Editing Georgian scripts (section)

== ''Mkhedruli'' ==
{{multiple image
| align     = right
| direction = vertical
| image1    = Bagrat IV royal charter.jpg
| width1    = 240
| alt1      =
| caption1  = Royal charter of King [[Bagrat IV of Georgia]] in Mkhedruli, 11th century.
| image2    = სიგელი თამარ მეფისა გელათისადმი.jpg
| width2    = 240
| alt2      =
| caption2  = Royal charter of Queen [[Tamar of Georgia]] in Mkhedruli, 1187 AD.
| image3    = 1712. ვახტანგ და ბაქარ ბატონიშვილების სითარხნის წიგნი სიონის მხატვარ გიორგისადმი.jpg
| width3    = 240
| alt3      =
| caption3  = Royal charter of King [[Vakhtang VI of Kartli]] in Mkhedruli, 1712 AD.
}}
'''Mkhedruli''' ({{lang-ka|მხედრული}}; {{IPA|ka|mχedɾuli}}) is the third and current Georgian script. Mkhedruli, literally meaning "[[cavalry]]" or "[[military]]", derives from {{lang|ka-Latn|mkhedari}} ({{lang|ka|მხედარი}}) meaning "[[Equestrianism|horseman]]", "[[knight]]", "[[warrior]]"{{sfn|Nakanishi|1990|p=22}} and "[[cavalier]]".{{sfn|Gugushvili|1937|p=324}}

Mkhedruli is [[bicameral script|bicameral]], with capital letters that are called Mkhedruli Mtavruli ({{lang|ka|მხედრული მთავრული}}) or simply Mtavruli ({{lang|ka|მთავრული}}; {{IPA|ka|mtʰavɾuli}}). Nowadays, Mkhedruli Mtavruli is only used in [[all-caps]] text in titles or to emphasize a word, though in the late 19th and early 20th centuries it was occasionally used, as in Latin and Cyrillic scripts, to capitalize proper nouns or the first word of a sentence. Contemporary Georgian script does not recognize capital letters and their usage has become decorative.<ref name="Unicode Mtavruli proposal" />

Mkhedruli first appears in the 10th century. The oldest Mkhedruli inscription is found in [[Ateni Sioni Church]] dating back to 982 AD. The second oldest Mkhedruli-written text is found in the 11th-century royal charters of King [[Bagrat IV of Georgia]]. Mkhedruli was mostly used then in the [[Kingdom of Georgia]] for the [[royal charter]]s, historical documents, manuscripts and inscriptions.<ref>ატენის სიონის უცნობი წარწერები, აბრამიშვილი, გვ. 170-1</ref> Mkhedruli was used for non-religious purposes only and represented the "civil", "royal" and "secular" script.{{sfn|Katzner|Miller|2002|p=118}}{{sfn|Chambers Encyclopedia|1901|p=165}}

Mkhedruli became more and more dominant over the two other scripts, though Khutsuri (Nuskhuri with Asomtavruli) was used until the 19th century. Mkhedruli became the universal writing Georgian system outside of the Church in the 19th century with the establishment and development of printed Georgian fonts.<ref name="Putkaradze2006" />

===Form of Mkhedruli letters===
Mkhedruli inscriptions of the 10th and 11th centuries are characterized in rounding of angular shapes of Nuskhuri letters and making the complete outlines in all of its letters. Mkhedruli letters are written in the four-linear system, similar to Nuskhuri.
Mkhedruli becomes more round and free in writing. It breaks the strict frame of the previous two alphabets, Asomtavruli and Nuskhuri. Mkhedruli letters begin to get coupled and more free calligraphy develops.<ref>მაჭავარიანი, თბილისი, 1977</ref>

<div class="center">[[File:Excerpt of royal charter of King Bagrat IV of Georgia.svg|450px]]<br/>
<small>Example of one of the oldest Mkhedruli-written texts found in the royal charter of King [[Bagrat IV of Georgia]], 11th century.</small><br/>
<small>"[[Gurgen of Iberia|Gurgen]] : King : of Kings : great-grandfather : of mine : Bagrat [[Curopalates]]"</small></div>

