"evropuli qartia saqarTvelo "European Charter for Regional or ...

1.1.3. Classification of Modern Kartvelian Sub-systems
(Idioms)
Traditionally, having in mind the written culture and ethniccultural
history, it was considered that we Georgians have one native
language ("motherland language") and numerous domestic ("community")
dialects. Indeed, for at least 15 centuries the Georgian nation – the
Georgians of various regions of Georgia (the Megrels, the Laz, the
Svans, the Kakhetians, the Meskhs, the Hers, the Imeretians, the Javakhs,
the Tushs, the Acharans, the Rachans, the Taoans, the Kartlians)
has been creating literary culture; which accordingly is a native language
of all Georgians. It is noteworthy that even during the times of
extreme feudal fragmentation the liturgy has been performed in Georgian
literary language over the whole territory of the Georgians (the
language of the literary works by the following Western Georgian writers could
be provided as an example: Iovane Minchkhi, one of the founders of the Georgian
hymnography, 1 st half of the 10 th century Sinai Mountain public figure,
Stepane Sanano Chkondideli the end of the 10 th century hymnographer and
translator, and Anton Chkondideli of 17 th
century .
In order to explore the unified linguistic-ethnic consciousness of
the Georgians "Treaty on the Unity of the Iberians (Iverians)" is of
special interest signed by the king-Principals of Kartli-Kakheti,
Odishi (Samegrelo), Imereti and Guria in 1790. The historical document
clearly states:
"as all the Iverians that live in the kingdom of Kartli, Kakheti,
Imereti, Odishi and Guria have the same religion, same language, they
are children of the same church and have mutually binding love as
blood relatives and those bound by kinship".
According to the historical tradition, it is an interesting fact that
the Georgian literary language has always been the language of the lapidary
and epigraphic inscriptions as well as that of the correspondence
in all regions of Georgia (including Samegrelo and Svaneti).
Since ancient times the Georgian dialects continuously have been
enriching the literary language; namely, Megrelian, Svan, Meskhetian,
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