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

c) a hushing consonant remains unchanged, does not develop velar
consonants. For instance, common Kartvelian "grimacing", Megrelian
ğranjua "grimacing", Svan. mŭ-ğlij / mŭ-ğij "bared (teeth)", etc.
d) Svan is not characterized by a consonant complex of two unvoiced
consonants: the second unvoiced consonant becomes voiced on
the basis of dissimilation. At the same time spirantization of affricates
occurs, for instance: ĉ>ĉķ>šķ: Georgian ĉedva, Megrelian-Laz ĉķadua, Svan
li-šķäd-i, etc. 296
Sibilant consonant complexes similar to those in Megrelian-
Chan-Svan rarely occur in other dialects as well, for instance:
Hissing > hushing: sķami>šķami, kisţi>kišţi (Mokhevian); usţvens>
ušţvens (Kakhetian); nesţo>nešţo, sţoli>šţoli (Upper Imeretian); sţrapili>
šţrapili (Kartlian)… zis>žis (Her); zğmartli>žğmartli (Algetian, Kartlian), etc.
sp’ilenĵi>sp’ilenji (Rachan)… amovĵirķve>amov jirķve… gabeceba>gabečeba
(Kakhetian, Javakhian]); derciķi>derčiķi (Kakhetian)… ċiriħta>ĉiriħta (Algetian,
Kartlian); naċvreti>naĉvreti "cicatrice" (Khevsurian); ċveti>ĉveti (Gurian),
etc.
Hushing > consonant complex: ĉde>ĉķde (Khevsurian, Mtiulian,
Tushian), ĉnavi>ĉķnavi (Acharan), mĉvarţli>ĉķorţli (Her), ĉriali>ĉķriali (Lechkhumian),
etc. (B. Jorbenadze, 1995, pp. 51-57).
Thus, differences between the Kartvelian sub-systems are not
substantial: In Zan-Svan the consonant alternation is more intensive.
296 Various reflexes of the hushing consonants are differently explained in scientific literature,
namely, one part of researchers (Arn. Chikobava, 1938; G. Rogava, 1960) considers
that in š-sk/sg sound correspondence the basic one is a hissing variant. T.
Gamkrelidze and G. Machavariani assume that šk/šg and sk/sg complexes represent reflexes
of the same š phoneme, which is determined by position, namely: the š-šk/
šg>sk/sg process in Megrelian-Chan-Svan could be explained by availability of the v/w
sound as well as by palatal character of sound š. Comparing to s, the š sound is more
palatal. Palatal and labial sounds cannot remain unmodified in an adjacent position, thus
the natural process has been developed: š>s (T. Gamkrelidze, 1959; G. Machavariani,
1965). According to M. Chukhua, the original s> š in Georgian has not been changed,
neither has changed s of the Megrelian-Chan-Svan, though the velar consonant has been
added to it; in M. Chukhuas opinion, the articulation shift backward in hissing sibilants
was resulted (apart from the hissing>hushing modification) by the development of velar
plosives following the hissing sibilant (M. Chukhua, 2003).
The hushing consonants are usually characterized by peculiar labialization. Delabialization
occurs when such consonant is followed by labial vowel (T. Putkaradze, 2005, p.
272).
248