"-OV" SUFFIX

Let us turn our attention to a fascinating word in the Megrelian language: chhou (ჩხოუ), meaning “cow.” At first glance, the structure of this word reveals a telling detail—the suffix -ou. Etymology provides clarity on why -ou is not part of the root: in Georgian, the related form chha (ჩხა), as noted in the Chanturia dictionary, means “horn.” Thus, chhou trranslates to “horned” or “of horn,” with -ou functioning as a suffix akin to a genitive case ending, indicating possession or association. Intriguingly, the case endings of Megrelian remain a largely uncharted territory, with scant documentation to guide us—a gap that invites deeper exploration.

This observation opens a broader inquiry, one that stretches far beyond the Caucasus to the naming conventions of the world. Consider the suffix -ou in light of the Greek surname ending -ou, as seen in names like Ioannou (Ιωάννου), which denotes possession or lineage, much like a genitive marker. A striking parallel emerges in the Slavic languages, where the surname ending -ov—think Ivanov—mirrors this structure. From Bulgarian to Ukrainian to Russian, surnames ending in -ov are ubiquitous, and if we trace this pattern back to the Megrelian -ou, a bold hypothesis arises: could these -ov surnames, so prevalent across Slavic cultures, have their origins in Megrelian linguistic traditions?

To test this idea, let’s examine the Russian language, where -ov serves as the genitive case ending in the plural: Иваны (“Ivans”) becomes Иванов (“of the Ivans”) when asking “whom?” In the singular, the genitive ending shifts to -a: Иван (“Ivan”) becomes Ивана (“of Ivan”). This distinction suggests an evolution in declension patterns, but we might hypothesize that in ancient times, both singular and plural forms shared the same ending. The surname Ivanov supports this theory: derived from Ивана (“of Ivan”), it conveys kinship, a hallmark of the genitive case, much like the Megrelian -ou in chhou. Remarkably, this pattern extends even further—consider the English preposition “of,” which marks the genitive case and likely shares a distant etymological root with these endings, hinting at a profound linguistic connection that spans continents.

What does this mean for Kartvelology? The Megrelian chhou and its suffix -ou offer a tantalizing glimpse into the ancient structures of Kartvelian languages, potentially illuminating the origins of case endings that have left their mark on global naming conventions. If -ov surnames in Slavic languages indeed trace back to Megrelian influences, then the Kartvelian family’s impact on world linguistics is even more profound than previously imagined. This discovery underscores the urgent need to document Megrelian grammar more thoroughly, for in its suffixes and roots lie the keys to understanding not just Kartvelian history, but the very fabric of human language itself.