მეუფე ანანია

Abstract This article examines the linguistic model of early Christianity in the Caucasus, with a particular focus on Georgia. It argues that the rapid and unified Christianization of western and eastern Georgia was made possible by a pre-existing, consolidated Kartvelian (Zan-Georgian) linguistic unity. Drawing on historical sources and the linguistic research of G. Machavariani and T. Gamkrelidze, the study demonstrates that during the apostolic era the Kartvelian language had not yet fully fragmented into separate branches and functioned as a stable medium of administration, education, and culture. Christianity in Georgia did not create a new linguistic order; rather, it was proclaimed, translated, and institutionalized in the already authoritative Old Georgian language, which became the sole medium of liturgy and Christian … [Read more...]