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Abkhaz

noun
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Ab·​khaz | \ ab-ˈkäs How to pronounce Abkhaz (audio) \
variants: or Abkhazian \ ab-​ˈkā-​zh(ē-​)ən How to pronounce Abkhazian (audio) , -​ˈkä-​zē-​ən \ or less commonly Abkhas \ ab-​ˈkäs How to pronounce Abkhas (audio) \ or Abkhasian \ ab-​ˈkā-​zh(ē-​)ən How to pronounce Abkhasian (audio) , -​ˈkä-​zē-​ən \
plural Abkhaz or Abkhazes or Abkhazians also Abkhas or Abkhasians

Definition of Abkhaz

1a : 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

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First Known Use of Abkhaz

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for Abkhaz

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

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The first known use of Abkhaz was in 1686

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Cite this Entry

“Abkhaz.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Abkhaz. Accessed 29 May. 2020.

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