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The toponym "Batumi" – Etymology 
Nargiz Akhvlediani1 

Abstract 

Interest in Georgian cities arose in the second half of the 19th century. Active scientific research began in the 

middle of the 20th century. Various monographs and works were dedicated to Georgian cities, including Batumi. 

The aim of our research is to determine the etymology of the toponym "Batumi" and the motivation behind the 

name. Researchers in geography, ethnography, history, and other fields often use toponyms for research purposes. 

On the other hand, linguists also often need geographical, ethnographic, or historical data to explain toponyms. 

The aim of our research is to determine the etymology of the toponym "Batumi." Several hypotheses exist 

regarding the origin of the name in Kartvelian studies. Some suggest that it derives from the Greek, while others 

propose it originates from Turkish or other Kartvelian languages. There are several explanations for the etymology 

of "batumi." Each of them is subject to scientific consideration and, of course, has the right to exist. We have been 

trying to identify this plant for the last ten years. In our opinion, the toponym "Batumi" is a phytotoponym derived 

from the name of a plant, the name of which is confirmed today only in folk oral speech or folklore, although the 

local population no longer remembers it and future generations will no longer know it. Below, we present our 

research regarding the mentioned phytotoponym. 

Keywords: Batumi, Toponym, Phytonym, Etymology, Chakvi grass. 

Introduction 

The collection and study of Georgian toponymy have a long tradition. Ancient Georgian 

geographical names are preserved in ancient Georgian literary-historical writings, which contain 

important information about the name of this or that geographical point. However, despite this, 

Vakhushti Bagrationi (1690–1770), an outstanding historian and geographer of the 18th century, is 

considered the founder of the scientific study of Georgian onomastics. 

Linguists have long paid attention to the importance of toponymy for dialectological research, 

especially historical dialectology. The study of the toponymy of Adjara is a necessary task for the study 

of the Adjarian dialect as well as the past existence, history, and ethnography of this region. 

Methods and Materials 

Based on the goals of the study, we initially searched for scientific literature and notes from travellers 

and researchers about the toponym Batumi. 

During the search process, through comparison with scientific literature, we critically approached 

existing scientific views. Through scientifically based research and interpretation, we have drawn 

relevant, reliable conclusions. When working on the article, we were also guided by the methods of 

historical-comparative analysis and synthesis. 

Results 

Batumi, known as the city of the past, dates back to approximately 400 BC, as mentioned by Jean 

Moreau [1]. According to T. Kaukhchishvili's research, the first written record about Batum is attributed 

to Aristotle (4th century BC) [2]. It is also possible that Batum was mentioned by Plinius (1st century 

AD). The second Roman author is Ariane (2nd century AD), who, like Plinius, travelled along the coasts 

of Kolkheti and Kartli and mentions the river "Batis" [3]. It should be noted that Plinius also mentions 

the point of the same name. 

This point was also named by the anonymous author of the 5th century and later by the Byzantine 

historian Michael Panaretos [4]. K. Muller equates the point "Tabula Peutingeriana" with "Portus Altus" 

on the Roman road map with Batumi, which is located on the site of modern Batumi [5]. S. 

Kaukhchishvili considered it the Latin form of the Greek "Batis" [6]. This identification was shared by 

I. Sikharulidze and D. Braund [7] and [8]. 

 
1 PhD in Philology, Chief Researcher, Department of Folklore, Dialectology and Emigrant Literature of Niko Berdzenishvili 

Institute, Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University, Georgia, Batumi, nargiz.akhvlediani@bsu.edu.ge  

 

mailto:nargiz.akhvlediani@bsu.edu.ge


Akhvlediani. Georgian Geographical Journal 2023, Vol.3 (2) 

"Megale Polis" ("Great City"), "Tabula Peutengeriana," and "Portus Altus," aka Batumi, are 

mentioned in the Chronicle of Easter (7th century AD). Academician S. Kaukhchishvili identifies them 

with "Batumi." Some researchers share the opinion that early Batumi was located at the mouth of the 

Koroli River. [9]. Vakhushti Batonishvili notes in his work that Batumi was located on the coast of the 

Black Sea, which was a small, beautiful city conquered by the Ottomans [10]. On European nautical 

maps, Batumi is indicated by cartographic marks denoting a fortress town and is mentioned on various 

European maps, such as 13th-century Venetian and 14th-century Italian compass maps, namely, 

Visconte 1318, Pizzigani 1367, and Gracizo Benicaza. (1480), and Jakofo Gastoldi (1561) showed a 

sailing ship near Batumi on the map, which indicated that it was an important port city [11]. In 1426, 

the German traveller Hans Schiltberg, in his "travel book," called Batumi the main city [12]. In addition, 

in 1472, the Italian diplomat and traveller Iosafat Barbaro mentions Batumi as a city where "Kolkhuri 

Tetri" spread as "Colchicam ivitam." This indicates that Batumi is a beautiful city on the coast. Venice's 

ambassador to Persia, Ambrogio Contarini, who visited Batumi in 1474, refers to it as a fortress city 

[13]. In 1615, the missionary Louis Grange named Batumi a strategic centre, a harbour monopoly, a  

Batumi), and the sea port, the centre of the trade monopoly and the residence of the strategists, was 

in Batumi. residence of strategists, and especially a seaport [14]. 