<div class="center">[[File:თამარ მეფის მონეტა 1187 წ..png|center|200px]]
<small>[[Coin]] of Queen [[Tamar of Georgia]] in Mkhedruli, 1187 AD.</small></div>

===Modern Georgian alphabet===
The modern Georgian alphabet consists of 33 letters:

{| class="wikitable" style="line-height:1.2;width:30em;"
|- align=center
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Ani (letter)|ა]]</span><br/>''ani''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Bani (letter)|ბ]]</span><br/>''bani''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Gani (letter)|გ]]</span><br/>''gani''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Doni (letter)|დ]]</span><br/>''doni''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Eni (letter)|ე]]</span><br/>''eni''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Vini (letter)|ვ]]</span><br/>''vini''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Zeni (letter)|ზ]]</span><br/>''zeni''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Tani (letter)|თ]]</span><br/>''tani''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Ini (Georgian letter)|ი]]</span><br/>''ini''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[K'ani|კ]]</span><br/>''k'ani''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Lasi (letter)|ლ]]</span><br/>''lasi''
|- align=center
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Mani (letter)|მ]]</span><br/>''mani''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Nari (letter)|ნ]]</span><br/>''nari''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Oni (letter)|ო]]</span><br/>''oni''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[P'ari|პ]]</span><br/>''p'ari''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Zhani|ჟ]]</span><br/>''zhani''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Rae (letter)|რ]]</span><br/>''rae''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Sani (letter)|ს]]</span><br/>''sani''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[T'ari|ტ]]</span><br/>''t'ari''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Uni (letter)|უ]]</span><br/>''uni''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Pari (letter)|ფ]]</span><br/>''pari''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Kani (letter)|ქ]]</span><br/>''kani''
|- align=center
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Ghani (letter)|ღ]]</span><br/>''ghani''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Q'ari|ყ]]</span><br/>''q'ari''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Shini|შ]]</span><br/>''shini''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Chini (letter)|ჩ]]</span><br/>''chini''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Tsani|ც]]</span><br/>''tsani''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Dzili|ძ]]</span><br/>''dzili''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Ts'ili|წ]]</span><br/>''ts'ili''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Ch'ari|ჭ]]</span><br/>''ch'ari''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Khani (letter)|ხ]]</span><br/>''khani''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Jani (letter)|ჯ]]</span><br/>''jani''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Hae (letter)|ჰ]]</span><br/>''hae''
|}

=== Letters removed from the Georgian alphabet ===
The [[Society for the Spreading of Literacy among Georgians]], founded by Prince [[Ilia Chavchavadze]] in 1879, discarded five letters from the Georgian alphabet that had become redundant:{{sfn|Daniels|1996|p=367}}

{| class="wikitable" style="line-height:1.2;width:25em;"
|- align=center 
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[He (Georgian letter)|ჱ]]</span><br/>''e-merve''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Ie (letter)|ჲ]]</span><br/>''iota''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Vie (letter)|ჳ]]</span><br/>''vie''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Khari (letter)|ჴ]]</span><br/>''khari''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[Hoe (letter)|ჵ]]</span><br/>''hoe''
|}

