Giorgi baRaTuria

BadriTskhadadze, Eka Tskhadadze
On Georgian name-equivalence of one art term
of Arabian origin (“nigabi” (mask))
Summary
There is an ancient mask tradition in Georgia. This tradition is referred not only to Christian period of time, but also goes back to pre-Christian-heathen era. Its existence is confirmed by ethnographic and written source, as well as by archeological evidences.
Unfortunately the word nigabi or sorresponding terms are not mentioned in ancient Georgian written monuments. It has nothing in common with native Georgian-Kartvelian word nikapi. Arabian nigab//nikab means a woman’s face cover. It seems that its inculcation in Georgian language should happen in 19^th century. As to the word mask, as a term, it is used in modern Georgian language along with “nigabi”. Apparently the word “mask” as itself entered into the language and inculcated in it by means of Indo-European languages, which shows a close relationship whith word form maskhara//masquerade: maskara//→ masquerade ← maskhara. In some cases the word wig (“parik”) is used in modern Georgian language as a synonym of a mask. Like a Russian language, in Georgian this word means “artificial hairs used for covering of the head”. The word “parik” entered into the Russian language in 18^th century from Dutch paruik or French perique. Its variational forms are peruka, comp. with paruka. Peruka inculcated in Polish language from Italian perrucca, parrucca. The word “parik” has one more signification (it denotes one kind of the fish). Words “parikjor” and “parikmakher” belonged to Russian language is formed exactly from here (comp. with old-time perukmakher, which origins from German Perückenmacher, comp. with Dutch Paruikmaker).
Thus, the words mask, parik, parikmakher, masquerade entered and inculcated in Georgian writing in XIX-XX centuries from Indo-European languages (particularly from Russian), while maskhara and nigabi appear in new Georgian language as a result of cultural influence of Orient World (Arabian countries, Iran...).
Written monuments don’t preserve the information, had the Georgians or not from ancient times the word forms, denoting parik, nigabi, mask. But one thing is undoubtedly that they should exist. Existence of ancient Georgian equivalents of the word nigabi is testified by modern Georgian spoken language – spoken word and by ethnographic data. Particularly, such terms like beriko (dialect variety of berika) and kvakhabera. The latter is a complicated formed word and contains the roots kvakh and ber (berika, which we have in berikaoba). From the standpoint of applied stylistics Georgian word forms sakhioni, beriko, kvakhabera are still used in special literature and in spoken language in terms of nigabi (mask), but their general inculcation instead of nigabi is very difficult. In the present time neither kvakhabera//kvakhberika, nor beriko or sakhioni cannot replace nigabi, while only foreign word mask can vie with nigabi for superiority, the more so, because similar precedents already took a place in Georgian spoken language and in the literary language. Entering of word mask (lat. masha) as a term, into Georgian language from Russian Language in nineteenth century is documentary testified by oeuevre of Akaki Tsereteli, while in 20-30 years of twentieth century this word was used by poet-symbolist Valerian Gaprindashvili, as well as by classic of Georgian literature, novator-reformer of Georgian literature and dramatic theatre Grigol Robakidze (among with Kote Marjanishvili and Alexander Akhmeteli) in its phantasmagoric drama “Malstrem”.