშიშა | ǯveş-işa | წვეშეფიშა | ǯveş-ep-işa |
| Ablative | წვეშიშე | ǯveş-işe | წვეშეფიშე | ǯveş-ep-işe |
| Instrumental | წვეშით | ǯveş-it | წვეშეფით | ǯveş-ep-it |
| Adverbial | წვეშო | ǯveş-o | წვეშეფო | ǯveş-ep-o |
| Benefactive | წვეშიშო | ǯveş-işo | წვეშეფიშო | ǯveş-ep-işo |

#### Comparison with other Kartvelian languages

Example of the declension of noun stem კოჩ- (ǩoç- “man”) in comparison to corresponding Laz კოჩ- (ǩoç-) , Georgian კაც- (kʼats-) and Svan č'äš (“husband”) forms. Note that Laz does not index adverbial and benefactive cases through suffixes, neither do Georgian nor Svan index the lative or ablative.
| Case | Singular | Singular | Singular | Singular | Singular | Plural | Plural | Plural | Plural | Plural |
| Case | Mingrelian | Mingrelian | Laz | Georgian | Svan | Mingrelian | Mingrelian | Laz | Georgian | Svan |
| Nominative | კოჩი | ǩoçi | ǩoçi | kʼatsi | č'äš | კოჩეფი | ǩoçepi | ǩoçepe | kʼatsebi | č'äšär |
| Ergative | კოჩქ | ǩoçk | ǩoçik | kʼatsma | č'äšd | კოჩეფქ | ǩoçepk | ǩoçepek | kʼatsebma | č'äšärd |
| Dative | კოჩს | ǩoçs | ǩoçis | kʼatss | č'äšs | კოჩეფს | ǩoçeps | ǩoçepes | kʼatsebs | č'äšärs |
| Genitive | კოჩიშ | ǩoçiş | ǩoçiş | kʼatsis | č'äšiš | კოჩეფიშ | ǩoçepiş | ǩoçepeş | kʼatsebis | č'äšäriš |
| Lative | კოჩიშა | ǩoşişa | ǩoçişa | - | - | კოჩეფიშა | ǩoçepişa | ǩoçepeşa | | |
| Ablative | კოჩიშე | ǩoçişe | ǩoçişe | - | - | კოჩეფიშე | ǩoçepişe | ǩoçepeşe | | |
| Instrumental | კოჩით | ǩoçit | ǩoçite | kʼatsit | č'äššw | კოჩეფით | ǩoçepit | ǩoçepete | kʼatsebit | č'äšäršw |
| Adverbial | კოჩო | ǩoço | | kʼatsad | č'äšd | კოჩეფო | ǩoçepo | | kʼatsebad | č'äšärd |
| Benefactive | კოჩიშო | ǩoçišo | | kʼatsistvis | č'äšišd | კოჩეფიშო | ǩoçepişo | | kʼatsebistvis | č'äšärišd |

### Traces of noun classification

Mingrelian has traces of a noun classification system that distinguishes animacy semantically along the lines of human-like or un-human-like.
| Concrete | Concrete | Concrete | Abstract |
| Animate | Animate | Inanimate | Inanimate |
| Human and "human-like" beings (e.g. God, deities, angels) | Animals | Inanimate physical entities | Abstract objects |
| Human-like | Un-human-like | Un-human-like | Un-human-like |
| mi? ("who?") | mu? ("what?") | mu? ("what?") | mu? ("what?") |

### Pronouns
#### Personal pronouns (nominative)

| I | მა | ma |
| You (sing.) | სი | si |
| We | ჩქი/ჩქƨ | çki/çkə |
| You (pl.) | თქვა | tkva |

#### Demonstrative pronouns (nominative)

| Singular | Singular | Plural | Plural |
| This | ina | These | (t)enepi |
| That | ena | Those | (t)inepi |

#### Possessive pronouns

| 1st person | singular | ჩქიმი/ჩქƨმი | çkimi/çkəmi |
| 1st person | plural | ჩქინი/ჩქƨნი | çkini/çkəni |
| 2nd person | singular | სქანი | skani |
| 2nd person | plural | თქვანი | tkvani |
| 3rd person | singular | მუში | muşi |
| 3rd person | plural | ინეფიშ | inepiş |

## Verbs

The Mingrelian verb has the categories of person, number, version, tense, mood, aspect, voice, and verbal focus.

