The Svans ( Svan : შვანარ , Shvanar ; Georgian : სვანი , Svani ) are an ethnic subgroup of the Georgians (Kartvelians) living mostly in Svaneti , a region in northwest Georgia . They speak the Svan language and are mostly bilingual also in Georgian . Both these languages belong to the Kartvelian (South Caucasian) language family . In the pre-1930 Soviet census, the Svans were categorized as a separate ethnic group ( natsionalnost ). The self-designation of the Svan is Mushüan , which is probably reflected in the ethnonym Misimian of the Classical authors.
4-487: Svan may refer to: Svan people , an ethnic group of the Georgian people Svan language Svaneti , a region of Georgia Lusaghbyur, Shirak , Armenia, formerly called Svan Anaco Airport , ICAO code Gunde Svan , former Swedish top-level cross-country skier Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with
8-612: The Soani mentioned by Greek geographer Strabo , who placed them more or less in the area still occupied by the modern-day Svans. In the Russian Empire and early Soviet Union Mingrelians and Svans had their own census grouping, but were classified under the broader category of Georgian in the 1930s. They are Georgian Orthodox Christians, and were Christianized in the 4th–6th centuries. However, some remnants of pre-Christian beliefs have been maintained. Saint George (known as Jgëræg to
12-464: The locals), a patron saint of Georgia , is the most respected saint. The Svans have retained many of their old traditions, including blood revenge , although this tradition has been declining over time and as law enforcement takes hold. Their families are small, and the husband is the head of his family. The Svan strongly respect the older women in families. Typically bilingual, they use both Georgian and their own, unwritten Svan language . Prior to
16-529: The title Svan . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Svan&oldid=848423049 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Disambiguation pages with surname-holder lists Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Svan people The Svans are usually identified with
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