the suffix dze in names

[nicofr]

It's long time I'm wondering if the suffix dze signifiying "son of" in georgian have any link with the word dze meaning child/son in chinese?

[ninkaakanino]

this post is rather old but anyway

you are right, -dze in many georgian surnames means - son etymologically. however the meaning must be lexicalzied into the surname in many cases

[nicofr]

thanks.

I guess there is no connection to chinese...

what does lexicalize means? (sorry)

[ninkaakanino]

Well, i am not sure about chinese, but as far as i am concerned, "-son" is often surname-forming suffix in a bunch of languages. (even in english - jackson) In georgian surnames with -shvili, and -dze are very frequent indeed, but we also have other endings.

lexicalized means that is has merged into the surname so much that when one hears for example: vashayidze, nobody thinks that it means: the son of vashayi

[nicofr]

ok thank you