kvevri

English

Kvevris above ground.

Alternative forms

• qvevri

Etymology

Borrowed from Georgian ქვევრი (kvevri).

Noun

kvevri (plural kvevris)

1. A large earthenware vessel originally from Georgia, used for the fermentation and storage of wine, often buried below ground level or set into the floors of large wine cellars.

Usage notes

• The spelling qvevri is often used despite the Georgian term being spelt with the letter kari (ქ, transliterated as k, representing a voiceless aspirated velar stop /kʰ/) instead of the letter q'ari (ყ, transliterated as q or q', representing a uvular ejective /q'/). The spelling comes from the Georgian letter ქ's position on a keyboard on the same key as q on the English QWERTY layout. It is commonly used by Georgians and is often found even in official publications.

Anagrams

• kivver