### Personality and number

In Mingrelian the verbs can be monovalent, bivalent or trivalent. This feature is also shared with other Kartvelian languages.
* Monovalent verbs are represented only by subjective person and are always intransitive.
* Bivalent verbs together with subject have also one object (direct or indirect). They are:
** transitive in the case of direct object
** intransitive if the object is indirect
* Trivalent verbs have one subject and always both, direct and indirect objects and are ditransitive.

#### Table of verb personality

| | Unipersonal | Bipersonal | Bipersonal | Tripersonal |
| | intransitive | transitive | intransitive | ditransitive |
| Subject | + | + | + | + |
| Direct Object | | + | | + |
| Indirect Object | | | + | + |
The person may be singular or plural.
Subject and object markers in Mingrelian are roughly the same as in Laz.

#### Subject markers

| | Singular | Plural |
| S1 | v- | v-...-t |
| S2 | ∅- | ∅-...-t |
| S3 | ∅-...-∅/-s/-u | ∅-...-na/-es |

#### Object markers

| | Singular | Plural |
| O1 | m- | m-...-na/-es/-t |
| O2 | g- | g-...-na/-es/-t |
| O3 | ∅- | ∅-...-na/-es |
In pre-consonant position the markers v- and g- may change phonetically:
* v- → b- (in Zugdidi-Samurzakano dialect)
* g- → r- (in both dialects)

### Version

In Mingrelian there are four types of version marking:
* subjective – shows that the action is intended for oneself,
* objective – action is intended for another person,
* objective-passive – the action is intended for another person and at the same time indicating the passiveness of subject,
* neutral – neutral with respect to intention.
Version markers :
| Version | Mingrelian | Laz | Georgian | Svan |
| Subjective | -i- | -i- | -i- | -i- |
| Objective | -u- | -u- | -u- | -o- |
| Objective-passive | -a- | -a- | -e- | -e- |
| Neutral | -o-/-a | -o- | -a- | -a- |

### Tenses

In total there are 20 screeves in Mingrelian. They are grouped in four series.
Verb screeves (sample conjugation) :
| I series |||
| Screeve | Stem: ç̌ar- "to write" | Translation |
| present | ç̌aruns | s/he writes |
| imperfect | ç̌arundu | s/he was writing |
| imperfective optative | ç̌arundas | s/he were writing |
| imperfective conditional | ç̌arundu-ǩon | if s/he were writing |
| future imperfect | ç̌arundas iʔuapu(n)/iʔii(n) | s/he will be writing |
| conditional of future imperfect in the past | ç̌arundu-ǩon iɣuapudu/iɣiidu | if s/he were writing |
| future | doç̌aruns | s/he will write |
| future in the past | doç̌arundu | s/he would write |
| future optative | doç̌arundas | |
| II series |||
| aorist | ç̌aru | s/he wrote |
| aorist optative | ç̌aras | should s/he write |
| aorist conditional | ç̌aru-ǩon | if s/he wrote |
| III series |||
| inferential I | uç̌aru(n) | (it seems) s/he has written |
| inferential II | uç̌arudu | (it seems) s/he had written |
| inferential optative I | uç̌arudas | may s/he have written |
| inferential conditional II | uç̌arudu-ǩon | if s/he have written |
| IV series |||
| inferential III | noç̌arue(n) | (it seems) s/he has written |
| inferential IV | noç̌aruedu | (it seems) s/he had written |
| inferential optative III | noç̌aruedas | may s/he have written |
| Inferential conditional IV | noç̌aruedu-ǩon | if s/he have written |

