ΨΆΜΜΟΣ

The Greek word "ψάμμος" (psammos, meaning "sand") has an unclear etymology. However, in Megrelian, "psami" is an adjective derived from the root "ps-", which appears in the verb "psva" (meaning "to urinate"). This suggests that "psami" originally referred to something urine-related.

The story unfolds like this: Megrelians used "psami" to describe the tiny stones expelled during kidney stone disease—smaller than gravel, which was the smallest naturally occurring rock they encountered. In Colchis (modern Georgia), sand was virtually nonexistent. The beaches consisted of pebbles, and the only sand present was black, volcanic, and magnetic. Thus, for ancient Megrelians, ordinary sand was an unknown substance, associated only with the granular material found in urine.

Then, Megrelians somehow arrived on Greek islands with stunning sandy beaches—filled with something they had never seen before: natural (non-urine-related) sand.

"What is this?" they asked each other, rolling in the sand and building castles. "It's psami!" they answered, associating it with the closest concept in their language—the substance found in urine.

Only later did Greek speakers (or those who developed the Greek language) arrive and ask the Megrelians, "What is this material you're playing in?" The Megrelians replied, "Psami."

The Greeks then added their nominative suffix "-os", transforming "psami" into "psammos", a word still used for sand today.

What conclusions can we draw from this etymology?

1. Megrelians originated from a land without sand (possibly Megrelia).

2. The Megrelian word "psami" predates any Greek term for sand, meaning Megrelian existed long before Greek and even pre-Greek languages in Greece.

3. Megrelians arrived on Greek sandy islands from afar, likely from a sandless region (again, possibly Megrelia).

4. Before Megrelians, no one lived on these islands—otherwise, they would have adopted a local term for sand instead of associating it with urine.

5. The people we now call Greeks arrived much later, borrowing words from the local Megrelian population without understanding their original meanings.

This completely reverses conventional narratives about Megrelia, Georgia, Greece, Europe, and world history—turning everything upside down.