Georgian language belongs to the Iberian-Caucasian language group. It combines: a) Georgian, which is the basis of the state and literary language of Georgia; b) the Megrel-Chansk language and c) the Svan language.
About the beginning of the second millennium BC there was a language, which is conventionally called the common Georgian – parent language of the Georgian language. Two east and west dialect areas were formed on the territory, where this language is spread. Western dialect areal was put in the basis of the Svan and Zan (Colchis), which later was divided into Megrel and Chansk (Laz), a dialect of the eastern areal was the basis for the formation of the Georgian language.
To this day, the Megrel language is used as spoken in Colchis lowland of western Georgia - Samegrelo, Laz (or Chansk - Turkey) and Svan (Svaneti).
Georgian is the official language of Georgia; Georgian language is spoken by about 4 million people within Georgia. On the territory of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Iran you can meet several dialects of the Georgian language.
There are only fourteen alphabets in the world. The Georgian alphabet is one of the ancient alphabets among them.
Georgian writing went through three stages of development. In the III century BC, during the reign of the King of Kartli Parnavaz, the first Georgian alphabet "Asomtavruli" was created. In the IX century a writing "nuskhuri" was joined to the Georgian language. In the XI century the Georgian writing, once again and now for the last time, has been replaced by the writing "Mkhedruli." "Mkhedruli" was the most perfect of all the other scripts. It took its final form in XV century.
Georgian alphabet consists of 33 letters (5 vowels and 28 consonants).
Bilingua of the second century was discovered in Mtskheta, Armaziskhevi. Pieces of the Georgian scripts dated the year 30 of the V century were found in Palestine. Inscriptions of Bolnisi Zion (493-494 years) are the most ancient inscriptions found on the territory of Georgia.