*<span style="font-size:170%;">ჱ</span> ({{Lang-ka|ე-მერვე|tr}}''<ref name="obsol">Otar Jishkariani, Praise of the Alphabet, 1986, Tbilisi, p. 1</ref> "eighth e"'') /eɪ/ (like the ay in pay), Svan /eː/ (like the e in egg in some [[American English|American]] and [[Canadian English|Canadian]] accents), sometimes called "''ei''",{{sfn|Shanidze|1973|p=18}} was equivalent to ეჲ ''ey'', as in ქრისტჱ ~ ქრისტეჲ ''kristʼey'' 'Christ'.
*<span style="font-size:170%;">ჲ</span> ({{Lang-ka|იოტა|tr}}''<ref name="obsol" />'') /j/ (like the word "yeah"), appeared instead of ი (''ini'') after a vowel (დედაჲ ''deday'' "mother", რაჲ<ref>{{Cite web |last=Orbeliani |first=Sulkhan-Saba |date=1658–1725 |editor-last=Met'reveli |editor-first=Elene |editor2-last=Kurtsik'idze |editor2-first=Tsiala |others=Prepared based on autograph lists, researched and supplemented with a glossary of definitions by Ilia Abuladze; Illustrated by Giorgi Lomidze. |title=რაჲ - ლექსიკონი ქართული |url=http://www.nplg.gov.ge/gwdict/index.php?a=term&d=8&t=35456 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240706232410/http://www.nplg.gov.ge/gwdict/index.php?a=term&d=8&t=35456 |archive-date=Jul 6, 2024 |website=National Parliamentary Library of Georgia |publisher=Merani}}</ref> ''ray'' "what"), but came to have the same pronunciation as ი (''ini'') and was replaced by it. Thus, ქრისტჱ ~ ქრისტეჲ ''kristʼey'' "Christ" is now written ქრისტე ''kristʼe''.
*<span style="font-size:170%;">ჳ</span> ({{Lang-ka|ვიე|tr}}) /wi~vi/ (like a cluster of the oo in too and the i in ill), Svan /w/ (like the w in water)<ref name="obsol"/> came to be pronounced the same as ვი ''vi'' and was replaced by that sequence, as in სხჳსი > სხვისი ''skhvisi'' "others'".
*<span style="font-size:170%;">ჴ</span> ({{Lang-ka|ხარი/ჴარი|tr}},<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mach'avariani |first=Elene |title=მწიგნობრობაჲ ქართული |publisher=[[Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia]] |others=Illustrated by R. Makharadze; corrected by D. T'abutsadze. |year=1989 |editor-last=Labadze |editor-first=O. |pages=41 |language=ka}}</ref> ''qari'', ''hari'') {{IPA|/q⁽ʰ⁾/}} (like the Arabic [[Qoph|Qof]])<ref name="obsol"/> came to be pronounced the same as ხ (''khani''), and was replaced by it. e.g. ჴელმწიფე ''qelmtsʼipe'' became ხელმწიფე ''khelmtsʼipe'' "sovereign".
*<span style="font-size:170%;">ჵ</span> ({{Lang-ka|ჰოე|tr}}) /oː/ (somewhat like the American o in go)<ref name="obsol"/> was used for the [[interjection]] ''hoi!'' and is now spelled ჰოი. Also used in [[Bats language|Bats]] for the {{IPAslink|ʕ}} or {{IPAslink|ɦ}} sound.

All but ჵ (''hoe'') continue to be used in the [[Svan alphabet]]; ჲ (''hie'') is used in the [[Mingrelian alphabet|Mingrelian]] and [[Laz alphabet|Laz]] alphabets as well, for the y-sound {{IPAslink|j}}. Several others were used for [[Abkhaz language|Abkhaz]] and [[Ossetian language|Ossetian]] in the short time they were written in Mkhedruli script.

=== Letters added to other alphabets ===
Mkhedruli has been adapted to languages besides Georgian. Some of these alphabets retained letters obsolete in Georgian, while others acquired additional letters:

