Georgian OrthographyEdit
Georgian orthography governs how the Georgian language is written. Today, everyday writing in Georgia uses the Mkhedruli script, a clean and phonemic system that supports literature, news, science, and education. The orthography rests on a long history of script evolution, from ancient monumental inscriptions to a modern alphabet that is stable, widely taught, and closely tied to national identity. The Georgian script is uniquely suited to the language it serves, and its development has mirrored the political and cultural currents of the region over two millennia. For more on the broad history of the script, see the entries on Asomtavruli and Nuskhuri, the older forms, and on Mkhedruli, the current standard.
Georgian orthography operates with a single set of letters for the contemporary language, a feature that helps maintain a straightforward relationship between spelling and pronunciation. The core writing system used today is the Mkhedruli alphabet, which comprises 33 letters that cover the phonemic inventory of Georgian language in most dialectal contexts. Because Mkhedruli is uniform in form, there is no case distinction in normal text; capitalization is not a feature of the script itself, unlike Latin-based systems where uppercase and lowercase forms carry separate functions. In scholarly and ceremonial contexts, readers may encounter older scripts or specialized conventions, but everyday literate life in modern Georgia relies on Mkhedruli.
The Georgian alphabet and its scripts
- The ancient to medieval development of Georgian writing is traditionally framed by three scripts. Asomtavruli emerged first as a monumental script used on inscriptions and inscriptions’ inscriptions; in religious and scholarly contexts, Nuskhuri was used as a more compact form suitable for manuscripts; the modern secular and civic writing uses Mkhedruli, the script that has become the standard for most printed matter and digital text. The combined system known as Khutsuri—a pairing of Nuskhuri with a capital-like Asomtavruli for liturgical use—highlights the deep connection between church tradition and the evolution of Georgian letters.
- The 33 Mkhedruli letters encode consonants and vowels in a largely phonemic fashion. The vowels are represented by five independent letters, and consonants cover the essential inventory of the language, including several ejective and aspirated series that are characteristic of Kartvelian phonology. For readers and writers, this design yields a spelling system in which most words are spelled nearly as they sound, with relatively few irregularities derived from historical changes or foreign loanwords. See the entries on the Georgian alphabet and on Georgian language for more detail on the letter inventory and sound values.
Orthography in practice: standardization and usage
Georgian orthography is governed by convention, education, and publishing practice. Spelling rules are taught in schools, codified in reference works, and applied by newspapers, books, and government communications. In the last century, Georgian orthography has also had to adapt to modern technology and globalization. The digital era requires reliable encoding and font support, which brought attention to the Unicode standard and its blocks for the Georgian scripts: the Asomtavruli and Mkhedruli ranges, together with the Nuskhuri repertoire, provide a stable basis for computer and mobile text. See Unicode for a fuller account of these technical developments.
Language policy and orthography have occasionally become topics of public debate. Supporters of a conservative approach argue that preserving historical spellings and ligatures links contemporary readers to the long arc of Georgian literary culture. They contend that orthographic stability supports education, publishing, and a shared national memory. Critics, however, sometimes push for spellings that reflect current pronunciation more directly or for greater alignment with international naming conventions and transliteration practices. Proponents of modernization emphasize efficiency, easier foreign word integration, and increased compatibility with global scholarly and commercial standards. In such debates, the center of gravity tends to be framed by practical outcomes—readability, teaching, print and digital media—while still honoring the script’s historical breadth. For related discussions, see Georgian orthography debates.
The question of how to render non-Georgian names and terms has also featured in discourse. Transliteration and transcription standards have practical importance for diplomacy, science, and global publishing. While there is broad agreement on core mappings, disagreements occasionally surface in how to render contemporary international names or place names in a way that remains faithful to Georgian phonology while remaining familiar to non-Georgian readers. See the linked discussions in the articles on Georgian transliteration and Georgian language for primary references and proposals.
Loanwords present another axis of orthographic discussion. As Georgia interacts with neighboring regions and the wider world, foreign terms enter Georgian with spellings that either approximate their original form or adapt to Georgian phonology. The balance between preserving etymology and ensuring easy pronunciation has shaped editorial guidance within dictionaries, style guides, and educational materials. See Loanword considerations in Georgian.
Script, identity, and the future
The Georgian writing system—especially the Mkhedruli script—has become a durable marker of Georgian cultural identity. Its structure supports a robust literary culture, a strong publishing sector, and a shared experience of written Georgian across generations and regions. In the information age, the integrity of orthography remains a practical priority for education, government, journalism, and digital life, while debates about modernization, transliteration, and international interoperability reflect ongoing tensions between tradition and global integration. For broader context on the language and its script, consult Georgian language and Georgian alphabet.