THE MAP OF LUBES HABITAT

Now the most interesting part of the research since it suggests the answer the question:

'Who were those Kartvelian-speakers that left the Kartvelian signs all over the Old World?'.

The starting point is the Greek confession that Chalybes = Laz (which are Kartvelians).

The first step would be to remember that the word Chalybes in fact includes the Phoenician definite article 'Cha' (see the corresponding entry), giving us thus the LYB-root. In its turn, this root should be pronounced as [LUB] since Y in Ancient Greek sounded exactly as [U], not as [I].

And now we can see if we are going to find the LUB-ethnonym anywhere.

Actually, it's everywhere. The number and quality of findings leaves you breathless. The true image of the ancient world as it used to be prior to the Indoeuropean conquest (the pre-Greek era) gradually comes out from the oblivion. Isn't it the time machine, everyone dreamt of?

In fact, we are looking for several modifications of the LUB-root, that include LUV, LOB, LOV, LYB, LYV, LIB, LIV, LEB, LEV, keeping in mind the B-V and U-Y-I correspondences.

The most dense presence of LUB can be registered in Ukraine and neighbouring Poland. First of all, we have here the ancient town of Lubni, which impeccably represents the Old Kartvelian plural form of the singular LUB. So, if we call a representative of that nation 'a Lub(e)', then LUBNI is translated as 'the Lub(e)s'. Lubni is situated on the river Sula (translates as 'cane' from Kartvelian) right in the middle of East-Ukrainian Kartvelian toponyms concentration (Vorskla, Horol, Psel, Gelon).

A little up the Dnipro, in Chernigiv province (which can boast of Kartvelian toponyms too) there is another ancient town of Lubech, where -ech is a suffix.

In Zhitomir province (where we saw a possibly Kartvelian river Teteriv) there is a town of Lubar. Note, that the suffix -ar is Svan means 'place of...'. So, Lubar translates from Svan as 'place of Lub(e)s'. The town is located in Bolokhiv Land, which quite may have a Kartvelian origin too, as already was said.

In Lviv province there is a village names Veliky (Grand) Lubin', that speaks for itself. The Lviv itself is a very interesting toponym too. Actually, after the ancient historians (see below) equalled the tribe of LIBUI to LEVI, we have a right to consider LEV the modification of LUB within allowance. Lviv was always considered a derivation from the name 'Lev' meaning 'lion'. Why would such a name appear in Ukraine where no lions ever lived, has no answer. While name's relation to a nation that lived all over the country, seems much more reasonable and grounded. Also remember Leuco, the King of Bosphor Kingdom.

In Crimea, where the kartvelisms are more than abundant, there is a coastal resort named Alupka. It is formerly known as Alubika, where the root LUB is combined with already known to us A-article.

The village of Luben' exists in Belarus'.

The neighbouring Poland (Warszawa, Krakow, Kwisa, Krkonose among the local kartvelisms) has a town of Lubawa (Löbau in German) in Helm province. Interestingly, the -awa is a Megrelian trademark suffix. Another town in Podkarpacky province is called Lubaczow. But the most prominent example would be the well-known city of Lublin. Besides, there are a town of Lubawka (right in Krkonose), a village of Luban'/Lubania (right in the Kvisa river region), towns of Lubartow, Lubecko, Lubliniec, Lubomierz (again, on the Kvisa), Luboml, Lubon', Lubsko and Lubusz, as well as the village of Lubia.

In the neighbouring Czech country, right next to the Krkonose forest, there are two towns with the root we are looking for: Liberec and Liban', While on Chech-Bavarian border we'll find a village of Luby. To finish up with Czechia, there is a river named Lubina in this country.

In another Slav country of Bosnia there is a toponym named Livno. And in the neighbouring Macedonia there is Luboino.

Latvia has two bright toponyms: Libava (modern Liepaia) and Lubana in Madona province.

Even Karelia has a hydronym that has high chances to contain the root in question - Luvozero (Luvian Lake).

The Slav habitat once spread onto the territory of modern Germany, having left many traces. One of them is the city of Lubeck, whose etymology is traditionally connected with the Slav population. Other German cites with the same root include Lubbecke, Lubben (Lubin, note that this toponym comes from Lusatia region, which is morethan likely to relate to Lusitania), Lubbenau, Loburg and Liblar. Another notable example is the city of Leverkusen with very vague (as in the rest of cases) etymology.