### Moods

Indicative
Indicative statement claims that the proposition should be taken as an apparent fact.
Interrogative
There are two ways to express interrogative mood:
* with interrogative words, e.g. mi? (who?), mu? (what?), so? (where?), muzhams? (when?), muç̌o? (how?) etc.
* by attaching an interrogative particle -o to the end of a verb.
Imperative
Indicates a command or request. The aorist form is used when addressing 2nd person (singular/plural) and aorist optative in all other cases.
Subjunctive
Expresses possibility, wish, desire. The subjunctive mood in Mingrelian is provided by optative screeves.
Conditional
Indicates condition in contrary to a fact. It is produced by adding a verbal suffix -ǩo(ni) to the end of a verb.

### Aspect

In Mingrelian the verbs may have two aspects depending on the completeness of action (perfective aspect) or the lack of it (imperfective aspect). The perfective aspect is derived by adding a preverb to the verb.
In 2nd, 3rd, 4th series the verbs equally have both aspect forms, while in the 1st series the screeves are distributed between two aspects.
Aspect distribution in the 1st series :
| Imperfective Aspect ||||
| Screeve | Stem: ჭარ- ç̌ar- "to write" | Stem: ჭარ- ç̌ar- "to write" | Translation |
| present | ჭარუნს | ç̌aruns | s/he writes |
| imperfect | ჭარუნდუ | ç̌arundu | s/he was writing |
| imperfective optative | ჭარუნდას | ç̌arundas | s/he were writing |
| imperfective conditional | ჭარუნდუ კონ | ç̌arundu ǩon | if s/he were writing |
| future imperfect | ჭარუნდას იჸუაფუნ/იჸიიდუ | ç̌arundas iʔuapu(n)/iʔii(n) | s/he will be writing |
| conditional of future imperfect in the past | | ç̌arundu ǩon iʔuapudu/iʔiidu | if s/he were writing |
| Perfective Aspect ||||
| future | დოჭარუნს | do-ç̌ar-uns | s/he will write |
| future in the past | დოჭარუნდუ | do-ç̌arundu | s/he would write |
| future optative | დოჭარუნდას | doç̌arundas | |

## Lexicon
### Kinship terms

Mingrelian words for kinship reflect both generation and gender, although many words are derived. It has a mixed system of classificatory and descriptive system. Mingrelian kinship terms denote a large number of members of one's extended family as well as in-laws.

#### Nuclear family

Nuclear family :
| Mother | დიდა | dida |
| Father | მუმა | muma |
| Sister | და | da |
| Brother | ჲიმა | yima |
| Daughter | ოსორისქუა | osoriskua |
| Son | ბოში | boşi |
| Wife | ოსური | osuri |
| Husband | ქომონჲი | komonyi |

#### Extended family

Extended family :
| Grandmother | Grandmother | ბები | bebi |
| Grandfather | Grandfather | ბაბუ | babu |
| Aunt | maternal | დეიდა | deida |
| Aunt | paternal | მამიდა | mamida |
| Uncle | maternal | ბიჲია | biyia |
| Uncle | paternal | ბიჲია | biyia |
| Nice or Nephew | brother's child | ჲიმასქუა | yimaskua |
| Nice or Nephew | sister's child | დასქუა | daskua |
| Cousin | aunt's child | მამიდასქუა | mamidaskua |
| Cousin | uncle's child | ბიჲასქუა | biyaskua |

#### In-laws and step-family

In-laws and Step family :
| Mother-in-law | დიანთილი | diantili |
| Father-in-law | მუანთილი | muantili |
| Son-in-law | გესინჯებული | gesindjebuli |
| Parents of your child's spouse | ზახალეფი | zaxalefi |
| Sister-in-law | ოხოლასქილი | oxolaskili |
| Brother-in-law | სინჯა | sindja |
| Stepmother | დიდაჸონირი | didaɔoneri |
| Stepfather | მუმაჸონირი | mumaɔoneri |
| Stepchild | სქუაჸონირი | skuaɔoniri |

### Numerals

Mingrelian numerals follow a vigesimal system (i.e. base 20), like in Georgian.

