Svans

E9015

Svans are a distinct subethnic group of Georgians known for their unique Svan language, highland culture, and traditional communities in the Svaneti region of the Caucasus.

All labels observed (2)

Label Occurrences
Svans canonical 15
Svanuri ena 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf ethnic group
subethnic group
alsoSpeak Georgian language
country Georgia
culturalRegion Lower Svaneti
Upper Svaneti
linked to: Svaneti
cultureType highland culture
ethnicRelation related to Laz
related to Mingrelians
related to other Kartvelian peoples
ethnonymLanguage English
haveDistinctCostume yes
haveDistinctCustoms yes
historicalLifestyle clan-based society
historicalReputation fierce mountain warriors
relative isolation from lowlands
knownFor Svan language
polyphonic singing
tower-house architecture
traditional blood-feud customs (historically)
languageBranch Svan (Northwest Kartvelian)
linked to: Svan language
languageEndangermentStatus endangered (Svan language)
languageFamily Kartvelian languages
languageStatus unwritten or minimally written language
locatedIn Caucasus
mainReligionDenomination Georgian Orthodox Church
modernCitizenship citizens of Georgia
musicTradition Georgian polyphony
nativeName სვანები
linked to: Svaneti
nativeNameLanguage Georgian
partOfState Kingdom of Georgia (historically)
linked to: Kingdom of Georgia
populationTrend declining in highland villages due to migration
primaryLanguage Svan language
religion Eastern Orthodox Christianity
pre-Christian folk beliefs (syncretic)
subgroupOf Georgians
traditionalArchitecture medieval stone towers (Svan towers)
traditionalEconomy cattle breeding
horse breeding
mountain agriculture
pastoralism
sheep herding
traditionalHabitat Greater Caucasus Mountains
linked to: Lesser Caucasus

northwestern Georgia
traditionalRegion Svaneti
traditionalSettlementType mountain villages
UNESCOWorldHeritageContext Upper Svaneti cultural landscape
linked to: Svaneti
useWritingSystemForLiturgy Georgian script

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (16)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Georgians ethnicSubgroup Svans
Kartvelebi ethnicSubgroup Svans
Laz people ethnicRelation Svans
Kartlians relatedGroup Svans
Imeretians relatedGroup Svans
Svan language hasAlternativeName Svanuri ena
linked to: Svans
Western Georgia hasEthnicSubgroup Svans
subject linked to: western Georgia
Upper Svaneti hasEthnicGroup Svans
Mestia inhabitedBy Svans
subject linked to: town of Mestia
Lushnu nin spokenBy Svans
Kodori Gorge ethnicGroup Svans