Abkhaz

1 of 2

noun

Ab·​khaz ab-ˈkäs 

variants or Abkhazian

ab-ˈkā-zh(ē-)ən 

-ˈkä-zē-ən

or less commonly Abkhas

ab-ˈkäs

or Abkhasian

ab-ˈkā-zh(ē-)ən, 

-ˈkä-zē-ən

plural Abkhaz or Abkhazes or Abkhazians also Abkhas or Abkhasians

1

a

: a people living on the eastern shore of the Black Sea

b

: a member of this people

2

: the North Caucasian language of the Abkhaz people

Abkhazian

2 of 2

adjective

Ab·​kha·​zian ab-ˈkā-zh(ē-)ən 

-ˈkä-zē-ən

variants or Abkhaz

ab-ˈkäs 

or less commonly Abkhasian

ab-ˈkā-zh(ē-)ən, 

-ˈkä-zē-ən

or Abkhas

ab-ˈkäs

: of or relating to Abkhazia or its people

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Abkhaz borrowed from Russian abkhaz, abkhazets, borrowed from Georgian abkhaz or Arabic & Persian & Ottoman Turkish abkhāz, all borrowed from an uncertain Caucasian source, whence also Late Greek Abaskoí, Abasgoí, Late Latin Abasgī; Abkhazian from Abkhazia, the Abkhaz homeland (ultimately borrowed from Late Greek Abasgía) + -an entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1856, in the meaning defined above

Geographical Definition

Abkhazia

geographical name

Ab·​kha·​zia ab-ˈkā-zh(ē-)ə 

-ˈkä-zē-ə

autonomous republic in northwestern Republic of Georgia, on the Black Sea; capital Sokhumi area 3320 square miles (8599 square kilometers), population 180,000

Abkhas

ab-ˈkäs 

noun

Abkhazian adjective or noun

or Abkhasian

ab-ˈkā-zh(ē-)ən 

-ˈkä-zē-ən