Editing Caucasus (section)

==Toponyms==
[[File:Mount Elbrus May 2008.jpg|thumb|[[Mount Elbrus]]]]
[[File:Zemo Svaneti, June, 2018-10.jpg|thumb|right|Caucasus mountains in [[Svaneti]], Georgia]]
The term ''Caucasus'' is not only used for the mountains themselves but also includes [[Ciscaucasia]] (which is part of the [[Russian Federation]]) and [[Transcaucasia]].<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Caucasus - region and mountains, Eurasia |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Caucasus |access-date=26 November 2018 |quote=Caucasia includes not only the mountain ranges of the Caucasus proper but also the country immediately north and south of them. The land north of the Greater Caucasus is called Ciscaucasia (Predkavkazye, or “Hither Caucasia”) and south of it is Transcaucasia (Zakavkazye, or “Farther Caucasia”).}}</ref> According to [[Alexander Mikaberidze]], Transcaucasia is a "Russo-centric" term.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mikaberidze |first=Alexander |title=Historical Dictionary of Georgia |date=6 February 2015 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-4422-4146-6}}</ref>

The [[Transcaucasus]] region and [[Dagestan]] were the furthest points of [[Parthian Empire|Parthian]] and later [[Sasanian Empire|Sasanian]] expansions, with areas to the north of the [[Greater Caucasus]] range practically impregnable. The mythological [[Mount Qaf]], the world's highest mountain that ancient Iranian lore shrouded in mystery, was said to be situated in this region. The region is also one of the candidates for the location of [[Airyanem Vaejah]], the apparent homeland of the Iranians of [[Zoroaster]]. In [[Middle Persian]] sources of the Sasanian era, the Caucasus range was referred to as ''Kaf Kof''.<ref name="brillonline">{{Cite web |last=Gocheleishvili |first=Iago |title=Caucasus, pre-900/1500 |url=http://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-3/caucasus-pre-9001500-COM_25472?s.num=0&s.f.s2_parent=s.f.book.encyclopaedia-of-islam-3&s.q=Caucasus+Iran |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612144345/http://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-3/caucasus-pre-9001500-COM_25472?s.num=0&s.f.s2_parent=s.f.book.encyclopaedia-of-islam-3&s.q=Caucasus+Iran |archive-date=12 June 2018 |access-date=3 June 2018 |website=Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE}}</ref> The term resurfaced in Iranian tradition later on in a variant form when [[Ferdowsi]], in his ''[[Shahnameh]]'', referred to the Caucasus mountains as ''Kōh-i Kāf''.<ref name="brillonline" /> "Most of the modern names of the Caucasus originate from the Greek ''Kaukasos'' (Lat., ''Caucasus'') and the Middle Persian ''Kaf Kof''".<ref name="brillonline" />

"The earliest etymon" of the name Caucasus comes from ''Kaz-kaz'', the [[Hittite language|Hittite]] designation of the "inhabitants of the southern coast of the [[Black Sea]]".<ref name="brillonline" />

It was also noted that in [[Nakh languages|Nakh]] Ков гас (''Kov gas'') means "gateway to steppe".<ref>Bolatojha J. "Древняя родина Кавкасов [The Ancient Homeland of the Caucasus]", p. 49, 2006.</ref>

===Endonyms and exonyms===
The modern endonym for the region is usually similar in many languages, and is generally between '''''Kavkaz''''' and '''''Kaukaz'''''.
{{Div col|small=yes}}
*{{langx|ab|Кавказ}} ''Kavkaz''
*{{langx|ady|Къаукъаз/с}} ''Kʺaukʺaz/s''
*{{langx|ar|القوقاز}} ''al-Qawqāz''
*{{langx|hy|Կովկաս}} ''Kovkas''
*{{langx|av|Кавказ}} ''Kawkaz''
*{{langx|az|Qafqaz}}
*{{langx|ce|Кавказ}} ''Kawkaz''
*{{lang-ka|კავკასია}} ''K'avk'asia''
*{{langx|de|Kaukasien}}
*{{langx|el|Καύκασος}} ''Káfkasos''
*{{langx|inh|Кавказ}} ''Kawkaz''
*{{langx|krc|Кавказ}} ''Kavkaz''
*{{langx|kum|Къавкъаз}} ''Qawqaz''
*{{langx|ku-Latn|Qefqasya}}, {{lang|ku-Latn|Qefqas}}
*{{langx|lbe|Ккавкказ}} ''Kkawkkaz''
*{{langx|lez|Къавкъаз}} ''K'awk'az''
*{{langx|xmf|კავკაცია}} ''K'avk'atsia''
*{{langx|os|Кавказ/Каукази}} ''Kavkaz/Kaukazi''
*{{langx|fa|قفقاز}} ''Qafqāz''
*{{langx|ru|Кавказ}} ''Kavkaz''
*{{langx|rut|Qawqaz}} ''Kavkaz''
*{{langx|tr|Kafkas/Kafkasya}}
*{{langx|uk|Кавказ}} ''Kavkaz''
{{col div end}}