There is another version of the etymology of words like "Tbilisi", "Kutaisi", etc. Here "-s" may not be the ending of the genitive case, as was previously assumed. Here we need to consider "-is" as a demonstrative pronoun "ის", which intersects in meaning with "იგი". And latter in Chanturia's dictionary is directly indicated as a definite article in Old Georgian.
Thus, "Tbilisi" = "Tbil(i)+is+i", where "Tbil(i)+is" = "Tbil(i) + the" = The Tbil(i)".
Later, when the meaning of "-is" was forgotten, it was considered part of the root "Tbilis" and the ending of the nominative case "-i" was added at the end. Here the habit of Georgia's enemies to drop the signature Georgian final "-i" works against the Georgians: in the word "Tbilisi" there was no need to add "-i" at the end, so as not to disrupt the georgianness of the construction.
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