Georgian scripts

Georgian alphabet
Script type	Alphabet
Time period	430 to present
Direction	Left-to-right
Languages	Georgian and other Kartvelian languages
Related scripts
Parent systems	modeled on Greek Georgian alphabet
Sister systems	Latin Coptic Armenian Cyrillic
ISO 15924
ISO 15924	Geor (240), ​Georgian (Mkhedruli and Mtavruli) Geok (241, Georgian scripts#Nuskhuri)
Unicode
Unicode alias	Georgian
Unicode range	U+10A0–U+10FF, U+2D00–U+2D2F

The Georgian script is a graphically independent alphabetic writing system used to write the Georgian language. It is a phonemic orthography and the current alphabet has 33 letters.

The Georgian script can also be used to write other Kartvelian languages (Mingrelian, Svan, sometimes Laz), and occasionally other languages of the Caucasus such as Ossetian and Abkhaz during the 1940s. Historically Ingush, Chechen and Avar languages were written in the Georgian script, later replaced in the 17th century by Arabic and by the Cyrillic script in modern times.

The Georgian word ანბანი (anbani) meaning "alphabet" is derived from the names of the first two letters of the three Georgian alphabets, which, although they look very different from one another, share the same alphabetic order and letter names. The alphabets can be seen mixed in some context, although Georgian is formally unicameral meaning there is normally no distinction between upper and lower case in any of the alphabets.

Origins

The oldest Georgian inscription in Bethlehem, 430 AD.

The second oldest Georgian inscription in Bolnisi Sioni, 494 AD.

Graphical similarity of characters of Armenian and Old Georgian alphabets

The origins of the Georgian alphabet are poorly known, and no full agreement exists among Georgian and foreign scholars as to its date of creation, who designed the script, and the main influences on that process. The oldest uncontested example of Georgian writing is an inscription in the Asomtavruli script dated 430 AD, in a church in Bethlehem, Palestine. The oldest example of the script being used in Georgia is found in the church of Bolnisi Sioni, dated 494 AD.

The scholarly consensus points to the Georgian alphabet being created in the early 5th century. The first version of the alphabet attested is the Asomtavruli script; the other scripts were formed in the following centuries. Most scholars link the creation of the Georgian alphabet to the process of Christianisation of the Georgian-speaking lands, that is Lazica (or Colchis) in the west, Kartli (or Iberia) in the east. The alphabet was therefore most probably created between the conversion of Iberia under Mirian III (326 or 337) and the Bethlehem inscription of 430. It was first used for translation of the Bible and other Christian literature into Georgian, by monks in Georgia and Palestine.

The role played by Armenian clerics in the process of creation of Georgian alphabet is a subject of continued dialogue among scholars. Armenian tradition holds Mesrop Mashtots, the medieval scholar and evangelizer acknowledged as the creator of the Armenian alphabet in 405-406 AD, to have also created the Georgian and Caucasian Albanian alphabets. This tradition originates in the major work of Koryun, known as The Life of Mashtots (Armenian: Վարք Մաշտոցի), a 5th-century historian and biographer of Mashtots, and has been supported by many authors in Western sources, but has been criticized by some Georgian and Western scholars, who judge the passage in Koryun unreliable or even a later interpolation. Other scholars quote Koryun's claims without taking a stance on its validity. Many agree, however, that Armenian clerics, if not Mashtots himself, must have played a role in the creation of the Georgian script.

A competing Georgian tradition, first attested in medieval chronicles such as the Lives of the Kings of Kartli (ca. 800), assigns a much earlier, pre-Christian origin to the Georgian alphabet, and names King Pharnavaz I (3rd century BC) as its inventor. This account is now considered legendary, and is rejected by scholarly consensus, as no archaeological confirmation has been found. Georgian linguist Tamaz Gamkrelidze offers an alternate interpretation of the tradition, in the pre-Christian use of foreign scripts (alloglotography in the Aramaic alphabet) to write down Georgian texts.

