Svan
people
Quick Summary
The Svan are a people of the Caucasus dwelling in the high valleys south of Mount Elbrus, primarily along the upper Ingur River. They speak the Svan language, which is unwritten and part of the Kartvelian language family, alongside Georgian, Mingrelian, and Laz. Svan preserves ancient linguistic features and has distinct vocabulary compared to other Kartvelian languages, with four main dialects: Upper and Lower Bal, Lashkh, and Lentekh. Georgian and Russian are used as literary languages by the Svan people.123
Summary created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
4 Britannica Sources
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
