Wikijunior:Languages/Georgian

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Contents 1 What writing system(s) does this language use? 2 How many people speak this language? 3 Where is this language spoken? 4 What is the history of this language? 5 Who are some famous authors or poets in this language? 6 What are some basic words in this language that I can learn? 7 What is a simple song/poem/story that I can learn in this language? 8 References

[edit] What writing system(s) does this language use?

Georgian uses its own alphabet, which has 33 letters. There are seven more letters, but they are no longer used, except in historical documents. The modern Georgian alphabet is called mkhedruli or მხედრული, which means "military". This is because Georgian used to have another alphabet, called "khutsuri" or ხუცური, which means "church". It is no longer used, except in the Georgian Orthodox Church.

[edit] How many people speak this language?

Approximately 4.1 million people speak Georgian.

[edit] Where is this language spoken?

Almost all Georgian speakers live in Georgia. About 500,000 people abroad, mostly in Turkey, Iran, Russia, and the United States, also speak Georgian.

[edit] What is the history of this language?

[edit] Who are some famous authors or poets in this language?

Not very many Georgian authors and poets are known throughout the world. Probably the closest person to an internationally recognized Georgian author is Joseph Stalin, or Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili (იოსებ სტალინი). He wasn't really an author, but he was Georgian.

Shota Rustaveli (შოთა რუსთაველი), Galaktion Tabidze (გალაკტიონ ტაბიძე), Mikheil Javakhishvili (მიხეილ ჯავახიშვილი), and Konstantine Gamsakhurdia (კონსტანტინე გამსახურდია) are some of the more famous Georgian authors.

[edit] What are some basic words in this language that I can learn?

English	Georgian	Pronunciation
Hello	გამარჯობათ	gah-mahr-joh-baht
How are you?	როგორა ხართ?	roh-goh-rah khahrt?
Goodbye	ნახვამდის	nakh-vahm-dees
Please	თუ შეიძლება	tu sheh-eedz-leh-bah
Thank you	გმადლობთ	gmahd-lohbt
Yes	დიახ	dee-akh
No	არა	ah-rah
Do you speak English?	ინგლისური იცით?	eeng-lee-soo-ree ee-tseet?
Do you speak Georgian?	ქართული იცით	kahr-too-lee ee-tseet?

[edit] What is a simple song/poem/story that I can learn in this language?

[edit] References

Wikipedia