IBERNI

One of the most striking toponyms of the ancient world, depicted on Ptolemy's maps, is the name of the Irish tribe "Iberni". It not only links Ireland with Iberia but also demonstrates the impeccability of Kartvelian toponymic construction: "iber + n + i". 


The root "iberri" (ib-herri) is translated from Basque as "valley nation" (Koldo Mixelena's dictionary), meanwhile in the Old Kartvelian the "n"-suffix was plural. And the final "-i" is the Kartvelian nominative case ending. Literally, it is translated as "Iberians". This same name was later borrowed into the local word "Hibernian".

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