S.Kaukhchishvili notes that the Petra fortress was in Tsikhisdziri (Tsikhisdziri is a place near Batumi. 
In recent years, notable attention has been drawn to the history of Batumi in our scientific literature. 

This attention dates back to the 6th century, when it was mentioned in historical sources as the 

localization of 'Petra,' a significant Black Sea coastal Lazic city. Interestingly, during the 6th century, 

the classical sources do not mention Petra as part of Batumi, but it is emphasized as a key centre on the 

Black Sea coast, where significant Byzantine-Sasanian wars took place. Authors from Byzantium, 

Procopius of Caesarea, and Agathias Scholasticus provide us with detailed information about these 

events. The history of Batumi as a settled area begins with Gori. It has been a city settlement since the 

2nd–6th centuries AD [15]. 

The archaeological findings on the territory of Batumi provide various ceramic materials from the 

ancient period. The importance of these urbanized settlements in the hill Gora-samosaxlo region was 

significant, which contributed to trade and economic cooperation with the centres of antiquity. Imported 

ceramics, such as Khios, Samos, Tazos, and Amforiani, and local ceramics, including Colchian pottery, 

have been found. According to N. Berdzenishvili, there was a well-established ancient Colchian village 

in the territory of present-day Batumi. The research suggests the presence of ancient graves with Fen-

style burial from the early centuries (Inner Chorokhi II), which closely resemble the constructions used 

in Petra's citadel (the remains of Petra in Chorokhi, near the Chakvi [16]). This text discusses the 

historical significance of Batumi in Georgia and its connections to the ancient city of Petra.  

There are several attempts to explain the etymology of the toponym "Batumi". Each of them is the 

result of some judgment and, of course, is worthy of existence. According to the data of Kartvelian 

languages, for the first time Acad. S. Kaukhchishvili tried to explain the meaning of the toponym 

Batumi. In it, the researcher separated the "Um" suffix and the "Bat" base material. This opinion was 

supported by researchers: T. Mibchuani, J. Chkheidze, A. Inaishvili, M. Qaldani. [17-20]. 

The hypothesis of its origin in Greek was supported by Professor Z. Chumburidze, but he did not 

rule out that it derives from some Georgian word. It is also known that the Greeks referred to the place 

near Novorossiysk as Bati, Batea, or Bata, but a similar toponym was not created there. One 

circumstance should be taken into account: often two names of this or that toponym, ethnonym, or 

hydronym are known in the sources: one is named by locals, the other by foreigners. Some examples 

of this are Rion, Fasis; Chorokhi, Akampsis; Korolistavi, Batis. T. Kaukhchishvili draws attention to a 

similar fact. Kaukhchishvili discusses the writings of Joseph Flavius: Joseph Flavius often mentions 

two names of tribes: one is what they were called according to Ethnarchos, and the other is what the 

Hellenes called the same tribe: Gomars, Galatians, Magogs, Scythians, and Midians (T. Kaukhchishvili, 

1983). Are not we dealing with the same event in Batumi? Researcher I. Chkhonia writes in his 

dictionary that Batumi means a swampy place or land with the meaning of swamp [21]. In addition, the 

root "bat" is not alien to Georgian surnames and proper names, for example, Bati, Bata, Bataya, Batia, 

Batadze, and Batiashvili [22]. 

The main hypothesis of S. Kaukhchishvili is correct, that the Greek word "Petra" is translated as 

Georgian "bat", "stone" or "rock". This is because "bat" or "kara" means stone or rock in Georgian 

languages [M. Qaldan, 1982.]. It should be noted that from the given definition it is clear that in the 



Akhvlediani. Georgian Geographical Journal 2023, Vol.3 (2) 

Georgian language "Batumi" was associated with such geographical features as rocks or stones. It is 

also necessary to emphasize that "Petra" is considered to have the same meaning, because the word 

"Bat|Bakh" in Svanur meant "rock", and the term "Petra" in Old Georgian meant stone or rock. In 

addition, an attempt is made to explain Batumi based on Georgian languages; The um suffix was also 

distinguished in the analysis material [23]. It is conceivable that Batumi with its variants should not 

have originally been the name of a river [hydronym], but a geographical name [toponym] of a place. 