#### Cardinal numbers

Most of the Mingrelian cardinal numbers are inherited from Proto-Kartvelian language, except arti (one) and eçi (twenty), which are considered as a Karto-Zan heritage, since there are no regular equivalents in Svan.
Cardinal numbers' table :
| | Mingrelian | Mingrelian |
| 1 | ართი | arti |
| 2 | ჟირი/ჟჷრი | zhiri/zhəri |
| 3 | სუმი | sumi |
| 4 | ოთხი | otxi |
| 5 | ხუთი | xuti |
| 6 | ამშვი | amşvi |
| 7 | შქვითი | şkviti |
| 8 | (ბ)რუო | (b)ruo |
| 9 | ჩხორო | çxoro |
| 10 | ვითი | viti |
| 11 | ვითაართი | vitaarti |
| 12 | ვითოჟირი | vitozhiri |
| 13 | ვითოსუმი | vitosumi |
| 14 | ვითაანთხი | vitaantxi |
| 15 | ვითოხუთი | vitoxuti |
| 20 | ეჩი | eçi |
| 21 | ეჩდოართი | eçdoarti |
| 30 | ეჩდოვითი | eçdoviti |
| 40 | ჟაარნეჩი | zhaarneçi |
| 50 | ჟაარნეჩიდოვიჩი | zhaarneçidoviti |
| 60 | სუმონეჩი | sumoneçi |
| 70 | სუმონეჩდოვითი | sumoneçdoviti |
| 80 | ოთხონეჩი | otxoneçi |
| 90 | ოთხონეჩდოვითი | otxoneçdoviti |
| 100 | ოში | oşi |
| 101 | ოშართი | oşarti |
| 102 | ოშჟირი | oşzhiri |
| 110 | ოშვითი | oşviti |
| 200 | ჟიროში | zhiroşi |
| 500 | ხუთოში | xutoşi |
| 1000 | ანთასი | antasi |
| 1999 | ანთას ჩხოროშ ოთხონეჩდოვითოჩხორო | antas çxoroş otxoneçdovitoçxoro |
| 2000 | ჟირი ანთასი | zhiri antasi |
| 10000 | ვითი ანთასი | viti antasi |

#### Ordinal numbers

In Mingrelian, ordinal numbers are derived by the circumfix ma- -a, with the exception of the word for “first”, პირველი (p̌irveli), which is not derived from the word for “one” ართი arti.
* Ordinal
* ma-NUMBER-a
Ordinal numbers :
| | Mingrelian |
| 1st | p̌irveli |
| 2nd | mazhira |
| 3rd | masuma |
| 4th | maotxa/mantxa |
| 5th | maxuta |
| 6th | maamşva |
| 7th | maşkvita |
| 8th | maruo |
| 9th | maçxora |
| 10th | mavita |
| 11th | mavitaarta |
| 12th | mavitozhira |
| 20th | maeça |
| 21st | eçdomaarta |
| 30th | eçdomavita |
| 100th | maoşa |
| 101st | oşmaarta |
| 102nd | oşmazhira |
| 110th | oşmavita |
| 200th | mazhiroşa |
| 500th | maxutoşa |
| 1000th | maantasa |

#### Fractional numbers

The fractional numbers derivation rule in Mingrelian is akin to Old Georgian and Svan.
Fractional number derivation :
| Mingrelian/Laz |
| Mingrelian/Laz | na-NUMBER-al/or |
Fractional numbers' table :
| | Mingrelian |
| | Mingrelian | whole | teli |
| 1/2 | gverdi |
| 1/3 | nasumori |
| 1/4 | naotxali or naantxali |
| 1/5 | naxutali |
| 1/6 | naamşvali |
| 1/7 | naşkvitali |
| 1/8 | naruali |
| 1/9 | naçxorali |
| 1/10 | navitali |
| 1/11 | navitaartali |
| 1/12 | navitozhirali |
| 1/20 | naeçali |
| 1/100 | naoşali |
| 1/1000 | naantasali |