How Many Georgian Languages Are There? The Kartvelian Family
When people ask "how many Georgian languages are there?" the answer depends on how you define "Georgian." If you mean the Kartvelian language family (to which Georgian belongs), there are four languages: Georgian, Mingrelian, Laz, and Svan. If you mean languages called "Georgian," there's just one - but it has several dialects.
The Four Kartvelian Languages
- Georgian (ქართული) - ~4 million speakers; the official language of Georgia; the only Kartvelian language with a standardized written form and full literary tradition
- Mingrelian (მარგალური) - ~300,000-500,000 speakers; spoken in Samegrelo (western Georgia); no official written standard
- Laz (ლაზური) - ~20,000-30,000 speakers; spoken mainly in northeastern Turkey; closely related to Mingrelian
- Svan (სვანური) - ~15,000-30,000 speakers; spoken in mountainous Svaneti (northwestern Georgia); the most divergent Kartvelian language
Are They Mutually Intelligible?
No. Georgian and Svan are not mutually intelligible at all. Georgian and Mingrelian share more vocabulary but are still distinct enough that understanding requires study. Mingrelian and Laz are the most similar pair, with some degree of mutual comprehension. All Mingrelian, Laz, and Svan speakers in Georgia also speak Georgian as a second (or primary) language, since Georgian is the language of education, media, and government.
Georgian Dialects
Within Georgian itself, there are several dialects, including Kartlian (the basis for standard Georgian), Kakhetian, Imeretian, Gurian, Adjarian, and others. These are mutually intelligible - speakers of different Georgian dialects can understand each other without difficulty, though accents and some vocabulary differ.
🗣️ When learning Georgian, you're learning the standard literary language based on the Kartlian dialect. This is understood by all Georgian speakers across all regions.