Abkhazian Parliament Adopts Resolution for Accurate Representation of Geographical Names
Deputy Inar Gitsba, center, spearheads geographic name standardisation in Abkhazian Parliament.
SUKHUM / AQW'A — The Parliament of the Republic of Abkhazia has adopted a resolution aimed at standardising the names of administrative territories and settlements within the country. The resolution specifically focuses on the correct spelling of these names in the Abkhaz literary language and establishes guidelines for their accurate transliteration into Russian and English.
Deputy Inar Gitsba, who presented the resolution, highlighted its significance. He noted, “The resolution has been adopted with the objective of standardising the spellings of Abkhazia’s geographical entities in the Abkhaz language, and ensuring their accurate representation in Russian and English based on scientifically supported transcription rules. This standardisation is essential for ensuring the correct representation of these names on maps, as well as in textbooks on geography, natural science, and history, scientific publications, media, official documents, and road signs.”
+ New Parliamentary Proposal Eyes Russian and English Transcriptions for Abkhaz Geographical Names
+ Dictionary of Geographical Names of Abkhazia and Other States, by Viacheslav Chirikba
Gitsba also emphasised the ongoing nature of this endeavour, stating that the process of aligning the Russian transcriptions with the authentic Abkhaz pronunciations has not yet been completed and that several names still require adjustment. As an example, Gitsba referred to instances where the Russian transliteration does not accurately reflect the Abkhaz pronunciation. He suggested using 'Yashyra' instead of 'Eshera', 'Gumsta' instead of 'Gumista', 'Kudry' instead of 'Kodor', and 'Yagyapsta' instead of 'Agepsta'.
The resolution draws extensively from a comprehensive “Dictionary of Geographical Names of Abkhazia and Other Countries” (Аҧсни егьырҭ атәылақәеи ргеографиатә хьӡқәа ржәар) by Viacheslav Chirikba, Doctor of Philological Sciences and the head of the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Abkhazia, published in 2022. In addition to Chirikba’s work, the resolution incorporates information from an extensive collection of toponymic and hydronymic names ("Аҧсны атопонимика", 2002) compiled by Valeri Kvarchia, Doctor of Philological Sciences and former Speaker of Parliament, as well as works by H.S. Bgazhba and T. Gitsba, and various geographical maps of Abkhazia. The resolution also takes into account the “Rules of Abkhaz Spelling,” (Апсуа бызшәа аҩышьаҧҟарра) a reference book published in Sukhum in 2019.
The resolution marks an important step towards cultural preservation and the accurate representation of Abkhazia’s geographical heritage in international contexts.
Reported by ApsnyPress.