Georgia

A transcontinental country in the Caucasus region of Europe and Asia, on the coast of the Black Sea, often considered to belong politically to Europe. Official name: Georgia. Capital: Tbilisi.

Frequency

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈd͡ʒɔː.d͡ʒə/

Cognate with Pahlavi

Cognate with Parthian

Cognate with Classical Armenian

Cognate with Old Russian

In summary

A borrowing from Medieval Latin Geōrgia, itself a borrowing from Classical Persian گرج (gurj) (with influence from (sānctus) Geōrgius (“Saint George”), alluding to the saint's popularity in the country), from Middle Persian 𐭥𐭫𐭥𐭰𐭠𐭭 pl (wiruz-ān, “Iberians, Georgians”). The term's further history is unknown; it may ultimately be a derivation from Middle Persian 𐭢𐭥𐭫𐭢 (gurg, “wolf”), though that would be phonologically challenging; compare Parthian 𐭅𐭉𐭓𐭔𐭍 pl (wiruž-ān), Old Armenian վիր-ք (vir-kʻ), Old East Slavic гурзи (gurzi). Replaced earlier Georgie, from the same source via a Middle French intermediary. Early medieval sources hypothesize that the country was named after Saint George, while later European accounts connect the name with agricultural tribes called "Georgi" (from Ancient Greek γεωργός (geōrgós, “farmer”)) mentioned by classical authors (Pliny, IV.26, VI.14; Mela, De Sita Orb. i.2); neither of these etymologies is accepted today.