Georgian Artistic Tradition of Folk Weaving (‘Jejimi’ style covers and rugs from Tusheti)

The paper discusses one of the artistic traditions of textile weaving widespread in Tusheti, the weaving process of which represents the simultaneous application of several types of traditional techniques. The term describing the tradition of "jejimi cover" (jejimiani sapheni) is analyzed. It is assumed that "jejimi" could be the same as "jejili" in Kartlian dialect, which, in addition to meaning the newly germinated cereal in a field, was also used to denote the tufty fabric. It seems that on the basis of the external similarity of "Jejili" and the tuft of a rug, the so-called associative metonymy took place in the consciousness of the linguistic community. Thus, the weaving of a textile with a tufty, velvety surface acquired the name Jejimi (i.e., the same as Jejili).