Linguistics

K. Sokhadze

The Day οf Week "Kvira" (Sunday) and the Deity Kviria

In article deals with the lexeme "kvira" (Sunday). This word is an exception in the accepted system of names of the week’s day.

The special literature represents the opinion, that the Georgian name of Sunday – "kvira" has been borrowed from Greek at the first translations of the "Gospels". According to the authors opinion this lexeme is not the Greek loan, but a derivation from the name of Georgian pagan deity Kviria||Kvirae||Kviree||Kvira – the third member (son) of the Georgian pagan divine triad.

By function Kviria was the defender of people and the intermediary between them and Morige (one of the Supreme deities of the Kartvelian pagan pantheon). The ritual bread of Kviria named "kveri".

According to the tradition of the ancient civilizations (Babylon, Egypt, the Greek-Roman culture) seven Supreme deities were the patrons of the seven days of week. Kartvelian languages have kept those names in difference of literary Georgian language.

 

Iv. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University

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