Another scientific controversy regards the main influences at play in the Georgian alphabet, as scholars have debated whether it was inspired more by the Greek alphabet, or by Semitic writing systems such as Aramaic. Recent historiography focuses on greater similarities with the Greek alphabet than in the other Caucasian writing systems, most notably the order and numeric value of letters. Some scholars have also suggested as a possible inspiration for particular letters certain pre-Christian Georgian cultural symbols or clan markers.

Asomtavruli

Manuscript in Asomtavruli, 10th century.

Coin of King George IV of Georgia in Asomtavruli, 1210 AD.

Asomtavruli (Georgian: ასომთავრული) is a first and oldest script of the Georgian alphabet. Asomtavruli, literally meaning the "capital letters" derives from aso (ასო) meaning "letter" and mtavari (მთავარი) meaning "main, principal or head". It is also known as Mrgvlovani (Georgian: მრგვლოვანი) named because of its round shapes as the word mrgvali (მრგვალი) means "round". Despite its common Georgian name, this rounded alphabet is originally purely unicameral, just like the modern Georgian alphabet, Mkhedruli.

The oldest inscriptions in Asomtavruli are found from the 5th century. So far, the inscriptions found in Bethlehem and the Bolnisi Sioni Cathedral are the oldest ones written in the Asomtavruli script of the Georgian alphabet.

In the 9th century, Nuskhuri script gradually gets more dominant and the role of Asomtavruli is reduced in writing, although it still retains some value. In particular, the Georgian epigraphic monuments of the 10th to 18th centuries are still written in Asomtavruli script. Graphical features of Asomtavruli in the later period is characterized by acquiring more decorative purposes too. The 9th-century Georgian manuscripts, majority of which is written in the Nuskhuri script, Asomtavruli is used only for the titles and as the capital letters. Although, some manuscripts written completely in Asomtavruli can be found till the 11th century.

Graphics of Asomtavruli

In early Asomtavruli, the letters have the equal height and are placed in two-linear system. The writing direction is from left to the right and no other direction has been confirmed in any way in any of the inscriptions or the manuscripts. However, despite this, the Georgian historian and philologist Pavle Ingorokva believes that the Georgian alphabet like the Greek alphabet initially used the boustrophedon writing system.

Letters of Asomtavruli are constructed with geometric graphic elements like straight lines of different length, circumferences and half-circle lines of different radius. It is always the right angles from where the graphical elements of the Asomtavruli letters are connected.

The only letter of Asomtavruli which violates the rule of connection of graphical elements at the right angle is the letter ჯ (jani), the constituent elements of which are cross-linked by straight lines with its sharp corners. This exception is explained by various scientists. According to Helen Machavariani, the outline and contour of letter ჯ (jani) is the initials of Jesus Christ resulted through the crosswise intersection of letters ი (ini) and ქ (kani) and represents the monogram of Jesus. According to Ramaz Pataridze the cross-like shape of letter ჯ (jani) indicates the end of the alphabet and has the same function as the similar-shaped Phoenician Taw , Greek Chi Χ and the Latin X.

From the 7th century, the graphics of some Asomtavruli letters begin to change. In particular, in seven letters of ბ (bani), ჟ (zhani), ჳ (vie), ყ (qari), შ (shini), წ (tsili) and ჭ (chari) the closed circumference becomes more simple and an open arc takes its place from one side. Asomtavruli letter დ (doni) which is represented in the early monuments without the throat, then on the upper horizontal line the circle gets a smaller throat . The equal heights of the letters get violated, some letters become more long and thus can no longer be placed in the two-linear system.

Decorative Asomtavruli

Asomtavruli capital letter მ (mani), 12th century.

In the Nuskhuri written manuscripts, Asomtavruli is found mainly in the form of titles and capital letters. Capital letters of Asomtavruli were written in the beginnings of the paragraphs which created an orientation for the readers. In the early stages of the development of the books they were not painted and it was distinguished only with large size in the text, sometimes with the color and such capital letters are often performed with cinnabar.

