An Eminent Georgian Scholar in Abkhaz Studies and the Peculiar Journey of One of His Works

Abstract

Bagrat (Shota) Janashia (1901-1978) was a distinguished specialist in Abkhaz studies and a prominent public figure hailing from Abkhazia. Having been born and raised in an Abkhazian village, he acquired a profound understanding of the Abkhazian language, along with its customs, traditions, folklore, and way of life. Upon graduating from Tbilisi State University in 1929, he returned to his homeland of Abkhazia, dedicating himself to scholarly and educational pursuits.

Bagrat Janashia demonstrated remarkable expertise in Abkhazian language, folklore, and literature. He conducted extensive fieldwork, gathering linguistic materials from local villages, and actively contributed to the compilation of Abkhazian language and literature workbooks. Furthermore, he undertook the task of translating literary works by Georgian and overseas authors into Abkhazian. His profound knowledge and contribution to the field earned him a distinguished position within the Abkhazian intelligentsia, while also garnering respect and recognition from both Abkhazian and Georgian communities.

One of Bagrat Janashia’s notable achievements was the creation of the „Abkhazian-Georgian Dictionary“ in 1954. This pioneering bilingual dictionary encompasses approximately eight thousand words, translating them from the primary lexical corpus of the Abkhazian language into Georgian. Even today, this dictionary retains significant scientific and practical value for researchers studying both the Abkhazian and Georgian languages.

Interestingly, it remains relatively unknown within the scientific community that Bagrat Janashia also compiled the first concise Georgian-Abkhazian dictionary, which accompanied the workbook entitled „Georgian Language for Abkhazian Schools. The First Year of Studying“, drafted by Klimenti Tevzadze and Tinatin Goniashvili and published in 1937.

The „Abkhazian-Georgian Dictionary“ by B. Janashia experienced an unusual journey. Initiated in 1937 in collaboration with D. Gulia, the author continued working on the dictionary alone after D. Gulia’s departure due to personal reasons, ultimately completing it within a year. However, the book encountered numerous obstacles since 1938:

• In 1938, due to the conversion of the Abkhazian language script from Latin to Georgian graphics, the author had to rewrite the entire book.
• The progress of the work was hampered by the tumultuous years of 1941- 1945, marked by the upheaval of war.
• In 1947, the unfortunate passing of academician Simon Janashia, who was meant to serve as the book’s editor, posed further challenges.
• In 1950, academician Ketevan Lomtatitdze assumed the responsibility of finalizing the edition, and the dictionary was submitted to the publishing house. However, due to the complex nature of the text, the book was only published in the spring of 1955. Regrettably, it did not garner widespread readership. This lack of readership can be attributed to the fact that, in 1954, the Abkhazian language script underwent a change from the Georgian script to the Russian alphabet (Cyrillic) under Moscow’s directive. Consequently, the new generation of Abkhazians was unfamiliar with the alphabet used between 1938 and 1954, rendering the book inaccessible to them.

Thus, owing to political circumstances, it took eighteen years for the writing, editing, and publishing of the book designated to contribute to the rapprochement of the two peoples. Still, as it turned out, the book was lost to the mass of readers.