Abkhazian Language Faces Threat of Endangerment

Temur Gvantseladze: “No other state worldwide but Georgia is entitled to take care of Abkhazian language and to work on its development.”

Salome Achba

UNESCO officially enlisted Abkhaz language among endangered languages of the world. Linguists think unless immediate and effective steps are taken for the survival of Abkhazian language, in 20-30 years only several people will know it.

One part of scientists thinks Abkhazian language faces endangerment threat because of rusification process in Abkhazia. Another part believes it was result of Georgian demographic and political expansion of Abkhazia in the middle of the last century. Four years ago, Abkhazian de-facto authority adopted a Law on State Language. However, this law did not change anything to protect Abkhaz language – today Abkhaz language still faces real threat of endangerment.

The Human Rights Center interviewed professor at the IDP Sokhumi University Linguist Teimuraz Gvantseladze who spoke about the history of Abkhaz language and alphabet, endangerment threat and problem resolution ways.

Teimuraz Gvantseladze: “Abkhaz language, as well as Georgian language, belongs to Iberian-Caucasian Family of Languages. It means these languages have one origin and come from one ancestor together with Cherkez (Adyghe people), Ubykh, Chechen, Dagestan languages. Eventually, initial Iberian-Caucasian language was disseminated and supposedly we initially received dialects and then abovementioned Caucasian languages.

First Abkhazian words were first recorded by Turkish traveler Evlia Chelebi in 1641. He travelled alongside the Black Sea Coast together with Turkish Fleet and recorded examples of spoken language of all nations whom he met during his journey. We can find Georgian, Abkhaz, Cherkez and other Caucasian languages in his recordings. Unfortunately, there are no other earlier recordings of Abkhaz languages or phrases.

We do not know any important manuscripts in Abkhaz language dating earlier than XIX Century. Scientific research of this language started in the XIX Century. The first researcher of Abkhaz Language was German orientalist Georg Rosen who in 1864 published his work about Ossetian language too in Berlin. Grammar review of Abkhaz language was enclosed to this work. It was first occasion when scientific research of the language started. General of the Russian Army Petre Uslar brought particular merit to the scientific research of Abkhaz language who was interested in the language both linguistically and politically. When speaking about scientific research of Abkhaz language, we should mention Georgian enlightener Petre Charaia who was grew up in Abkhaz village and spoke Abkhaz language fluently. Niko Mari also wrote many works about the language. However, it is noteworthy that even Niko Mari’s works were politically motivated. It is known that Niko Mari always tried to support the authority and his works prove it. We can declare that Niko Mari’s works gave ground to Abkhazian separatism. Academician Ketevan Lomtatidze had the biggest merit in the research of Abkhaz language. She devoted her life to scientific research of this language and grew up scientific intelligence of Abkhazia.

-What can you say about Abkhazian alphabet? Reportedly before Russian graphics Abkhaz alphabet relied on Georgian and Latin alphabets.

-When German scientist Georg Rusen wrote his research in the 1840s, he faced problems of choosing signs to write Abkhazian words. Finally he decided to record Abkhaz words by Georgian letters because he believed Georgian letters better expressed Abkhaz sound than any other alphabet.

In the 1860s Ivane Bartolomey chaired the special commission set up by Georgian, Russian and Abkhazian intelligence. The commission had to create Abkhazian alphabet book. Every member of the Bartolomey’s commission, like Georg Rosen, finally achieved conclusion that Georgian alphabet reflected the Abkhazian sounds best of all. The Commission decided to use Georgian graphics for Abkhazian alphabet text-book. Russian General Petre Uslar also heard about this decision and he got astonished with it and sued Bartolomey. The commission had to cancel its decision and finally in 1865 Bartolomey’s commission published first Abkhazian Alphabet text-book based on Russian graphics - Cyrillic alphabet. Uslar had created Abkhaz alphabet based on Cyrillic alphabet. By the way, Uslar once wrote that Georgian alphabet reflected sounds of Abkhazian and other Caucasian languages better than any other alphabet. Despite that, he strictly opposed to use Georgian graphic for Abkhazian and Caucasian languages because he represented Russian Army and believed that usage of Georgian graphic could hinder rusification process of the region. Uslar’s alphabet was used before 1926. But it is conditional term because only few editions were published in Abkhazian language based on Cyrillic alphabet.