Later from the 10th century, painting of capital letters occurs, resulting in an important place in the ornamental decoration of the manuscripts of the Georgian books and the miniatures. Often the Asomtavruli capital letters with the beautifully written text identifies the style of the specific era. For example the Georgian manuscripts of the Byzantine era in the period of the Byzantine-Georgian relations, the art of the Asomtavruli capital letters is enriched with the images of birds and animals.

From the 11th century "limb-flowery", "limb-arrowy" and "limb-spoty" decorative forms of Asomtavruli are developed. The first two are found in 11th- and 12th-century monuments, while the third one is used till the 18th century.

The "Curly" decorative form of Asomtavruli is also used where the letters are wattled or intermingled on each other, or the smaller letters are written inside other letters. It was mostly used for the headlines of the manuscripts or the books, although there are compete inscriptions which were written in the Asomtavruli "Curly" form only.

The title of Gospel of Matthew in Asomtavruli "Curly" decorative form.

Asomtavruli letters

Ⴀ

Ⴁ

Ⴂ

Ⴃ

Ⴄ

Ⴅ

Ⴆ

Ⴡ

Ⴇ

Ⴈ

Ⴉ

Ⴊ

Ⴋ

Ⴌ

Ⴢ

Ⴍ

Ⴎ

Ⴏ

Ⴐ

Ⴑ

Ⴒ

Ⴣ

ႭჃ Ⴓ

Ⴔ

Ⴕ

Ⴖ

Ⴗ

Ⴘ

Ⴙ

Ⴚ

Ⴛ

Ⴜ

Ⴝ

Ⴞ

Ⴤ

Ⴟ

Ⴠ

Ⴥ

Asomtavruli script is no longer universally used.

Some systems do not show the actual Asomtavruli forms for these letters, but instead show taller "capitalized" variants of the modern Mkhedruli alphabet. You may also see question marks, boxes or other symbols instead of Asomtavruli letters.

Nuskhuri

Nuskhuri of Ioane-Zosime, 979 AD.

Manuscript in Nuskhuri, 13th century

Nuskhuri (Georgian: ნუსხური) is a second script of the Georgian alphabet. Nuskhuri comes from the word nuskha (ნუსხა) which means "inventory or schedule". Nuskhuri is initially purely unicameral. Nuskhuri is often referred as Khutsuri (Georgian: ხუცური), as Nuskhuri being used along with Asomtavruli for the religious manuscripts it became an "ecclesiastical" alphabet mostly used in hagiography.

Nuskhuri first appears in the 9th century. The oldest inscription in Nuskhuri is found in the Ateni Sioni Church which date back to 835 AD. Nuskhuri first appears in the manuscripts from 864 AD. Nuskhuri script gets more dominant over Asomtavruli from the 10th century.

In Nuskhuri-written manuscripts the titles and the capital letters are always written in Asomtavruli.

The forms of Nuskhuri letters may have been derived from the northern Arsacid variant of the Pahlavi script, which itself was derived from the older Aramaic, although the direction of writing which is left to right, the use of separate symbols for the vowel sounds, the numerical values assigned to the letters in earlier times, and the order of the letters all point to significant Greek influence on the script. However, the Georgian linguist Tamaz Gamkrelidze argues that the forms of the letters are freely invented in imitation of the Greek model rather than directly based upon earlier forms of the Aramaic alphabet, even though the Georgian phonological inventory is very different from Greek.

Graphics of Nuskhuri

In Nuskhuri, the letters are written in the four-linear system and they vary in height. A characteristic feature of Nuskhuri is the deviation of its letters to the right. In general, the body of each letter is deviated, but this inclination is even stronger in those letters with upper or lower limbs. Nuskhuri letters have an angular shape. In Nuskhuri, the tendency to simplify the contour of its letters is noticeable, while Asomtavruli is more strict. In Nuskhuri, the letters are created in a single outline. One of the reasons of formation of Nuskhuri was the need of quick writing.

