Mingrelian or Megrelian ( margaluri nina) is a Kartvelian language spoken in Western Georgia (regions of Samegrelo and Abkhazia), primarily by Mingrelians. The language was also called Iverian (Georgian iveriuli ena) in the early 20th century. Because for more than a thousand years Mingrelian has held only a regional status within Georgia, the number of its speakers has been decreasing in favor of the national language, with UNESCO designating it as a "definitely endangered language".