ჭიჭე მაფასქირი / Chiche Mapaskiri — in Mingrelian / Megrelian / მარგალური ნინა.
Mingrelian is a Kartvelian language spoken predominantly in the Samegrelo region of Western Georgia, centered around the city of Zugdidi. It is also spoken in some parts of the Abkhazia region. It is closely related to, but distinct from, Georgian — the official language of Georgia — and the other Kartvelian languages, Laz, and Svan.
Although often considered a dialect of Georgian by some linguists due to political and cultural factors, Mingrelian has its distinct phonological, morphological, and syntactical features that qualify it as a separate language. Mingrelian has a rich vowel system and a moderately complex consonant system, featuring ejective sounds which are common in Caucasian languages. The language shares some grammatical structures with Georgian, such as verb conjugation patterns and the use of postpositions rather than prepositions. Mingrelian is primarily written in the Georgian script when written, though historically, there have been instances of using the Latin script.
Mingrelian is not officially recognized as a standalone language in educational or government functions; these roles are filled by Georgian. There are no standardised regulations for its use in schools or media, and it is primarily a spoken rather than written language. This lack of formal recognition and support has hindered its development and preservation.
