Etymology

First attested in the 14th century.

From Middle Georgian, from Old Georgian ქრცხილვანი ‎(krcxilvani), from ქრცხილი ‎(krcxili, “hornbeam”) + -ოვანი ‎(-ovani, “adjectival suffix”), ultimately from Proto-Kartvelian *krcxeml- ‎(*krcxeml-, “hornbeam”).

The earliest form was probably *ქრცხილოვანი ‎(krcxilovani), *ქრცხილოანი ‎(krcxiloani). In the 15th century it developed into კრცხილვანი ‎(ḳrcxilvani) (the ქ ‎(k) → კ ‎(ḳ) development is regular in Middle Georgian). Due to metathesis of the consonants and due to natural drift in the language, the first two consonants of the root (*კ ‎(ḳ) and *რ ‎(r)) were lost, while *ლ ‎(l) was replaced with the more convenient *ნ ‎(n) (and vice versa. The same development is seen in Old Georgian ჟილვანი ‎(žilvani) → ჟინვალი ‎(žinvali)).

In all forms of the term the root is *ქრცხილ- ‎(krcxil-) (or later *კრცხილ- ‎(ḳrcxil-)), suffixed with -ოვანი ‎(-ovani, “having certain characteristics or qualities”), where ო ‎(o) is lost due to phonetic contraction. Old Georgian ქრცხილა ‎(krcxila) (modern რცხილა ‎(rcxila, “hornbeam”)) was the name of a certain type of an endemic tree (of genus Carpinus) commonly found in this region. Thus, the literal meaning of the toponym can be viewed as "the land of hornbeams".

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tsxinvɑli/
• Hyphenation: ცხინ‧ვა‧ლი