→ →
Asomtavruli letters ო (oni) and ჳ (vie), with mixing of these letters in Nuskhuri resulted in creation of a new letter უ (uni)

Nuskhuri letters

ⴀ

ⴁ

ⴂ

ⴃ

ⴄ

ⴅ

ⴆ

ⴡ

ⴇ

ⴈ

ⴉ

ⴊ

ⴋ

ⴌ

ⴢ

ⴍ

ⴎ

ⴏ

ⴐ

ⴑ

ⴒ

ⴣ

ⴍⴣ ⴓ

ⴔ

ⴕ

ⴖ

ⴗ

ⴘ

ⴙ

ⴚ

ⴛ

ⴜ

ⴝ

ⴞ

ⴤ

ⴟ

ⴠ

ⴥ

Nuskhuri script is no longer universally used.

You may see question marks, boxes or other symbols instead of Nuskhuri letters as some systems do not show their actual forms.

Usage of Asomtavruli and Nuskhuri today

Asomtavruli and Nuskhuri alphabets are still used today in some section headings and book titles, and sometimes used in a pseudo-bicameral way by varying the glyph sizes for creating capitals. Since they are no longer universally used for writing Georgian, they've also been reused in a creative way for writing capital letters, along with letters of the Mkhedruli alphabet. Georgian linguist Akaki Shanidze made an attempt in the 1950s to reintroduce Asomtavruli into modern Georgian writing as capital letters, but it didn't catch on and failed to gain popularity.

Asomtavruli and Nuskhuri are officially used by the Georgian Orthodox Church alongside with the Mkhedruli alphabet.

Patriarch Ilia II of Georgia also called to use all 3 Georgian scripts.

Mkhedruli

Royal charter of King Vakhtang VI of Kartli in Mkhedruli, 1712 AD.

Mkhedruli (Georgian: მხედრული) is a third and current script of the Georgian alphabet. Mkhedruli, literally meaning the "cavalry" or "military" derives from mkhedari (მხედარი) meaning "horseman", "knight" and "warrior". Like the two other alphabets, Mkhedruli alphabet is also purely unicameral.

Mkhedruli first appears in the 10th century. The oldest Mkhedruli inscription is found in Ateni Sioni Church dating back to 982 AD. The second oldest Mkhedruli-written text is found in the 11th-century royal charters of King Bagrat IV of Georgia. Mkhedruli was mostly used then for the historical documents, manuscripts and inscriptions. Mkhedruli was used for non-religious purposes only.

Mkhedruli was becoming more and more dominant over the two other Georgian alphabets, even though Nuskhuri was still used till the 19th century, it completely replaced Nuskhuri. Since the 19th century, with the establishment and development of the printed Georgian fonts, Mkhedruli became widespread and universal for writing Georgian language.

Graphics

Mkhedruli inscriptions of the 10th and 11th centuries are characterized in rounding of angular shapes of Nuskhuri letters and making the complete outlines in all of its letters. Mkhedruli letters are written in the four-linear system, similar to Nuskhuri. Mkhedruli becomes more round and free in writing. It breaks the strict frame of the previous two alphabets, Asomtavruli and Nuskhuri. Mkhedruli letters begin to get coupled and more free calligraphy develops.

Example of one of the oldest Mkhedruli-written texts found in the royal charter of King Bagrat IV of Georgia, 11th century.

"Gurgen : King : of Kings : great-grandfather : of mine : Bagrat Curopalates"

Coin of Queen Tamar of Georgia in Mkhedruli, 1187 AD.

Basic letters

ა	ბ	გ	დ	ე	ვ	ზ	თ	ი	კ	ლ
მ	ნ	ო	პ	ჟ	რ	ს	ტ	უ	ფ	ქ
ღ	ყ	შ	ჩ	ც	ძ	წ	ჭ	ხ	ჯ	ჰ

Alternative forms

Some Mkhedruli letters have alternative written forms:

different written form of letter დ

different written form of letter ლ

different written form of letter ჯ

different written form of letter რ

different written form of letter ო

different written form of letter წ

Obsolete letters

ჱ

ჲ

ჳ

ჴ

ჵ

The Society for the Spreading of Literacy Among Georgians founded by Prince Ilia Chavchavadze in 1879 discarded 5 letters which were either dropped entirely or replaced by the sounds they had become.