In 1926, in the context of Latinizing campaign of alphabets during the Soviet Union, Abkhazian language was also shifted into Latin alphabet. Niko Mari was author of the Latinized alphabet. It is noteworthy that the alphabet was too difficult for Abkhaz people because it contained more than 70 signs and most of them were equal and people could not distinguish them. Due to this situation, Niko Mari’s alphabet lasted only two years. In 1928, Professor Nikolai Yakovlev changed the alphabet and it also belonged to Latinized alphabets. The latter was used during 10 years.

In 1937, Latinized Abkhaz alphabet was replaced by Georgian graphics and it worked till 1954. Many scientists agreed that Georgian graphic reflected Abkhaz language best of all. Georg Rosen also shared the idea as well as Petre Charaia and Russian General Petre Uslar who opposed Georgian alphabet only because of his political views. Besides that, many Abkhaz public figures including Dimitry Gulia agreed with the opinion.

In 1937, the issue of replacement of Latinized Alphabet by Georgian graphic was raised at the conference of Abkhazian regional committee of the Communist Party. The Abkhaz public figures raised the question in respond to the resolution of Russian Authority to shift Latinized alphabets to the alphabets of neighboring countries. Based on this resolution, Abkhaz and Ossetian languages were to be shifted to Georgian alphabet. Tbilisi had not take part in this decision. It is interesting that in parallel to this process, in Armenia Armenian alphabet was used for Georgian language. Entire Abkhaz intelligence – writers, journalists, linguists and public figures attended the abovementioned conference. The protocol shows that all of them supported and appreciated the decision of using Georgian graphic. The introduction text of Linguist Simon Janashia is also recorded in those protocols where he said that we, Georgian scientists act only as consultants and Abkhaz people should make their decision. Finally, Georgian, Abkhaz and Russian scientists agreed to approve Abkhaz alphabet based on Georgian graphic and it was used before 1954.

So, statement of several Abkhaz people, as if shifting of Abkhaz alphabet to Georgian one aimed to assimilate Abkhaz with Georgian nation is  not right and does not rely on any documents.

In 1954, they restored Uslar’s alphabet with several amendments.

-As you know, UNESCO enlisted the Abkhaz language among the languages which face endangerment. Do you think this threat is real?

-Every person who works on Abkhaz language can see this threat. Abkhaz people also speak about this threat. No other state worldwide but Georgia is entitled to take care of Abkhaz language and work on its development. The pseudo-state, which was recognized independent by Russia due to its own interests, is not interested in the development of Abkhaz language and culture.

Today, Abkhazian education system is the continuation of the soviet one. The latter was continuation of the Tsarist system. During the Tsarist Russia, the authority worked out certain rules for parishioners’ schools. According to those rules, non-Russian population received primary education in their native language together with intensive education of Russian language. On the second stage, the schooling process moved to Russian language. So, it was rusification of the non-Russian population. The Soviet authority actively used the education system of the Tsarist regime. It is unfortunate reality that nowadays the same education system works in Abkhazia as in Tsarist Russia and Soviet Union. That means pupils learn Abkhaz language up to four grades with intensive education course of Russia and from the fifth grade the entire system move to Russian language. Finally, when Abkhaz children finish school they do not know Abkhaz language and their mentality system works according to Russian language. Today, majority of Abkhaz people use Russian instead Abkhaz language for communication. Old generation, who knew perfect Abkhazian, has already passed away. The New generation, who gets wrong education, does not know their native language at all. To tell the truth I know their language better than many Abkhaz people.

It is not popular in Abkhazia to know Abkhaz language. Parents give Russian education to their children because Abkhaz language is not prestigious for them and it is not used in practice. If it continues like that we will receive Russian Abkhaz people and in 20 years only few people will speak Abkhaz language.

-Where do you see solution of the problem?

-Unless Abkhazian education system becomes completely Abkhazian, unless university education is in Abkhaz language, it will face the threat of endangerment. Today, every high education institution and every faculty, except Philology, in Sokhumi is in Russian language. By the way, during the Soviet Union, I raised the question before the central committee of the Georgian Communist Party to conduct education of Abkhazian secondary schools only in Abkhaz language. Everybody rebuked me and said it was not my business.