The tribe of Liburni (Lyburni) in modern Croatia was already addressed. It's a pure Kartvelian word with the root in question. The Slovenian capital of Ljubljana in Italian language is known as Lubiana. While in the neighbouring Bulgaria you´ll find Lovech and Livada.

The Scottish Liberton seems to have this root as well. besides, the ancient name of Scotland - Alba - deserves special attention as well. But this will be told in the upcoming entry.

In Ionian Anatolia there used to be a town named Lebedos, which later gave another toponym of this root - Livadia.

Italy, which has the whole bunch of Kartvelian toponyms, as we already saw, has as large a bunch of LUB-toponyms as well.

Livo is a municipality in Northern Italy (in the Alps). It neighbours the town of Livigno (Luwin, in German) in Lombardy.

On Sardinia in Sassari (which itself may be interpreted as 'land of sari', 'sari' being a vine support) there are famous nuraghes (stone towers) which are known in historical literature as Turris Libisonis. The word 'libisonis' is the genitive case of the word 'libisoni', which, in its turn, is a Kartvelian adjective of the noun 'libis'. Thanks to the Greek T-S alternation, we may assume it as 'libit', from which it's close to 'libet(i)' - 'land of libi'. At the same time, the word 'libisonis' is also present in the name of a mussel Hyalina lybisonis, where, as we see, it's spelled with 'Y', which allows us to claim that 'libeti' means 'land of lubi'.

The town of Vercelli in Piedmont used to belong to the tribe of Lybici, also known as Libui, Levi and Laevi. At the same time, it is known to be built by Sallyi (we'll need that toponym when telling about LUG-root).

The famous city of Livorno should be disregarded (compare it to French Libourne), as well as the town of Levanto in Liguria (compare it to Middle East and Spanish Levantes).

Even Liverpool used to be known as Livpul. At the same time, we know that it used to be spelled as Lyverpool. All that gives us the right to insist that the root of the word is LUB (remember the nearby village of Culcheth as well as the tribe of Siluri south of Liverpool, in Wales). Another remarkable toponym on Ptolemy's map of Britain is the tribe of Lobuni, whom he places near Bristol. And we will hardly get surprised upon having known that a town with the same name is located in Ethiopia.

In France Pliny places a tribe of Saluvii in Marseille (remember the etymology of Cannes/Le Cannet). The traditional etymologists don't know what to do with the sa-part, attributing it to the word's root. But we know that it's not the root. It's the Kartvelian toponymic prefix, meaning 'land of luvii'. Other French toponyms include Lubaron, Louvigné, Louvigny, Liverdy, Libourne (Liborna), Livarot, Livry, Livron, Louveciennes and even Louvre.

In Spain, which is extreemly kartvelized, the LUB-root is known all over the peninsula.

First, it's modern Llivia, a Spanish exclave in France. In ancient times it used to be known as Julia Libica. While in Galicia there used to be a site named Libuca (modern San Andres de Villadonelle, outskirts of Ferrol). Note, that Ferrol is a renown center of Spanish metallurgy, which was specialization of Lubes (Chalybes). Another such center is Toledo, also a completely Kartvelian toponym. Also let's not forget the tribe of Lobetani that used to live around Alto Tajo (which hosts a toponym of Zaorejas).

And now a quote from Pliny who said:
"...lusum enim Liberi Patris aut lyssam cum eo bacchantium nomen dedisse Lusitaniae et Pana praefectum eius universae:..".

That's the first reference of the LIB-root to Lusitania, which virtually kartvelizes the whole Portuguese nation.

Another toponyms we must pay attention to is Levante. In fact, Levante (Middle East) means 'East of Mediterranean Sea'. But if it's so, why would people call with the same name something that is situated on the opposite coast of the sea, in fact being WEST of the Mediterranean? Looks like the true meaning of Levante is in its LEV root.

The whole name of the African continent (formerly known as Libia/Lybia, and presently known as Lub in Hebrew) hosts the LUB-root. Remember the fresco from an Egyptian tomb, depicting Lybians as a totally white race:

So does the Arabic word for Lebanon, which is Lubnan (it has the Kartvelian plural form Lubn- combined with Arabic indefinite article -an). The nearby ancient Syrian port of Aleppo previously bore a name of Halibon (Ha + Libon). In Palestine there is a village named Lubia. And to finish the picture, meet a village of Lybysium near Anatolian Telmessos (Kartvelian Telmeti).

