| Proto-Georgian–Zan | |
| Also Known As: | Proto-Karto-Zan |
| Era: | c. 19th century BC - c. 8th century BC |
| Familycolor: | Caucasian |
| Ancestor: | Proto-Kartvelian |
| Target: | Karto-Zan languages |
Proto-Georgian–Zan (also referred to as Proto-Karto-Zan) is a reconstructed language which is the common ancestor of Karto-Zan languages.[1] It is hypothesized to have diverged from Proto-Kartvelian during the 19th century BC[2] and to have split into the ancestor of the Zan languages and the Georgic languages (ancestor of Judaeo-Georgian and Georgian and dialects) around the 8th century BC or 7th century BC.[3]
The phonology of Proto-Georgian–Zan is essentially identical to Proto-Kartvelian in both vowel sounds and consonant sounds, although the lexicon has slightly diverged, as evidenced by the lack of certain words related to metallurgy and agriculture present in Svan.