Newbies aka Why Georgian?

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Newbies aka Why Georgian?

Postby ninkaakanino » 2009-01-22, 20:09

It would be nice if georgian language learners would take some time and say a few words about themselves and their motivation to learn this wonderful but amazingly difficult language :ohwell:

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Re: Newbies aka Why Georgian?

Postby Sean of the Dead » 2009-01-22, 22:38

What's so hard about Georgian? It looks very interesting, but I hear everywhere it's so hard, so I'm turned off from learning it. :/
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Re: Newbies aka Why Georgian?

Postby ninkaakanino » 2009-01-22, 22:42

so that should be your motivation not to learn it? :) so if you think it's easy, go ahead and learn.

well, the grammar is quite unsystematic and there are more exceptions than there are rules. that is all actually.

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Re: Newbies aka Why Georgian?

Postby ILuvEire » 2009-01-22, 23:35

sjheiss wrote:What's so hard about Georgian? It looks very interesting, but I hear everywhere it's so hard, so I'm turned off from learning it. :/


Yes, me too. I might put that for a language month some time. :P
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Re: Newbies aka Why Georgian?

Postby Laoshu505000 » 2009-01-23, 1:59

Hello my friend,

I'm glad you've opened up several threads. I was hoping there would be a native around for helping us out with our Georgian.

I'm learning Georgian simply because I really love languages and people. Like you said, Georgian has many exceptions which makes it very unique from other languages. Although it's like this, I'm not afraid of it. In fact, I've been learning Georgian for about 3 weeks now and I'm having a blast learning it.

Many people will say that certain languages re 'TOO' difficult to learn. I think one would just have to sit down and study it for themselves to see how much they'll like studying the language. Georgian is a beautiful language and I will continue to work hard learning it. I look forward to working with you my friend.

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Re: Newbies aka Why Georgian?

Postby RCA » 2009-01-23, 15:52

Once upon a time… when I was a child I visited Georgia (Abkhazia) and saw local trilingual newspapers (with articles in Georgian, Abkhazian, and Russian) and I was extremely excited about seeing that wonderful alphabet (not separate phrases but whole sheets of paper covered with those fantastic letters). The feeling was so strong that many, many years later I decided to study the alphabet (to begin with), so I downloaded a manual and started reading it… and I’m still reading it because I can’t stop, the language has turned out to be extremely interesting; actually, I can say it’s the most interesting language that I’ve ever studied. That’s the story. Well, I can also add that I like very much the country and the people… and studying languages as well :)

As for the complexity of the Georgian language… yes, it’s difficult, but at the same time very rich grammatically, which makes up for the difficulties in studying it. The rules are numerous and rather confusing, so it’s hardly possible to learn the language if there is no practice. Practice (extensive and regular) is all you need not to drown desperately in the Georgian grammar.
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Re: Newbies aka Why Georgian?

Postby Zorba » 2009-01-24, 18:18

I am a scholar of Russian literature, but I have an interest in ALL the languages and cultures of the former Soviet Union. I'm interested in how the emerging nations are building their own identities and defining themselves after 50 - 80 years of Soviet rule. I was fortunate enough to take a year-long course in Georgian when I lived in Oxford (2006-7), but it is a very hard language to learn and I only got the basics down. You can see my messages here on the forum. Here in Chicago, there is no course available and I have forgotten everything. I would love to continue if I could find the time and resources.

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Re: Newbies aka Why Georgian?

Postby ninkaakanino » 2009-01-24, 19:06

Zorba wrote: I'm interested in how the emerging nations are building their own identities and defining themselves after 50 - 80 years of Soviet rule.


Don't forget that Georgia along with other countries before entering/being forced to enter Soviet Union, already had their own identity, culture and long long history. it's not like they were all children of Soviet times and after its collapse started looking for their own identities. Rather they searched to renew them on the basis of its previous historic ad cultural identity :)

Yes, Georgia was in Soviet Union, but it never got mixed up with Russia. Just your sentence lacked some side of the truth :D but it's nice you want to know it.

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Re: Newbies aka Why Georgian?

Postby Zorba » 2009-01-24, 22:47

I didn't mean to imply that Georgia were "inventing" a new culture in response to the fall of the Soviet Union - I'm sorry if it came across that way.

