The Zan language or Zanuri is a conventional term used by some linguists to describe the unity of Mingrelian and Laz, which are the only two mutually intelligible South Caucasian or Kartvelian languages sometimes considered as the two distinct dialects of Zan. The conspicuous Georgian linguist Akaki Shanidze favored the term Colchian to refer to the Zan language. The term Zan comes from the Graeco-Roman name of one of the chief Colchian tribes, which is almost identical to the Svan (a northwestern Kartvelian group) designation for the Mingrelians. The following is a list of linguists, those who study linguistics. ... The Megrelian language (Megruli ena in Georgian, Margaluri nina in Megrelian), sometimes called Mingrelian, is a language spoken in northwest Georgia. ... The Laz language (lazuri, ლაზური or lazuri nena, ლაზური ნენა in Laz; ლაზური, lazuri, or ჭანური, chanuri, in Georgian) is spoken by the Laz people on the Southeast shore of the Black Sea. ... It has been suggested that Kartvel be merged into this article or section. ... Akaki Shanidze (Georgian: ) (1887-1987) was a Georgian linguist and philologist and one of the founding fathers of the Tbilisi State University (1918). ... In ancient geography, Colchis (sometimes spelled also as Kolchis) (Greek: Κολχίς, kŏl´kĬs; Georgian: კოლხეთი, Kolkheti) was a nearly triangular district in Caucasus. ... Greco-Roman refers to the culture of Ancient Greece and Classical Rome and reflects the essential unity of the Mediterranean world at the time when those cultures flourished, between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD. Categories: Historical stubs | Ancient Rome | Ancient Greece ... Svans The Svans are an ethnographic group of Georgians that mostly live in Svaneti region of Georgia. ... Samegrelo (Mingrelia) is a historic province in the western part of the republic of Georgia, formerly also known as Odishi. ...

Zan had separated from the proto-Kartvelian language by the eighth century BC, and had been spoken by an uninterrupted community along the Black Sea coast of ancient Colchis, from modern day Trebizond, Turkey, into western Georgia, until the arrival of their Georgian-speaking kinsmen in the flight from the Arabs, who appeared in Iberia (eastern Georgia) in the mid-seventh century AD, split them by creating the Georgian-speaking regions of Imereti, Guria, and Adjara. (9th century BC - 8th century BC - 7th century BC - other centuries) (800s BC - 790s BC - 780s BC - 770s BC - 760s BC - 750s BC - 740s BC - 730s BC - 720s BC - 710s BC - 700s BC - other decades) (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium AD) Events Golden age in Armenia Assyria... NASA satellite image of the Black Sea Map of the Black Sea The Black Sea is an inland sea between southeastern Europe and Anatolia that is actually a distant arm of the Atlantic Ocean by way of the Mediterranean Sea. ... Trabzon, formerly known as Trebizond, is a city on the Black Sea coast of north-eastern Turkey. ... The Arabs (Arabic: عرب ) are an ethnic group found throughout the Middle East and North Africa. ... Ancient countries of Caucasus: Armenia, Iberia, Colchis and Albania Iberia was a name given by the ancient Greeks and Romans to the ancient Georgian kingdom of Kartli (4th century BC-5th century AD) corresponding roughly to the eastern and southern parts of the present day Georgia. ... Map outlining the territory of Eastern Georgia Eastern Georgia commonly refers to the eastern part of the nation of Georgia, which in historic times included the kingdom of Iberia in the Caucasus. ... ( 6th century - 7th century - 8th century - other centuries) Events Islam starts in Arabia, the Quran is written, and Arabs subjugate Syria, Iraq, Persia, Egypt, North Africa and Central Asia to Islam. ... Imereti is a historic province in Western Georgia, situated along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni river. ... Guria is a region in Georgia (Caucasus), in the western part of the country, bordered by the eastern end of the Black Sea. ... Official language Georgian Capital Batumi ISO code GE.AJ Head of the Government Levan Varshalomidze Area  - Total  - % water 2,900 km² n/a Population  - Total (1989)  - Density 392,432 135. ...

Since the process of differentiation into Mingrelian and Laz had basically been completed by early modern times, it is not customary to speak of a unified Zan language today, however. Nowadays, Laz and Mingrelian are geographically isolated, the former being spoken by the Laz people in Turkey and a small portion of Adjara, southwestern Georgia, and the latter being spoken by the Mingrelian group primarily in Mingrelia and Abkhazia. The Laz (Lazi (ლაზი) or Lazepe (ლაზეფე) in Laz, Lazlar in Turkish, Lazi (ლაზი) or Chani (ჭანი) in Georgian) are an ethnic group who live primarily on the Black Sea coastal regions of Turkey and Georgia. ... Mingrelia (Samegrelo in Georgian) is a historic province in the western part of the republic of Georgia, formerly also known as Odishi. ... National anthem Aiaaira Official languages Abkhaz, with Russian having co-official status and widespread use by government and other institutions Political status De facto independent Capital Sukhumi Capitals coordinates President Sergei Bagapsh Prime Minister Alexander Ankvab Independence  â€“ Declared  â€“ Recognition From Georgia  23 July 1992  none Currency Russian ruble Official...

References

• Amerijibi-Mullen, Rusudan (ed., 2006), K’olxuri (megrul-lazuri) ena: Colchian (Megrelian-Laz) language. ICGL (Universali: Tbilisi, Georgia), www.icgl.org. (see also the review of this book by Andrew Higgins.)
• Jost Gippert/Irakli Dzocenidze/Svetlana Ahlborn, The Zan language. Armazi Project: Georgian Academy of Sciences (Chikobava Institute of Linguistics).