{| class="wikitable" style="line-height:1.2;width:20em;"
|- align=center
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[ჶ]]</span><br/>''fi''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[ჷ]]</span><br/>''shva''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[ჸ]]</span><br/>''elifi''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[ჹ]]</span><br/>''turned gani''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[ჺ]]</span><br/>''aini''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[wikt:ჼ|ჼ]]</span><br/>''modifier letter nar''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[wikt:ჽ|ჽ]]</span><br/>''aen''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[wikt:ჾ|ჾ]]</span><br/>''hard sign''
|bgcolor="#ffffff"| <span style="font-size:240%;">[[wikt:ჿ|ჿ]]</span><br/>''labial sign''
|}
*<span style="font-size:170%;">ჶ</span> (''fi'' "[[phi]]") is used in [[Laz alphabet|Laz]] and [[Svan alphabet|Svan]], and formerly in [[Ossetian alphabet|Ossetian]] and [[Abkhazian alphabet|Abkhazian]].<ref name="addit">Unicode Standard, V. 6.3. U10A0, p. 3</ref> It derives from the Greek letter Φ (''phi'').
*<span style="font-size:170%;">ჷ</span> (''shva'' "[[schwa]]"), also called ''yn'', is used for the [[schwa]] sound in [[Svan alphabet|Svan]] and [[Mingrelian alphabet|Mingrelian]], and formerly in Ossetian and Abkhazian.<ref name="addit"/>
*<span style="font-size:170%;">ჸ</span> (''elifi'' "[[aleph|alif]]") is used in for the [[glottal stop]] in Svan and Mingrelian.<ref name="addit"/> It is a reversed {{angbr|ყ}} (''q'ari''). 
*<span style="font-size:170%;">ჹ</span> (''turned gani'') was once used for {{IPAblink|ɢ}} in evangelical literature in [[Dagestanian languages]].<ref name="addit"/>
*<span style="font-size:170%;">ჼ</span> (''modifier nar'') is used in [[Bats language|Bats]]. It [[nasalization|nasalizes]] the preceding vowel.<ref name="omni_Bats" />
*<span style="font-size:170%;">ჺ</span> (''aini'' "[[ain (letter)|ain]]") is occasionally used for {{IPAblink|ʕ}} in [[Bats language|Bats]].<ref name="addit"/> It derives from the Arabic letter {{angbr|{{lang|ar|ع}}}} (''ʿayn'')
*<span style="font-size:170%;">ჽ</span> (''aen'') was used in the [[Ossetian language]] when it was written in the Georgian script. It was pronounced {{IPAblink|ə}}.<ref name="omni_Osse" />
*<span style="font-size:170%;">ჾ</span> (''hard sign'') was used in Abkhaz for [[velarization]] of the preceding consonant.<ref name="N3775" />
*<span style="font-size:170%;">ჿ</span> (''labial sign'') was used in Abkhaz for [[labialization]] of the preceding consonant.<ref name="N3775" />

=== Handwriting of Mkhedruli ===
The following table shows the stroke order and direction of each Mkhedruli letter:{{sfn|Aronson|1990|pp=21–25}}{{sfn|Paolini|Cholokashvili|1629|p=}}{{sfn|Mchedlidze|2013| p= 110}}

[[File:Mkhedruli.svg|750px|center]]

<span style="font-size:170%;">ზ</span>, <span style="font-size:170%;">ო</span>, and <span style="font-size:170%;">ხ</span> (''zeni, oni, khani'') are almost always written without the small tick at the end, while the handwritten form of <span style="font-size:170%;">ჯ</span> (''jani'') often uses a vertical line, [[File:ჯ (other form).png|14px]] (sometimes with a taller ascender, or with a diagonal cross bar); even when it is written at a diagonal, the cross-bar is generally shorter than in print.

*Only four letters are [[x-height]], with neither [[ascender (typography)|ascender]]s nor [[descender (typography)|descender]]s: ა, თ, ი, ო.
*Thirteen have ascenders, like b or d in English: ბ, ზ, მ, ნ, პ, რ, ს, შ, ჩ, ძ, წ, ხ, ჰ
*An equal number have descenders, like p or q in English: გ, დ, ე, ვ, კ, ლ, ჟ, ტ, უ, ფ, ღ, ყ, ც
*Three letters have both ascenders and descenders, like [[thorn (letter)|þ]] in [[Old English]]: ქ, ჭ, and (in handwriting) ჯ. წ sometimes has both ascender and descender in handwriting.{{cn|date=July 2023}}

====Variation====
[[File:Shota Rustaveli Ave. 50.jpg|thumb|Stylistic variation of letters რ and ლ on a [[street name sign]] for [[Rustaveli Avenue]], showing variations in the name [[Shota Rustaveli|Rustaveli]], with {{lang|ka|2=<span style="color: red;">რ</span>უსთავე<span style="color: red;">ლ</span>ის}} resembling {{lang|ka|2=<span style="color: red;">ɦ</span>უსთავე<span style="color: red;">ჺ</span>ის}}.]]
[[File:Police car in Tbilisi (78).jpg|thumb|{{lang|ka-Latn|Mtavruli}}, i.e. [[all-caps]] text, on a Georgian [[police car]]]]
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Tengiz Gurjidze memorial plaque.jpg
|bSize = 300
|cWidth = 250
|cHeight = 280
|oTop = 60
|oLeft = 25
|Location = right
|Description = A commemorative plaque using Mkhedruli for the upper four lines and Mtavruli for the lower two, with each line written in a different typeface and showing variant glyphs, like დ with a single curl and ჯ with reduced second stroke. A ligature of და ("and") with ა placed above დ can be seen in the fourth line.
}}

There is individual and stylistic variation in many of the letters. For example, the top circle of <span style="font-size:170%;">ზ</span> ({{lang|ka-Latn|zeni}}) and the top stroke of <span style="font-size:170%;">რ</span> ({{lang|ka-Latn|rae}}) may go in the other direction than shown in the chart (that is, counter-clockwise starting at 3 o'clock, and upwards – see the external-link section for videos of people writing).

