Editing Tbilisi (section)

=={{anchor|Names and etymology}}Names and etymology==
{{see also|Names of Tbilisi in different languages}}
The name "Tbilisi" derives from [[Old Georgian]] {{lang|oge-Latn|Tbilisi}} ([[Asomtavruli]]: {{wikt-lang|oge|თბილისი|ႧႡႨႪႨႱႨ}}, [[Mkhedruli]]: {{wikt-lang|ka|თბილისი}}), and further from {{lang|ka-Latn|tpili}} ([[Georgian language|Modern Georgian]]: {{wikt-lang|ka|თბილი}}, warm, itself from Old Georgian: {{wikt-lang|oge|ტფილი|ႲႴႨႪႨ}} {{lang|oge-Latn|ṭpili}}). The name {{lang|ka-Latn|Tbilisi}} (the place of warmth) was therefore given to the city because of the area's numerous [[sulfur]]ic [[hot spring]]s.

Until 1936, the name of the city in English and most other languages followed the [[Persian language|Persian]] pronunciation<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last1=Everett-Heath |first1=John |article=Tbilisi (Tbilisi), Georgia (Tiflis) |title=The Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names |date=2020 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0191905636 |edition=6 |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780191905636.001.0001/acref-9780191905636-e-7298?rskey=gklvb2&result=2 |quote=The former name is the Persian pronunciation, which is also used by Russians and Armenians. The present Georgian spelling was adopted in 1936. |access-date=28 February 2021 |archive-date=28 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210528124103/https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780191905636.001.0001/acref-9780191905636-e-7298?rskey=gklvb2&result=2 |url-status=live }}</ref> '''Tiflis''', while the [[Georgian language|Georgian]] name was {{lang|ka|ტფილისი}} ({{lang|ka-Latn|Ṭpilisi}}).<ref name="Tiflis">{{cite web |url=https://www.radiotavisupleba.ge/a/1539743.html |script-title=ka:„როცა ტფილისი გახდა თბილისი." |trans-title=When Tiflis became Tbilisi |publisher=Radio Tavisupleba |language=ka |date=17 February 2005 |access-date=1 May 2018 |archive-date=28 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210528124107/https://www.radiotavisupleba.ge/a/1539743.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 17 August 1936, by order of the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] leadership, the official Russian names of various cities were changed to more closely match the local language.<ref name="Tiflis"/> In addition, the Georgian-language form {{lang|ka-Latn|Ṭpilisi}} was modernized on the basis of a proposal by Georgian linguists; the ancient Georgian component {{lang|ka|ტფილი}} ({{lang|ka-Latn|ṭpili}}, 'warm') was replaced by the newer {{lang|ka|თბილი}} ({{lang|ka-Latn|tbili}}).<ref name="Tiflis"/> That form was the basis for the new official Russian name ({{lang|ru|Тбилиси}} {{lang|ru-Latn|Tbilisi}}).  Most other languages have subsequently adopted the new name form, but some languages, such as [[Turkish language|Turkish]], [[Persian language|Persian]], [[Greek language|Greek]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]], and [[German language|German]], have retained a variation of {{lang|tr|Tiflis}}.

On 20 September 2006, the Georgian parliament held a ceremony celebrating the 70th anniversary of the renaming.

Some of the traditional names of Tbilisi in other languages of the region have different roots. The [[Ossetian language|Ossetian]] name {{lang|os|Калак}} ({{lang|os-Latn|Kalak}}) derives from the Georgian word {{lang|ka|ქალაქი}} ({{lang|ka-Latn|kalaki}}) meaning simply city. [[Chechen language|Chechen]] and [[Ingush language|Ingush]] names for the city use a form similar to or the same as their names for the country of Georgia ({{lang|chc|Гуьржех}} {{lang|chc-Latn|Gürƶex}}) as does the historical [[Kabardian language|Kabardian]] name ({{lang|kbd|Курджы}} {{lang|kbd-Latn|Kwrdžə}}), while [[Abkhaz language|Abkhaz]] {{lang|ab|Қарҭ}} ({{lang|ab-Latn|Ķarţ}}) is from the [[Mingrelian language|Mingrelian]] {{lang|xmf|ქართი}} ({{lang|xmf-Latn|Karti}}).