• ჱ (he), sometimes called "ei" or "e-merve" ("eighth e"). As in Ancient Greek (Ήτα, ēta), it holds the eighth place in the Georgian alphabet. The name and shapes of the letter in Asomtavruli (Ⴡ) and Nuskhuri (ⴡ) also resemble Greek's tack-shaped archaic consonantal heta. In old Georgian, he was interchangeable with the digraph (ეჲ). It represented [ei] or [ej].
• ჲ (hie), also called iot'a, often marked Georgian nouns in the nominative case. In Old Georgian, it represented [i] or [j].
• ჳ (vie) represented the diphthong [ui] or [uj]. It holds the same position and numerical value as Ancient Greek's Υυ upsilon, which its Asomtavruli (Ⴣ) and Nuskhuri (ⴣ) versions resemble. Its modern pronunciation is usually like (უ) [u] or (ი) [i].
• ჴ (qar, har) represented [q] or [qʰ], the non-ejective counterpart to (ყ) (q'ar) above. Although this consonant is still distinguished in Svan, its modern pronunciation in Georgian is identical to (ხ) [χ].
• ჵ (hoe), also called oh, represented a long (ო), [oː].

Additional letters

ჶ

ჷ

ჸ

უ̌

• ჶ (fi) was borrowed to represent the phoneme /f/ in loanwords from Latin and Greek, such as ჶილოსოჶია (filosofia, 'philosophy'). Its name and shape derive from Greek. It is also a letter of the Mkhedruli Ossetian and Laz alphabets. In modern Georgian, (ფ) par replaces fi.
• ჷ (shva), also called yn, represents the mid central vowel [ə]. It is a letter of the Mingrelian, Laz and Svan alphabets.
• ჸ (elifi) represents the glottal stop [ʔ]. Its name derives from Aramaic. It appears in the Mingrelian and rarely in Laz alphabet.
• უ̌ (un-brjgu) represented a short [u] in Old Georgian. It is still used in the Svan, Mingrelian and Laz alphabets. In modern Georgian, it has been replaced by (ვ) vin.

Writing order

The following table shows the direction of writing of each letter.

Ligatures, abbreviations and calligraphy

The Georgian letter ღ is often used as a heart symbol while communicating online.

Asomtavruli is often highly stylized and writers readily formed ligatures, intertwined letters, and placed letters within letters.

Initials of King Vakhtang I of Iberia, გ (g) and ნ (n) form a ligature in Asomtavruli.
The word და (da) meaning "and" written in Asomtavruli.

Nuskhuri, like Asomtavruli is also often highly stylized. Writers readily formed ligatures and abbreviations for nomina sacra, including diacritics called karagma, which resemble titla. Because writing materials such as vellum were scarce and therefore precious, abbreviating was a practical measure widespread in manuscripts and hagiography by the 11th century.

The word რომელი (romeli) meaning "which" written in Nuskhuri.
The word იესო ქრისტე (ieso kriste) meaning "Jesus Christ" written in Nuskhuri.

Mkhedruli, in the 11th to 17th centuries also came to employ digraphs to the point that they were obligatory, requiring adhesion to a complex system.

The word და (da) meaning "and" written in Mkhedruli.

Mkhedruli has the most developed calligraphy in comparison with Asomtavruli or Nuskhuri.

Georgian calligraphy of Prince Garsevan Chavchavadze written in Mkhedruli.

Punctuation

In Old Georgian punctuation system dots were used for division of the sentences. In the monuments and manuscripts of 5th to 10th centuries marks like -, = and =- were also used. In the 10th century, a new rule appears in Georgian punctuation, a rule of writing with one (.), two (:), three (:.) and six (:.:.) dots.

