Endangered Language

By Vitaly Sharia, The Abkhaz language is officially registered in the UNSECO’s list of endangered languages. The critical situation observed today is not newly emerged. Among numerous significant factors that affected the current state of the Abkhaz language we can outline the calamity of Muhajirism in the 19th century, which turned Abkhazia into a country with multi-ethnic population where the Russian language gradually acquired a firm status of interethnic communication language; and the Georgian demographic and political expansion during the rule of Beria in mid 20th century which forced the Abkhaz schools to accept Georgian language as the language of tuition.

After gaining independence Abkhazia seemed to have no obstacles to improve the conditions and develop the Abkhaz language. Moreover, relative density of the Abkhaz ethnicity has grown more than twice, from 18 to 44 per cents (according to the population count in 2003). However, the usage of the state language did not expand among interethnic communities, public places or mass media. And still many Abkhaz from urban areas do not speak their mother tongue.

State policy should take more firm steps aiming at preservation and development of the language. Several weeks following the discussion during the session of 14 November 2007 the People’s Assembly (The Parliament of Abkhazia) deputies adopted in the final reading a bill “On the state language of the Republic of Abkhazia”. The bill was officially published on 29 November 2007 in the governmental newspaper “The Republic of Abkhazia” and came into effect on the date of the publication. The adoption of the law was preceded by a vast work of many years attracted the best specialists and scholars in the field of philology, law and state building. Each point and paragraph of the law was thoroughly debated in the Parliament as well as outside of it.

Time framework for an actual acquisition of the state language status for the Abkhaz language is a tight period of 7 years. According to the last paragraphs of the Law to come into force in 2015, all heads of state authorities of the Republic of Abkhazia, as well as the heads of structural subdivisions, Deputies of People’s Assembly - the Parliament of the Republic of Abkhazia, heads of local governments are obliged to speak the state language. The state language should become a source language of legal acts.

The provisions of the Law were supposed to come into force step by step. Within 6 months following the adoption of the Law the text printed in the state language should have occupied not less than a half of space issued by nongovernmental printable mass media and not less than two-thirds of the volumes issued by state printed output. Television broadcasters irrespective of the form of ownership, should broadcast two-thirds of their programs on the state language. Starting from 1.01.2010 all meetings held by the President, all Parliament sessions and the sessions of the Cabinet Council should have held on the state language.

Last year the Parliament started to hold sessions on the state language with simultaneous translation into Russian language provided for those who do not speak the state language. The Speaker tries to hold his speech in Abkhaz, so do some deputies too. However they generally switch into Russian during discussion and exchange of opinions. The session papers distributed among the participants are in Russian, not Abkhaz as planned. The other supreme bodies have not reached even the same level.

However, as many skeptics and those judging the situation in a sober way forecasted during the discussion of the Law, if the planned measures provided by the Law will not be fostered by daily efforts from the government and the society, the planned measures will remain on paper. Unfortunately four years later since the adoption of the Law we witness this forecast.

The Abkhaz Language Fund and other organizations responsible for issuing periodicals in Abkhaz language have done a lot of work. However, this is not the aim, but means to achieve the designated goal, namely: all Abkhaz population, including all ethnicities should freely speak Abkhazian. Four years that passed since the adoption of the Law did not bring us closer to this goal.

There was nothing mentioned about language courses for adults for the last time, though preceding the adoption of the Law an active advertising in the Media and the Abkhaz Television broadcasted a series of programs for those aspiring to learn the language. I may assume, that both course organizers and participants realized that the efforts were not productive.

It is obvious that without a full integration into the language environment adults from the Abkhaz urban areas will not be able to learn the language, even though they express their eagerness. While preschool age children easily hold two, three or even more languages. That is why I am deeply convinced that the government should focus on creation of a wide network of kinder gardens, where small children from different ethnic families could learn the state language. This option is far more costly and displays results in a longer perspective; however it seems to me more appropriate in response to the problem which has shaped during many decades. It requires well though-out decisions.

10.24.2011  “Ekho Kavkaza” (The Echo of Caucasus), translation from russian by Madina Sulava