-What can Georgian side do in this difficult situation?

-Since we have written in our Constitution that Abkhaz language, together with Georgian language is a state language in Abkhazian territory, we have assumed some responsibilities on both embankments of the Enguri River. The Constitution of Georgia entitles the government of Georgia to ensure that Abkhaz language, culture and identity will not disappear finally.

I think Georgian party is obliged to translate and publish every law and corresponding documents adopted by the Parliament of Georgia in Abkhaz language in order to enable Abkhaz society to read them. Unfortunately, the Parliament of Georgia does not do it. I do not see anybody in the current government who is bothered about this issue. Maybe they cannot understand that it is important.

There is almost nobody on this embankment of the Enguri River to know Abkhaz language. Nobody cares to grow up specialists of Abkhaz language. At the Sokhumi State University we have bachelor program in Abkhaz philology but it exists without any assistance. In this case, I mean about lack of government’s assistance and not about the support from the university itself. Currently, we have only four students at the faculty of Abkhaz language. Besides that, about 20-30 students attend one-term course in Abkhaz language per year, but of course it is impossible to learn such a difficult language in one term.

When a student has to choose the profession, he thinks: if I choose Abkhaz philology where shall I use it? So, students do not choose it because the state is not interested in this field. If a student knew that there is a special office which translates Georgian legislation into Abkhaz language and after graduation of the university he will have real chance to get employed, of course he will choose this profession.

If I were Abkhaz and lived in Sokhumi and heard permanent rhetoric of Georgian people: “We are working on the development of your language and culture” I would have asked: what do you exactly do? Georgian side would have replied to me: we have written in the Constitution that Abkhaz language is a state language in the territory of Abkhazia together with Georgian. But I would have asked again: and what then? What then?! What exactly did you do to respect Abkhaz language?!

About three years ago, I raised a question at the Tbilisi Ivane Javakhishvili State University to establish Institute of Abkhaz Language and Culture which would work on the abovementioned problems. You cannot imagine how my colleagues attacked me. Neither the University Administration got interested in it. However, the TSU had enough funds to implement this project.

-What do you think, should Abkhaz language be taught at Georgian public schools?

-I do not think, the language shall be compulsory subject at school. However, it will be nice if we introduce Abkhaz language as additional subject at the schools. It will be particularly important for the regions which closely border with Abkhazia.

You know about 1 500 Abkhaz live in Batumi and surrounding villages. They are descendants of Abkhaz Muhajirs who were evicted from Abkhazia in the XIX century. Those people gradually forget their native language. This year, I and my colleagues managed to study their language, ethnic and culture identity in the framework of the UN and EU grant project. We even published several works but it is not enough. The state shall create suitable conditions for those people in order to assist them not to forget their native language. Unfortunately, nothing is done in this direction. The local Abkhaz people managed to open weekend Abkhazian school where Georgian and Abkhaz pupils learn Abkhaz language together. However, it cannot resolve problem and two-hour lessons once a week cannot teach such a difficult language.

The Center of Abkhaz Language and Culture with enough funding shall be established in Batumi. We must show to Abkhaz people in Abkhazia that we really work for the development of Abkhaz language and culture in Adjara. When they see the center is opened in Batumi where people can learn Abkhaz language, folk, songs, dance and have exhibitions, Abkhaz people will believe that we really bother about their culture. We always say that we want reconciliation with Abkhaz people. If it is true, then we should take real steps.

Besides that, I think qualified translators of Abkhaz language should work at public agencies too. If an Abkhaz citizen files application in Abkhaz language to the state agency, they should read and understand the application and draft response to his/her application in Abkhaz language.

Today, Abkhaz population cannot rescue their language and culture; Moscow does not allow them. And we are obliged to do much. Holding some events on the Enguri River, by releasing balloons in the sky, by setting fire and shouting “Abkhaz people are our brothers” cannot resolve the problem. It can neither survive Abkhaz language nor assist Georgian-Abkhaz relations.

I have devoted my entire life to Abkhazia, Abkhaz language, culture and Abkhaz people. Now I am very sorry about current situation. I have worked in this field for 40 years and nothing has changed. The approach of the current government is the same as soviet authority had towards Abkhazia in its time.