Researcher R. Gordeziani notes that in the name "Batomi" // "Batumi" the -um/-om maker is separated, 

and "Bat" is the root. We think that in our particular case we are dealing with a variation of this suffix 

[24]. Researcher M. Faghava also identified the -um suffix in the toponym "Batumi" and considered 

that -um and -om suffixes form geographical names from phytonymic roots [25]. Several toponyms of 

phytonymic origin have been confirmed near Batumi: ,,Bartskhana”, which means a grove, and Prickly  
place (,,Bartskhnari”). The researcher G. Bedoshvili develops the same opinion [26-27]. 

We will consider the toponym of Batumi together with the names of geographically adjacent places. 

These are "Kaprasha", "Kapreshumi", "Beshura" and Beshumi). Such toponyms are mentioned in the 

neighborhood of the main toponym "Batumi" (cf. Batura"-Batumi), as a result of the study of 

ethnographic material in Georgian mythology, it was determined that the cross and icon are not 

traditional attributes. But objects of worship related to the cosmic and astral worldview and sacred trees. 

In ancient Georgia there was a cult of trees and animals [28]. The sacred tree, like several other 

anthropomorphic beings, was transformed into more anthropomorphic forms and became an object. 

Characteristics of a Worshiped or Incarnated Animal or Plant [29] From the history of religion, it is 

known that man-made objects passed from earth to heaven, and during earthly life they hierarchically 

embodied social forces and institutions (god, king, ruler), priest, evil, good).[30] It is known that in 

1927 the famous linguist V. Topuria discovered Svan manuscripts about Elbatur, notes that there is a 

legend (Svan texts) about the mythological village of Elbatur. Tsalanar. , II: 174). Another famous 

person in Ossetian ethnography is Amiran's double, the proud Batradzi, who falls into the water (river) 

and dies, and three towers appear from his tears [31]. According to another version, the grass on the 

river bank grows on these tears. Sometimes a fat person is also called Batura. Batura is also the name 

of a dog. In folk traditions, especially in poetry, the plant "Batura" can be found in Zoidze's poetry (see 

poet Sh. Zoidze's "Ballad"). The poet also lists the names of field grasses: "Korkotina", "Moloka", 

"Kelaptara" and "Batura". The distinct meanings of the lexeme "Βαθνs \ Batus" in Ancient Greek are 

recorded [32], with several meanings: 1. deep, 2. high and 3. fertile. It has three such different semantics. 

al. In Makashvili's "Botanical Lexicon" there is a Latin word: "Caprea", which is related to the Svan 

"Bagvra" and the Migrelian "Katujvar". According to botanist Natela Varshanidze, the Latin term is 

"Pollinia imberbis", and its synonym is "Microstengium vimeneum", which translates as "bamboo 

grass" (bamboo is a sacred tree in mythology). In Guria it is called "Pur-Pura", "Barbatsa", in Adjara 

"Bambuka", and in Samegrelo it is called "Tea Mafatia"(Chaishi mafatia). [33]. 

 "Chakvi grass" is an annual weed. It is a plant that grows to a height of 40-80 cm. It has long, pinnate 

leaves that are toothed and compound. Its leaves are lanceolate and about 5-10 cm long. Its stems root 

easily when in contact with the soil, so it is very fertile. It is characterized by abundant fertility. It 

especially likes moist, shady places. Chakvi grass, aka bamboo grass ("bambuka"), is a fairly common 

plant in Chakvi, Green Cape, Makhinjauri and Batumi, only on the coastal plain, on the surrounding 

slopes, in gardens and parks (Fig. 1). 



Akhvlediani. Georgian Geographical Journal 2023, Vol.3 (2) 

Figure 1. "Pebble grass", bamboo, “bambuka’’ 

In our opinion, this is a weed grass, the name of which is confirmed today only in folk speech and 

folklore. The next generation does not know him. The local population no longer remembers this plant 

by this name. This is our attempt to explain the etymology of the toponym Batumi. 

conclusion 

In our opinion, the etymology of the toponym "Batumi" is related to the plant "Batura", which today 

is actually only found in folklore and word of mouth (see, for example, the poem "Balada" by the poet 

Sh. Zoidze), although today the local population no longer remembers this phytonym - Batura. "Batura" 

as a plant is not known by the future generation. For the etiology of this toponym, the motivation for its 

name may be due to the widespread distribution of the aforementioned plant, which still thrives in 

abundance in the area today. 

Competing interests 

The authors declare that they have no competing interests. 

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[33] Al. Makashvili, Botanical dictionary, vol., 1991: 151. 

 

 

 

 

 


