This comes from The Turkish Dialects of Trabzon: Their Phonology and Historical ..., Volume 2, By Bernt Brendemoen - Page 23, footnote 21.
It appears that the identification of the Laz with the Lezghians in some documents was a confusion that went all the way back to Arab sources. Below is a quote (in French) from Abu-al Fida (1273-1332) regarding the ethnic makeup of Trabzon in the 13th c., as well as the nearby mountainous region.
Translation of the quote (note Lezghians=Lazes):
"Trabzon is a famous port. Ibn Sa'id says that most of its inhabitants are Lezghians. To the south-southeast of Trabzon is the mountain of Lezghians, which is called Mountain of Languages because of the many idioms spoken."
It appears that the identification of the Laz with the Lezghians in some documents was a confusion that went all the way back to Arab sources. Below is a quote (in French) from Abu-al Fida (1273-1332) regarding the ethnic makeup of Trabzon in the 13th c., as well as the nearby mountainous region.
Translation of the quote (note Lezghians=Lazes):
"Trabzon is a famous port. Ibn Sa'id says that most of its inhabitants are Lezghians. To the south-southeast of Trabzon is the mountain of Lezghians, which is called Mountain of Languages because of the many idioms spoken."
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