After Strabo told us that Ancient Greeks called the tribe of Saluvii with the name of Lygii:...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salyes

...we may regard the parallel LUB-LIG-LYG-LUG, which adds another bunch of interesting toponyms.

First of all, it's Liguria which contains the Kartvelian ur-suffix. Besides, the spelling of Lyguria is well-attested. So, nothing prevents us from looking for the LUG-root as a modification of LUB-root.When trying to find the Kartvelian toponym of Salugo, we end up with a village Salouf (formerly known as Salugo), located in Swiss Grigioni canton, exactly the same place from where the tribe of Suaneti relocated to Italy. By the way, Saligo exists as well. It's a name of an isle near the Scotland's coast. In the same Switzerland we have a well-known city of Lugano, that has the same root.

Lygii, as already was said, built the Italian town of Vercelli in Piedmont.

In Spain the LUG-root is plenty. It's the city of Lugo in Galicia, the town of Lugones and the tribe of Luggoni (Pliny) in Asturia, Ligüerre de Cinca in Huesca...

Throw in the French Lyon (formerly Lugdunum) and Lugia on the Greek island of Lefkos.

Actually, Lug is one of the main gods in Celtic religion. Besides, it corresponds to the Kartvelian word of ლუღლუღი [luglugi] meaning 'to mumble', 'to be delirious'.

Two more things without which the picture will not be complete. We already told about LAZ-root having relation to 'blueness'. It turns out that LUB-root (equalled by the Greeks to LAZ) has the same relation too:
"...The only words that look like Livy in the Latin dictionary are a set related to English livid: livere, 'be blue'; livor, 'blueness'; lividus, 'blue', livesco, 'grow blue' and so on. Accordingly it has been proposed that Livius and the Gallic name Livo mean 'blue'...".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livia_(gens)

The reflexion over the possibility of beautiful Asturian Luarca bearing the root in question, brought us to the name of the famous Roman she-wolf - Luperca. Which, in its turn, makes us assume that the LUB-root might have relation to wolves as well. It indeed has:
"...the name of he Hittite Luvians means "Wolf-People"...".
http://ru.scribd.com/doc/75524040/Ancient-Germanic-Warriors

Why is it important? Because another highly Kartvelian toponymic root of GEORG/GORG means exactly the same - 'wolf'. And the whole Kartvelian (Georgian) nation consider themselves highly related to wolves. So do the Svan people, for whom wolves are sacred animals.

So, while we have been thinking who left the kartvelisms all over the world - Lubes or Gorgs - they turn out to be the same thing: wolves.

What is the origin of the LUB-root? Where could it come from? It's no secret. The word 'luba' exists in Megrelian language in the meaning of 'bossom'. It coincides with Eastern African Afar language, where lubbi means heart, soul, and Oroma language, where lubbuu means spirit. Correspondingly, in Phoenician lb, lib means heart too. It's not difficult to draw the parallels to Ukrainian lubiti (to love) and lubov (love), as well to, actually, English 'love'. A very eloquent detail, letting us imagine the essence of the mysterious Lubes.

And the final touch would be the list (certainly, imcomplete) of European surnames bearing the LUB-root in various modified forms:

Lubko/Luvko/Lobko, Luchuk/Luvchuk/Lobchuk, Lubenko/Luvenko/Lobenko/Lovenko, Lubchenko/Luvchenko/Lobchenko/Lovchenko, Lubinski/Luvinski, Lubmann, Lubner, Lubinov, Lubimov, Luboski, Lubov, Lubinin, Lubachov/Lobachov, Lubato/Luvato/Lobato/Lovato, Lubetti/Luvetti, Lubini, Lubiani, Luboni, Lobidze, Lobishvili, Lobanov, Lubson/Luveson/Lobeson/Lobson, Lubuni, Lubidis, Lubic, Lubicic, Lubek, Lubicek, Lubescu, Lubeschi, Lubino, Lubermann, Luberi

The following is never-drawn-before map of the Lubes/Luges habitat over the Old World. The red spots are Lubes, the green spots are Luges (press to enlarge):