Other common variants:

* <span style="font-size:170%;">გ</span> ({{lang|ka-Latn|gani}}) may be written like <span style="font-size:170%;">ვ</span> ({{lang|ka-Latn|vini}}) with a closed loop at the bottom.
* <span style="font-size:170%;">დ</span> ({{lang|ka-Latn|doni}}) is frequently written with a simple loop at top, [[File:Doni (other form).svg|15px]].
* <span style="font-size:170%;">კ</span>, <span style="font-size:170%;">ც</span>, and <span style="font-size:170%;">ძ</span> ({{lang|ka-Latn|k'ani}}, {{lang|ka-Latn|tsani}}, {{lang|ka-Latn|dzili}}) are generally written with straight, vertical lines at the top, so that for example <span style="font-size:170%;">ც</span> ({{lang|ka-Latn|tsani}}) resembles a U with a dimple in the right side.
* <span style="font-size:170%;">ლ</span> ({{lang|ka-Latn|lasi}}) is frequently written with a single arc, [[File:Lasi (other form).svg|15px]], a little like a Greek [[rho]] symbol ⟨{{not a typo|ϱ}}⟩. Even when all three are written, they're generally not all the same size, as they are in print, but rather riding on one wide arc like two dimples in it.
* Rarely, <span style="font-size:170%;">ო</span> ({{lang|ka-Latn|oni}}) is written as a [[right angle]], [[File:Oni (other form).svg|10px]].
* <span style="font-size:170%;">რ</span> ({{lang|ka-Latn|rae}}) is frequently written with one arc, [[File:Rae (other form).svg|10px]], like a Latin {{angbr|h}}.
* <span style="font-size:170%;">ტ</span> ({{lang|ka-Latn|t'ari}}) often has a small circle with a tail hanging into the bowl, rather than two small circles as in print, or as an O with a straight vertical line intersecting the top. It may also be rotated a bit clockwise, with the small circles further to the right and not as close to the top.
* <span style="font-size:170%;">წ</span> ({{lang|ka-Latn|ts'ili}}) is generally written with a round bowl at the bottom, [[File:Ts'ili (other form).svg|12px]]. Another variation features a triangular bowl.
* <span style="font-size:170%;">ჭ</span> ({{lang|ka-Latn|ch'ari}}) may be written without the hook at the top, and often with a completely straight vertical line.
* <span style="font-size:170%;">ჱ</span> ({{lang|ka-Latn|he}}) may be written without the loop, like a conflation of ს and ჰ.
* <span style="font-size:170%;">ჯ</span> ({{lang|ka-Latn|jani}}) is sometimes written so that it looks like a hooked version of the Latin {{angbr|X}}.

====Similar letters====

Several letters are similar and may be confused at first, especially in handwriting. 
*For <span style="font-size:170%;">ვ</span> (''vini'') and <span style="font-size:170%;">კ</span> (''k'ani''), the critical difference is whether the top is a full arc or a (more-or-less) vertical line.  
*For <span style="font-size:170%;">ვ</span> (''vini'') and <span style="font-size:170%;">გ</span> (''gani''), it is whether the bottom is an open curve or closed (a loop). The same is true of <span style="font-size:170%;">უ</span> (''uni'') and <span style="font-size:170%;">შ</span> (''shini''); in handwriting, the tops may look the same. Similarly <span style="font-size:170%;">ს</span> (''sani'') and <span style="font-size:170%;">ხ</span> (''khani'').
*For <span style="font-size:170%;">კ</span> (''k'ani'') and <span style="font-size:170%;">პ</span> (''p'ari''), the crucial difference is whether the letter is written below or above x-height, and whether it's written top-down or bottom-up. 
*<span style="font-size:170%;">ძ</span> (''dzili'') is written with a vertical top.