Georgian symbol (჻) was used as the paragraph separator and punctuation.

Starting in the 11th century an apostrophe and comma is used in Georgian. From the 12th century a semicolon appears as well.

Patriarch Anton I of Georgia also created the new system for the Georgian punctuation. He divided the sentences into complete, non-complete and ending parts and in these sentences one and two dots were used.

For the most part, Georgian uses the same punctuation as is used with the Latin script.

Summary

Georgian letter ვ (v) is on the Logo of Wikipedia.

File:Alphabet tower batumi georgia.JPG

Georgian Alphabet Tower at night in the Georgian resort city of Batumi.

This table lists the three alphabets in parallel columns, including the letters that are now obsolete (shown with a blue background). "National" is the transliteration system used by the Georgian government, while "Laz" is the system used in northeastern Turkey for the Laz language. The table also shows the traditional numeric values of the letters.

Letters			Unicode (mkhedruli)	Name	IPA	Transcriptions				Numeric value
asomtavruli	nuskhuri	mkhedruli				National	ISO 9984	BGN	Laz
Ⴀ	ⴀ	ა	U+10D0	an	/ɑ/	A a	A a	A a	A a	1
Ⴁ	ⴁ	ბ	U+10D1	ban	b	B b	B b	B b	B b	2
Ⴂ	ⴂ	გ	U+10D2	gan	ɡ	G g	G g	G g	G g	3
Ⴃ	ⴃ	დ	U+10D3	don	d	D d	D d	D d	D d	4
Ⴄ	ⴄ	ე	U+10D4	en	ɛ	E e	E e	E e	E e	5
Ⴅ	ⴅ	ვ	U+10D5	vin	v	V v	V v	V v	V v	6
Ⴆ	ⴆ	ზ	U+10D6	zen	z	Z z	Z z	Z z	Z z	7
Ⴡ	ⴡ	ჱ	U+10F1	he		-	-	-	-	8
Ⴇ	ⴇ	თ	U+10D7	tan	tʰ	T t	T' t'	T' t'	T t	9
Ⴈ	ⴈ	ი	U+10D8	in	i	I i	I i	I i	I i	10
Ⴉ	ⴉ	კ	U+10D9	k'an	kʼ	K' k'	K k	K k	K' k'	20
Ⴊ	ⴊ	ლ	U+10DA	las	l	L l	L l	L l	L l	30
Ⴋ	ⴋ	მ	U+10DB	man	m	M m	M m	M m	M m	40
Ⴌ	ⴌ	ნ	U+10DC	nar	n	N n	N n	N n	N n	50
Ⴢ	ⴢ	ჲ	U+10F2	hie	i, j	-	-	-	-	60
Ⴍ	ⴍ	ო	U+10DD	on	ɔ	O o	O o	O o	O o	70
Ⴎ	ⴎ	პ	U+10DE	p'ar	pʼ	P' p'	P p	P p	P' p'	80
Ⴏ	ⴏ	ჟ	U+10DF	zhan	ʒ	Zh zh	Ž ž	Zh zh	J j	90
Ⴐ	ⴐ	რ	U+10E0	rae	r	R r	R r	R r	R r	100
Ⴑ	ⴑ	ს	U+10E1	san	s	S s	S s	S s	S s	200
Ⴒ	ⴒ	ტ	U+10E2	t'ar	tʼ	T' t'	T t	T t	T' t'	300
Ⴣ	ⴣ	ჳ	U+10F3	vie	/uɪ/	-	-	-	-	400*
Ⴓ	ⴓ	უ	U+10E3	un	u	U u	U u	U u	U u	400*
Ⴔ	ⴔ	ფ	U+10E4	par	pʰ	P p	P' p'	P' p'	P p	500
Ⴕ	ⴕ	ქ	U+10E5	kan	kʰ	K k	K' k'	K' k'	K k	600
Ⴖ	ⴖ	ღ	U+10E6	ghan	ɣ	Gh gh	Ḡ ḡ	Gh gh	Ğ ğ	700
Ⴗ	ⴗ	ყ	U+10E7	q'ar	qʼ	Q' q'	Q q	Q q	Q q	800
Ⴘ	ⴘ	შ	U+10E8	shin	ʃ	Sh sh	Š š	Sh sh	Ş ş	900
Ⴙ	ⴙ	ჩ	U+10E9	chin	tʃ	Ch ch	Č' č'	Ch' ch'	Ç ç	1000
Ⴚ	ⴚ	ც	U+10EA	tsan	ts	Ts ts	C' c'	Ts' ts'	Ts ts	2000
Ⴛ	ⴛ	ძ	U+10EB	dzil	dz	Dz dz	J j	Dz dz	Ž ž	3000
Ⴜ	ⴜ	წ	U+10EC	ts'il	tsʼ	Ts' ts'	C c	Ts ts	Ts' ts'	4000
Ⴝ	ⴝ	ჭ	U+10ED	ch'ar	tʃʼ	Ch' ch'	Č č	Ch ch	Ç' ç'	5000
Ⴞ	ⴞ	ხ	U+10EE	khan	x	Kh kh	X x	Kh kh	X x	6000
Ⴤ	ⴤ	ჴ	U+10F4	qar, har	q, qʰ	-	-	-	-	7000
Ⴟ	ⴟ	ჯ	U+10EF	jan	dʒ	J j	J̌ ǰ	J j	C c	8000
Ⴠ	ⴠ	ჰ	U+10F0	hae	h	H h	H h	H h	H h	9000
Ⴥ	ⴥ	ჵ	U+10F5	hoe	oː	-	-	-	-	10000
(none)	(none)	ჶ	U+10F6	fi	f	?	?	?	?	(none)