The way I see it is this: all of the newly-independent countries have a degree of freedom that they didn't have in the Soviet Union. They have to decide how to build new national institutions, define their national culture, educate their children, create a new national discourse and so on. In part, this process is restorative: Georgia can and will look to its long history and rich culture and draw on this. In part, it is creative: Georgians have to decide what will go into the history textbooks and what will stay out, what writers children will read at school, which statesman today's politicans will follow. I'm extremely interested in how all of these processes are operating in Georgia today.

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Re: Newbies aka Why Georgian?

Postby Kenny » 2009-03-25, 11:10

I might get a chance to go to Georgia in September (although our Department of State/Foreign Office lists it as a location not recommended as a travel destination), as soon as it becomes sure, I'll start learning the language. Or not. :oops: :lol:

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Re: Newbies aka Why Georgian?

Postby E}{pugnator » 2009-03-27, 1:49

I'm just looking around, not actually learning Georgian yet. I'll have to wait till better books in English or French are published :roll:
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Re: Newbies aka Why Georgian?

Postby AspiringPolyglot » 2009-04-25, 12:48

I'm attracted by its sound (though it's a nightmare to pronounce!) and its script. I've learnt a few words and phrases in the past but I've forgotten most of it. It's a shame that there are so few resources and books for learning the language. Most of the books I've come across focus too much on grammar and are a little dry IMHO.

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Re: Newbies aka Why Georgian?

Postby jessikt » 2009-06-20, 16:37

I'm not learning Georgian, but the script is so beautiful! I'm fascinated by it. :)
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Re: Newbies aka Why Georgian?

Postby tomamallett » 2009-09-03, 19:13

I'm learning Georgian because I'll be going there.

My interest in it, however, started with the Church. The Antiquity of Georgia's Church and the Other-worldy beauty of Her sacred music is interesting and attractive to me.

Just pictures of Georgia make you want to go there.

And, of course, since I'll be moving to Kutaisi soon, I better learn it as a matter of course.

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Re: Newbies aka Why Georgian?

Postby Multiturquoise » 2013-09-25, 17:13

I learn Georgian, but I can hardly find Georgian learning resources with Turkish explanations. (It's bad when you can't learn the language of your neighbouring country)

I've been learning Georgian since 2009. It's one of the most beautiful languages in this world.
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Re: Newbies aka Why Georgian?

Postby Fear_a_Phléasc » 2013-12-05, 0:33

I became attracted to it about 10 years ago when I heard a sample of it online somewhere. The script is also very beautiful. At the time I didn't have much interest in actually learning it, though, especially as I knew it was rather difficult to learn.

This year I came across some Georgian music that really ignited a more serious interest to start getting into the language. I'm still not sure how far I plan on taking my studies, but I have attacked them somewhat seriously in the last few weeks. It's definitely the most challenging language I've attempted to learn thus far, moreso than Hungarian, for sure, although the languages share some common things that make them both more easy and more difficult than most other languages I've learned. Georgian verbs are infinitely more intimidating, however.

I am particularly interested in how amazing the phonology is. I've never heard another language that attempts to cram so much syntactic information together so imaginatively with so many consonant clusters. I really like languages that push the boundaries of what the human mouth can produce. And yet, as evidenced by much Georgian music, it can sound incredibly majestic and poetic. Phonologically I hear it as a mix of Russian, Arabic and Greek - three incredibly rich sounding languages.

At this point, I would definitely like to continue, especially since I think I have passed some hurdles, namely that I can say (probably imperfectly, but I feel reasonably well) even some of the supposedly harder words and I claim to at least fully understand everything in Aronson's book up until at least Lesson 4, an accomplishment that may not seem like much if you haven't actually read the book. So while I would definitely still put myself in beginner territory, I think I am even qualified to confidently answer some questions that very basic beginners may have. But I need far more help than I can give, that is for sure.

Glad to see there is at least some activity here and hope to see it grow!

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Re: Newbies aka Why Georgian?

Postby Chechenboy » 2016-07-11, 19:08

The Georgians are our brothers, besides, our languages do share some common features, plus - they our our geographical neighbors, so, why not?! Just love Georgia! )

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Re: Newbies aka Why Georgian?

Postby TBLander » 2020-08-02, 20:22

I have been singing Georgian polyphony for many years and would like to understand what I am singing! The COVID-19 lockdown finally gave me the opportunity and the time to take Georgian lessons online. I've already learned a lot!


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