GEORGIAN
(Caucasus mountains; South Caucasian, Georgian)		 For more information about metathesis in this language, click on the following links:
Summary:
When the reduced thematic suffix '-v' is adjacent to the sonorants, metathesis occurs.
Examples
Conditions
Motivation
Related processes
Comments
References
Examples:
(See Comments for key to special characters used.)
The thematic suffix '-av' reduces to '-v' in the masdar (verbal noun).  This reduction results in the /v/ being adjacent to a sonorants, leading to metathesis.
 
k’l + av  k’vla ‘you kill them’
xn + av xvna  ‘you plough them’
jr + av jvra  ‘you set them in motion’
cf.  rva *vra ‘eight’ 
      tvramet’i ‘eighteen’
Conditions:
In preparation.
Motivation:
In preparation.
Related processes:
In preparation.
Comments:
Last updated: 2/6/2002
References:
  • Butskhrikidze, M. & J. van de Weijer 2001. On v-metathesis in Modern Georgian.  In E.

    • Hume, N. Smith & J. van de Weijer (eds.), Surface Syllable Structure and Segment Sequencing. Leiden, NL: HIL Occasional Papers.
  • Hewitt, B. G.  1995.  Georgian.  A Structural Reference Grammar.  John Benjamins Publishing Company. Amsterdam/Philadelphia.
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