ონომასტიკური მონაცემები დვალთა ეთნიკური კუთვნილების შესახებ

Abstract

Georgia was unity of historical-ethnographic regions of Georgia (territorial, local units). The population living in the territorial units is called an ethnographic group. Dvaleti was one of the historical-ethnographic regions. Its residents – Dvals – comprised an ethnographic group of the Georgian ethnos. Dvaleti, as well as Tusheti, Khevi and the other part of Mtiuleti, was located to the north of Great Caucasian ridge; Great Caucasian ridge was low here than the other parts of the ridge. The eleven passes were not blocked here even in winter, when only one pass was from Dvaleti to Ossetia (in the Alagir Gorge). It was the Kasris Kari, which was open to pass only during three-four months in summer. Dvaleti at present is beyond the borders of Georgia and the ethnographic group of Dvals is not settled here any longer. They have disappeared. The Russian Empire annexed Kingdom of Kartl-Kakheti alongside with Dvaleti which was historical-ethnographic region of Georgian Kingdom at that time. Till April 3, 1858 Dvaleti was within Gori mazra of Tbilisi Guberniya under the name of Nara region. The Russian Empire cut Dvaleti (3 581 square km) off Georgia and transferred it to the Tergi region. Ethnic changes were accomplished in the Dvaleti historical-ethnographic region in the 16-17th cc. – Georgian highlander Dvals were gradually replaced by ethnic Ossetians, which migrated there from the Alagiri Gorge. Dvals’ assimilation was caused by the fact that they turned out to be minority in the Ossetian language-ethnic environment. According to the Georgian historical sources, documents, the monuments of material culture the Dvaleti population was ethnically Georgian till the 16-17th cc. Dvals were ethnic Georgians and this is witnessed by onomastic material, both by the names of places (toponyms) and personal names. Ethnic Georgians were the creators of the Georgian toponyms. In the scientific literature only 120 geographical names (mostly, micro-toponyms) are connected with the Georgian language. In reality, those toponyms are more, because even among the unexplained toponyms of Dvaleti the majority is Georgian. Dvals being Georgian is witnessed by anthroponyms as well, which are fixed in the descriptions of historical Dvaleti of the first half of the 19th century. A great part of men had nearly the same personal names as were spread in West Georgia.