An Ethnolinguistic Analysis of Khevsurian Ritual Vocabulary:

Based on Ethnographic and Lexicographic Sources

Abstract

Khevsurian ritual vocabulary constitutes a significant semantic layer of Georgian ethnoculture, the study of which is of current relevance both from a lexicological and an ethnolinguistic standpoint. This terminology reflects the worldview of mountain society, its religious consciousness, and its system of rites of passage, within which Christian and pre-Christian beliefs and conceptions coexist.

The aim of the study is to determine the semantic structure, cultural context, and functional load of Khevsurian ritual terminology, drawing on ethnographic and lexicographic sources. Methodologically, lexicographic analysis together with an ethnolinguistic and comparative approach is employed.

The material is grouped into three principal subgroups: 1) terms connected with death and the ritual of the soul; 2) the names of ritual breads and their symbolism; 3) the participants in the ritual and their functions.

The analysis has made clear that these lexical units constitute ethnocultural codes that express collective memory. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of the historical development of Georgian linguistic consciousness and sheds light on the cultural and religious meanings embedded within the language.

Khevsurian ritual vocabulary, through its meaning and semantic structure, reflects the ethnographic and spiritual heritage of the mountain people. Each term is not merely a lexical unit but a bearer of cultural code, one that unites beliefs and conceptions, social relations, and the relationship between the human being and the world. Khevsurian terminology reveals a system of rites of passage, in which bread, the khutsesi (priest/elder), the soul, and remembrance form a bridge between the human being and the supernatural world. From a practical standpoint, the paper brings together dialectal, lexicographic, and ethnographic material, thereby laying a solid foundation for future research. The study of this vocabulary is significant for the cultural-religious semantics of the Georgian language and for contemporary ethnolinguistic research.