he Origin of the Name "Jiji"
The Official Version: From "GG" to "Jiji"
The name "Jiji" originated from the initials of the school's original proposed name.The founder of the school wanted to honor his father — Alexander Gurtskoy Honored Teacher of Georgia. When choosing a name, various options were considered: "Tsignieri" ("Bookish"), "Pirveli" ("First"), "Gelati", "Gurtsky Gymnasium", and others.The preferred option was "Gurtsky Gymnasium" (in English: Gurtskaya Gymnasium). The first letters of this name — G.G. — naturally evolved in everyday speech into the short and melodic "Jiji".First, the builders adopted this shorthand, then the children quickly picked it up, spreading it throughout the city. After that, giving the school any other name no longer made sense. Even today, there is no need to change the name, because "Jiji" has already become an integral part of the school's brand. Children say with joy and warmth: "I want to go to Jiji!" — and this is exactly the emotion we strive to create. 💙A Popular Folk EtymologyToday, the name "Jiji" has already become a brand, yet interesting assumptions often surround it. A widely held belief is that the school was named after the Mingrelian word "ჯიჯი" (jiji), which means "elder uncle" — that is, the brother of one's grandfather.Although this version is not linguistically accurate, we warmly welcome this association. 🤍 After all, a school is a second family, and teachers and the founder are caring mentors to the younger generation.And if "Jiji" evokes warmth, care, and the reliability of an "elder uncle" for someone — we only welcome that interpretation. Let this version live on! 😊