* ჳ and უ have the same numeric value (400).

Unicode

The first Georgian script was added to the Unicode Standard in October, 1991 with the release of version 1.0.

History

In Unicode version 1.0 the U+10A0 – U+10CF range of the Georgian block represented Khutsuri (Asomtavruli and Nuskhuri). With the release of version 4.1 in March, 2005 Asomtavruli and Nuskhuri were "disunified". The U+10A0 – U+10CF range of the Georgian block now represents Asomtavruli and the Georgian Supplement block represents Nuskhuri.

Blocks

The Unicode block for Georgian is U+10A0 – U+10FF. Mkhedruli (modern Georgian) occupies the U+10D0 – U+10FF range and Asomtavruli occupies the U+10A0 – U+10CF range.

The Unicode block for Georgian Supplement is U+2D00 – U+2D2F and it encodes Nuskhuri.

Georgian[1][2] Official Unicode Consortium code chart (PDF)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

A

B

C

D

E

F

U+10Ax

Ⴀ

Ⴁ

Ⴂ

Ⴃ

Ⴄ

Ⴅ

Ⴆ

Ⴇ

Ⴈ

Ⴉ

Ⴊ

Ⴋ

Ⴌ

Ⴍ

Ⴎ

Ⴏ

U+10Bx

Ⴐ

Ⴑ

Ⴒ

Ⴓ

Ⴔ

Ⴕ

Ⴖ

Ⴗ

Ⴘ

Ⴙ

Ⴚ

Ⴛ

Ⴜ

Ⴝ

Ⴞ

Ⴟ

U+10Cx

Ⴠ

Ⴡ

Ⴢ

Ⴣ

Ⴤ

Ⴥ

Ⴧ

Ⴭ

U+10Dx

ა

ბ

გ

დ

ე

ვ

ზ

თ

ი

კ

ლ

მ

ნ

ო

პ

ჟ

U+10Ex

რ

ს

ტ

უ

ფ

ქ

ღ

ყ

შ

ჩ

ც

ძ

წ

ჭ

ხ

ჯ

U+10Fx

ჰ

ჱ

ჲ

ჳ

ჴ

ჵ

ჶ

ჷ

ჸ

ჹ

ჺ

჻

ჼ

ჽ

ჾ

ჿ

Notes 1.^ As of Unicode version 15.1 2.^ Grey areas indicate non-assigned code points

