Abkhaz (English)

Where does "Abkhaz" come from?

The English word 'Abkhaz' was borrowed directly from the Russian term 'абхаз'[1]. The Russian form itself was borrowed from the Georgian 'აფხაზი'[2]. Linguists trace the Georgian term back to the Old Georgian 'აფხაზი', which likely originated from the Mingrelian 'აფხაზა'[3]. This form further descends from the reconstructed root '*აბღაზა', which underwent a metathesis from an earlier reconstructed form '*აბაზღა'[3]. Ultimately, this name derives from the plural of the Abkhaz word '*абазӷа'[3].

Open questions

• The derivation from the reconstructed forms '*აბღაზა' and '*აბაზღა' rests on historical linguistic analysis and proposed metathesis. [3]

Full etymology tree

• Abkhaz (English), 'A Northwest Caucasian language spoken in Abkhazia.'
  • borrowed абхаз (abxáz) (Russian), 'Abkhazian, Abkhaz person'
    • borrowed აფხაზი (apxazi) (Georgian), 'Abkhaz person'
      • inherited აფხაზი (apxazi) (Old Georgian)
        • derived აფხაზა (apxaza) (Mingrelian)
          • derived *აბღაზა (*abɣaza) (Proto-Mingrelian)
            • derived *აბაზღა (*abazɣa) (Proto-Mingrelian)
              • derived *абазӷа (*abazğa) (Abkhaz)

Ancestors

• абхаз (Russian)

Sources

1. Abkhaz (English) - Wiktionary
2. абхаз (abxáz) (Russian) - Wiktionary
3. აფხაზი (apxazi) (Georgian) - Wiktionary

Updated August 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris