ნეზუ̂რა

Svan

Alternative forms

• ნეზუ̂ (nezû)

Etymology

From ნეზუ̂ (nezû) +‎ -რა (-ra, “plant, tree designation”), supposedly through umlaut and deaffrication from Proto-Kartvelian *naʒw-, however a borrowing from Georgian ნაძვი (naʒvi) undergoing the same processes is also possible.

The meaning of "pine female" developed due to the similar ნეზუ̂ (nezû, “female (of livestock)”).

Noun

ნეზუ̂რა • (nezûra) (plural ნეზუ̂რალ)

1. spruce
2. (botany) pine female
3. spruce log, timber

Related terms

• ნენზ (nenz, “fir”)
• სისნა (sisna, “conifer needle, branch”)
• ტახრა (ṭaxra, “pine; Caucasian fir (Abies nordmanniana)”)
• ღუმირ (ɣumir, “conifer”)

Further reading

• Liṗarṭeliani, Aslan (1994) “ნეზვრა”, in Svanuri leksiḳoni (čoluruli ḳilo) [Svan-Georgian dictionary (Cholur dialect)], Tbilisi, page 240b
• Oniani, Arsen (1917) “ნეზჳრა”, in Megmareš i balxare žaxēle xoraû / Сборник сванских названий деревьев и растений (на лашхском наречии) [Compilation of tree and plant names] (Материалы по яфетическому языкознанию; 8) (in Svan), Saint Petersburg: Academy Press, page 31b