TALASSA

The origin of this 'Ancient Greek' word meaning 'sea' has always been mystery. The only thing we know is that the word exists in two forms: 'talassa' and 'talatta' due to the alternation between S and T in Greek language. The variant 'talatta' is well-attested.

But don't you see that 'talatta' in fact is Laz 'talat', which is equal to Kartvelian 'taleti' and means 'place of tal(i)'?

If you do, the only thing we need to make sure the hypothesis is correct, is some meaning of any 'tal'-looking word in Kartvelian that is related to sea somehow.

You won't spend much time on finding this word. In Margalitadze's dictionary it exists in two versions: ტალა [tala] and ტალი [tali]. Both mention 'ammonia salts' among their meanings.

So, as we have had a chance to see, the root TAL in Kartvelian language has at least some relation to salt. Which, in its turn, has huge relation to sea (let me remind you our etymology of the Kartvelian 'marili' (salt) having obvious relation to the words 'mar' and 'море'). This gives us a right to assume that the root TAL once might have meant any salt, not only the ammonia one. If so, then the Ancient Greek word 'talatta' meaning 'sea', should be interpreted as Laz ტალათ [talat] or Kartvelian ტალეთი [taleti] meaning 'place of salt'. Which is sea.

'Talassa' is a Kartvelian word too.

The final twist is 'salt', 'sal', 'соль' being a derivation from 'tal' due to the same alternation between T and S in Greek language.