Georgian Supplement[1][2] Official Unicode Consortium code chart (PDF)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

A

B

C

D

E

F

U+2D0x

ⴀ

ⴁ

ⴂ

ⴃ

ⴄ

ⴅ

ⴆ

ⴇ

ⴈ

ⴉ

ⴊ

ⴋ

ⴌ

ⴍ

ⴎ

ⴏ

U+2D1x

ⴐ

ⴑ

ⴒ

ⴓ

ⴔ

ⴕ

ⴖ

ⴗ

ⴘ

ⴙ

ⴚ

ⴛ

ⴜ

ⴝ

ⴞ

ⴟ

U+2D2x

ⴠ

ⴡ

ⴢ

ⴣ

ⴤ

ⴥ

ⴧ

ⴭ

Notes 1.^ As of Unicode version 15.1 2.^ Grey areas indicate non-assigned code points

Keyboard layout

Main article: Georgian keyboard layout

Most keyboards in Georgia are fitted with both Latin and Georgian letters.

Below is the Georgian QWERTY keyboard. While Georgian has no capital letters, because it has 33 letters and English has only 26, using the shift key is necessary to write Georgian.

Gallery

Gallery of Asomtavruli, Nuskhuri and Mkhedruli alphabets.

Gallery of Asomtavruli

• 
  Asomtavruli of the 6th and 7th centuries
• 
  Asomtavruli at Barakoni
• 
  Asomtavruli at Doliskana
• 
  Asomtavruli at Ishkhani
• 
  Asomtavruli at Nikortsminda Cathedral
• Asomtavruli at Kobayr monastery
  Asomtavruli at Kobayr monastery

Gallery of Nuskhuri

• 
  Nuskhuri of 8th to 10th centuries
• 
  Nuskhuri of Tbeti
• 
  Nuskhuri of the 11th century
• 
  Nuskhuri of Mokvi
• 
  Nuskhuri of Modrekili
• 
  Nuskhuri of the 10th century

Gallery of Mkhedruli

• 
  Mkhedruli of King Bagrat IV of Georgia
• 
  Mkhedruli of King George II of Georgia
• 
  Mkhedruli of King David IV of Georgia
• 
  Mkhedruli of King George III of Georgia
• 
  Mkhedruli of Queen Tamar of Georgia
• 
  Mkhedruli of King George IV of Georgia
• 
  Mkhedruli of King George V of Georgia

See also

• Georgian Braille
• Georgian calligraphy
• Old Georgian language
• Georgian calendar
• Georgian numerals
• Georgian national system of romanization

Bibliography

• Aronson, Howard I. (1990), Georgian: a reading grammar (second ed.), Columbus, OH: Slavica
• Shosted, Ryan K.; Chikovani, Vakhtang (2006), "Standard Georgian", Journal of the International Phonetic Association, 36 (2): 255–264, doi:10.1017/S0025100306002659
• Javakhishvili, I. Georgian palaeography Tbilisi, 1949
• Barnaveli, T. Inscriptions of Ateni Sioni Tbilisi, 1977
• Pataridze, R. Georgian Asomtavruli Tbilisi, 1980
• Machavariani, E. Graphics of the Georgian alphabet Tbilisi, 1982
• Gamkrelidze, T. Writing system and the old Georgian script Tbilisi, 1989
• Kilanawa, B. Georgian script in the writing systems Tbilisi, 1990

External links

• Reference grammar of Georgian by Howard Aronson (SEELRC, Duke University)
• Georgian transliteration + Georgian virtual keyboard
• Direct transliteration Latin ↔ Georgian
• Georgian fonts, compliant with Unicode 4.0, also available for MAC OS 9 or X
• Template:PDFlink
• Template:PDFlink