Georgian Alphabet - History

History

The writing of the Georgian language has progressed through three forms, known by their Georgian names: Asomtavruli, Nuskhuri, and Mkhedruli. They have always been distinct alphabets, even though they have been used together to write the same languages, and even though these alphabets share the same letter names and collation. Although the most recent alphabet, Mkhedruli, contains more letters than the two historical ones, those extra letters are no longer needed for writing modern Georgian.

The Georgian kingdom of Iberia converted to Christianity in 326 AD. Scholars believe that the creation of an Old Georgian alphabet was instrumental in making religious scripture more accessible to the Georgians. The oldest uncontested example of Georgian writing is an Asomtavruli inscription from III-II BC in a Pagan church(Sun temple) at Nekresi village, done in III century BC. This oldest remains of Georgian writing were moved to Georgian National Museum in Tbilisi.

Until discovery of Nekresi (2003-2012), it was believed that Georgian alphabet was created by Mesrop Mashtots. This viewpoint was accepted by encyclopedias. Everything changed when, in January 2011, scientists found the oldest Georgian scripts, in the pagan temple of Nekresi, dating back to 3'd century BC. This discovery affirmed the version of medieval Georgian historian Leonti Mroveli who mentioned that Georgian alphabet was created by Georgian king Parnavaz I in III BC. Leoti Mroveli's book "Life of Iberia(Kartli)" contains the scripts made by Georgian historian during the rule of Parnavaz I in 3'd century BC, but it was unclear until the nekresi discovery.

Scholars have asserted that the Georgian alphabet was created before Mesrop Mashtots. The modern Georgian scholar Levan Chilashvili, on the basis of the discovery of Nekresi inscription in eastern Georgia dated back to 3-2 centuries BC, claimed that Parnavaz I created the scripts in order to translate the Avesta (sacred Zoroastrian writings) into Georgian.

After researching Koryun's Life of Mashtots, a famous Georgian historian Ivane Javakhishvili came to conclusion that the story of creation of Georgian alphabet by Mashtots was a mere addition made in the VI century. In addition, an Armenian historian Ghazar Parpetsi considers Mashtots as the creator of only Armenian alphabet. The assumption is strengthened by recent (from 1990s through 2003) works in Nekresi conducted by Levan Chilashvili.

There are many similarities as well as differences between Georgian and Armenian alphabet((k'kh|ყ) this letter is only in Georgian alphabet and Language), but the order of the letters in the first part of Georgian alphabet is almost parallel to the similar letters of the Greek alphabet, and the other part consists of letters which are very specific to Georgian (ღ, ყ, შ, ჩ, ც, ძ, წ, ჭ, ხ, ჯ, ჰ). Therefore, the order of the letters are completely different between Georgian and Armenian alphabet. Also, the names of the letters and the numeral values of letters are completely different, which, according to Ivane Javakhishvili, would not have been the case if the Georgian alphabet had been created on the root of Armenian alphabet.