Malkhaz

Georgian sources state that this name is of Kartvelian origin. They use the following words for describing its meaning:

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• კოხტა (kokhta or koxta) meaning "dainty, dapper": https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E1%83%99%E1%83%9D%E1%83%AE%E1%83%A2%E1%83%90 (in English)
• ლამაზი (lamazi) meaning "beautiful, handsome": https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E1%83%9A%E1%83%90%E1%83%9B%E1%83%90%E1%83%96%E1%83%98 (in English)
• ცქვიტი (tskviti or ckviti) meaning "quick, fast": https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/quick#Translations (in English)

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One anglophone Georgian source also states that the name means "youthful".

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However, according to a Russian source, the name is of Persian (i.e. Iranian) origin and derived from مالخاز (malkhaz) meaning "qualitative". Two of the Georgian sources appear to find the Persian connection doubtful, though they do note that the name Malkhaz is phonetically similar to Persian 'mali-khas' meaning "favourite thing(s)".

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Also compare the Armenian masculine name Մալխաս (Malkhas), which consists of Persian مال (mal) meaning "goods, property" and Persian 'khas' meaning "perfect". The latter element is possibly related to Middle Persian 'xwaš' meaning "pleasant, sweet, nice", which in modern Persian has become خوش (xoš) meaning "happy, pleasant".

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The Chechen name Малхазни (Malkhazni) meaning "beautiful sun" should also be taken into account, given the proximity of Chechnya to Georgia. That name already has its own entry in the Submitted Name Database.

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Sources used:

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- https://imya.com/name/40036 (in Russian)
- http://kids.ge/baby-name?id=493 (in Georgian)
- https://web.archive.org/web/20140726040958/http://name.interes.ge/dreams.php?action=view&id=607&from=action=search|by=%E1%83%9B (in Georgian)
- http://www.geogen.ge/ge/msearch/4315/ (in Georgian; scroll down to the entry for Malkhaz)
- Malkhazi meaning "youthful": https://web.archive.org/web/20130122113737/http://www.open.ge/art/Georgian_names.htm (in English)
- http://armenian.name/index.php?a=term&d=1&t=1379 (in English)
- http://armenian.name/index.php?a=term&d=5&t=1459 (in Armenian)
- Persian مال (mal) meaning "property": https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84#Persian (in English)
- Middle Persian 'xwaš' meaning "pleasant, sweet, nice": see page 96 of "A Concise Pahlavi Dictionary" written by D. N. MacKenzie
- modern Persian خوش (xoš) meaning "happy, pleasant": https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%B4#Persian (in English)