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According to the Wiktionary article listed below, the IPA pronunciation of Shalva is: /ʃɑlvɑ/
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E1%83%A8%E1%83%90%E1%83%9A%E1%83%95%E1%83%90 (in English) [noted -ed]
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https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E1%83%A8%E1%83%90%E1%83%9A%E1%83%95%E1%83%90 (in English) [noted -ed]
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Most of the available Georgian sources state that this name is of Georgian origin and that its meaning is unknown.
One source says that the name might possibly be a variant of the name შავლეგ (Shavleg), which is derived from the Georgian adjective შავი (shavi) meaning "black" (ultimately of Iranian origin):
- https://web.archive.org/web/20140725104335/http://name.interes.ge/dreams.php?action=view&id=836&from=action=search|by=%E1%83%A8 (in Georgian)
- https://imya.com/name/35203 (in Russian)
- https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E1%83%A8%E1%83%90%E1%83%95%E1%83%98#Georgian (in English)
- https://ka.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E1%83%A8%E1%83%90%E1%83%95%E1%83%98 (in Georgian)
This seems plausible, since that same source also mentions that შაველა (Shavela) is an older form of Shalva, and that form is known to have been abbreviated to შავლა (Shavla). As you can see, Shavela and Shavleg look quite similar - as do Shavla and Shalva. It is not difficult to imagine that they could have been confused with each other, or that Shalva might have come into being through metathesis of Shavla:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metathesis_(linguistics) (in English)
The remaining sources state that Shalva is the same as the Hebrew name Shalva (see Submitted Names Database), which is the feminine form of Shalev (see main database) and is etymologically related to Hebrew שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning "peace".
I suppose that is technically possible, but it seems less likely to me than the theory described above, since the Hebrew name is feminine - whereas Shalva is masculine in Georgia. Also, names of Hebrew origin are not as prevalent in Georgia as names of Georgian, Persian, Greek, Turkic and even Arabic origin. In addition to this, the Hebrew names that *are* in use in Georgia tend to be those that appear in the Bible - which Shalva does not (at least to my knowledge). All in all, I personally would be wary of connecting the Georgian name Shalva to the Hebrew name Shalva.
Lastly, here are the sources for the Georgian name Shalva:
- http://kids.ge/baby-name?id=581 (in Georgian; only states that the name is of Georgian origin)
- https://web.archive.org/web/20140725114659/http://name.interes.ge/dreams.php?action=view&id=837&from=action=search|by=%E1%83%A8 (in Georgian)
- https://web.archive.org/web/20130122113737/http://www.open.ge/art/Georgian_names.htm (in English; mentions that the name comes from Hebrew 'shalom')
- https://imya.com/name/35234 (in Russian; also connects the name to Hebrew 'shalom' meaning "peace")
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One source says that the name might possibly be a variant of the name შავლეგ (Shavleg), which is derived from the Georgian adjective შავი (shavi) meaning "black" (ultimately of Iranian origin):
- https://web.archive.org/web/20140725104335/http://name.interes.ge/dreams.php?action=view&id=836&from=action=search|by=%E1%83%A8 (in Georgian)
- https://imya.com/name/35203 (in Russian)
- https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E1%83%A8%E1%83%90%E1%83%95%E1%83%98#Georgian (in English)
- https://ka.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E1%83%A8%E1%83%90%E1%83%95%E1%83%98 (in Georgian)
This seems plausible, since that same source also mentions that შაველა (Shavela) is an older form of Shalva, and that form is known to have been abbreviated to შავლა (Shavla). As you can see, Shavela and Shavleg look quite similar - as do Shavla and Shalva. It is not difficult to imagine that they could have been confused with each other, or that Shalva might have come into being through metathesis of Shavla:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metathesis_(linguistics) (in English)
The remaining sources state that Shalva is the same as the Hebrew name Shalva (see Submitted Names Database), which is the feminine form of Shalev (see main database) and is etymologically related to Hebrew שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning "peace".
I suppose that is technically possible, but it seems less likely to me than the theory described above, since the Hebrew name is feminine - whereas Shalva is masculine in Georgia. Also, names of Hebrew origin are not as prevalent in Georgia as names of Georgian, Persian, Greek, Turkic and even Arabic origin. In addition to this, the Hebrew names that *are* in use in Georgia tend to be those that appear in the Bible - which Shalva does not (at least to my knowledge). All in all, I personally would be wary of connecting the Georgian name Shalva to the Hebrew name Shalva.
Lastly, here are the sources for the Georgian name Shalva:
- http://kids.ge/baby-name?id=581 (in Georgian; only states that the name is of Georgian origin)
- https://web.archive.org/web/20140725114659/http://name.interes.ge/dreams.php?action=view&id=837&from=action=search|by=%E1%83%A8 (in Georgian)
- https://web.archive.org/web/20130122113737/http://www.open.ge/art/Georgian_names.htm (in English; mentions that the name comes from Hebrew 'shalom')
- https://imya.com/name/35234 (in Russian; also connects the name to Hebrew 'shalom' meaning "peace")
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Sources: https://www.names.org/n/shalva/about
https://forebears.io/x/forenames/shalva