SOME LINGUISTIC  ISSUES OF THE ARTAANI REGION ACCORDING TO KONSTANRINE ODISHARIA'S TRAVEL DIARIES IN ARTAANI

Elza Phutkaradze

Elza Phutkaradze PhD in Philology, Head of the Department of Folklore, Dialectology and Emigrant Literature Research, Chief Researcher at the Niko Berdzenishvili Institute of Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University, Batumi, Sh. Rustaveli st.N 32, 6010, Georgia http://orcid.org/0009-0000-9800-2183

Abstract

The paper discusses the linguistic situation of the Ardahan region, nuances of linguistic etiquette, and issues related to toponyms and surnames based on the travel diaries of Konstantine Odisharia. Beyond linguistic matters, these diaries contain significant records from a source-study perspective. Odisharia traveled through this region between 1913 and 1918, documenting his observations in a diary titled "Notebook I: Ardahan Region (Historical-Geographical and Statistical Materials)." Although he published correspondences in the newspaper Sakartvelo in 1917, censorship frequently shortened or distorted his work. Consequently, the scientific value of these personal records is multifaceted, providing rich and interesting material for various branches of Kartvelology.

The diary offers detailed geographical descriptions of villages, statistical data on inhabitants, and specific accounts of churches, rural life, and legends, alongside explanations of toponyms. Given the scarcity of existing information regarding the Ardahan region, the significance of these travel diaries is invaluable. They serve as a substantial source for historical geography, history, ethnology, folklore, Rustvelology, toponymy, onomastics, sociology, and for viewing the region through a unified, complex lens.

The importance of the diary entries is immeasurable, as they provide the names of 331 villages in the Ardahan region—an ancestral land that, due to historical misfortunes, remains outside the borders of Georgia. Notably, at the time of his journey, the village names were still Georgian, whereas today, these names have largely faded even from memory. Furthermore, the diaries provide crucial onomastic information, including surnames and first names. Konstantine Odisharia’s diaries regarding the linguistic issues of Ardahan introduce novelty to the field, as they have been minimally utilized in scientific circulation from a source-study perspective. This, in turn, enhances the relevance and importance of these records.

Keywords: Ardahan, travel diaries, language, dialectology, toponymy.