English
Հայերէն
Astarjian: ‘Bazaar’ and ‘Kef’: Is our language dead?
These are two words that make me feel like a matador looking at the bull ready to charge: angry, determined, ready to charge. What enrages me most is when the words are prominently displayed in front of a church, advertising their sujukh and basterma, and competing with the next Apostolic Armenian Church—my sujukh is better than your sujukh. And that gives them a sense of pride, a sense of superiority, forgetting that those two words, displayed in front of an Armenian church, is tantamount to the official bastardization of the Armenian language— with Turkish words—by a church or national organization.
Following the genocide, the survivors, most of them from Anatolia, spoke Turkish, which compelled the organizations and churches to communicate in their language. People knew some prayers in Armenian, which they recited during mass without knowing what they meant. Nevertheless, they recited. The political parties, to their credit, especially offshoot organizations of the parties, launched a campaign to promote the use of the mother tongue. In Beirut, the effort was boosted by Nigol Aghpalian, a multi-linguist; Levon Shant, a playwright who, amongst other plays and writings, wrote his opus magnum Ingadz Perti Ishkhanoohin; Kaspar Ipegian with his theater; and other linguists who, in collaboration with the Nshan Palangian Jemaran and other Armenian schools, taught the young generation not only the basics, but the intricacies of the Armenian lexicon and the melodious songs of the language that governed it.
Parsekh Ganatchian, with his spiritual operetta “Nahnor” (Pilgrimage of lovers to Saint Garabed Monastery, praying for the realization of their dreams) and the most soothing “Koon Yeghir Balaas” (a lullaby) harped the strings of one’s heart. His interpretations of other folklore casted a new hue on old Armenian songs.
The Turkish-speaking Armenians began to change, and were happy to revert to their origins.
One of the vehicles of this entire literary and artistic milieu was the Hamazkayin.
Time and place have changed all that. Today, the diaspora suffers from poverty of thought and poverty of spirit. The custodians of our culture, like Hamazkayin, have slipped into inaction, more like hibernation. Despite goodwill, there is no effort on their part to revive the comatose Armenian cultural animal.
An example comes to mind: Minas Tololyan. Originally a Bolsahay, Tololyan, with his wife Kohaar, taught Armenian language and literature to youth after the genocide, and authored literally hundreds of publications and volumes on Armenian history and literature. Though he was a giant in Armenian literature, he remains incognito. Hamazkayin has not stood up to the standards set forth by its founders!
Kef is a Turkish word meaning merriment (khrakhjank). For most, it is an ID documenting their Armenianism. To go to a “Keftime,” listen to Turkish Armenian-ized songs such as “Sharzhe, sharzhe tashkinagt” (in Turkish, “Salla salla mendilini”) and Kurdish Armenian-ized songs like “Dehle-Yaman,” and dance to the tune of “Lorke-Lorke,” is proof of being a good Armenian. One Armenian American told me: “Doc. I am a good, loyal Armenian. I haven’t missed a single kef since it began in Connecticut. I love Armenian food, I love kafta and I love pea-lough. I have many anecdotes along those lines.
What is wrong with calling a bazaar with its Armenian equivalent—shouga? Shouga is more phonetic, and is a good way of raising money and providing a social forum for the community to get together. But its Turkish name is a pollutant.
The disintegration is global, which is understandable, but what is inexcusable is the pollution that is in Armenia, where Turkish words dominate daily conversation. Instead of calling a child, yerekha in Armenian, for example, they call him or her chojukh, which is Turkish. Pistachios (bistag in Armenian) are fstekh. Sekh (melon) is yemish. It is nauseating!
It is ironic that everyone knows about the problem, but no one raises a finger to rectify it.
In Armenia, which is supposed to be our linguistic hub, spelling and dictation is so polluted that it needs strong detergents to clean it up. Calls to that effect have met with—to borrow a phrase—benign neglect. I don’t even know if there is a Ministry of Education in Armenia.
Here is another bastion of Armenian language, literature, history, and culture: the Mkhitarists of St. Lazarous, Venice, and Vienna. This rich fortress of Armenianism is neglected by the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenian Diaspora, and Armenia itself, most probably because they are a Catholic Armenian brotherhood. It is disintegrating for lack of funds, its vast properties have been auctioned off through Italian mafia scams, there are no new recruits, and the ailing Appa is facing closure of the monastery. Is this any indication of greatness, which our leaders keep inflating our egos with? Is this any way to survive the rigors of this world?
Language is important in the makeup of one’s ethnic identity, except in the Jewish case, whose dominant tradition, regardless of language, kept their nation intact for millennia. That is not the case with us; we do not have traditions specific to our nationalism or ethnicity. Our language is our tradition and it is now in imminent danger of Latinization.
Yes, I am sad and angry. No I am not depressed or hopeless. I still see the charging bull, but I am hopeful to see, one day, a banner hanging on the wall of our institutions advertizing a Shouga and Khrakhjank, not a Bazaar and Kef .
14 Comments
Պարոն Ասթարճեան,
Ձեր բոլոր գրածներուն հետ չեմ կրնար ըսել որ ամբողջովին համաձայն եմ: Խնդիրն այն է, որ լեզուները բնական երեւոյթներ են, եւ անընդհատ ազդելու եւ ազդուելու ընթացքի մէջ են: Ինծի համար հոգեհարազատ է որոշ Թրքերէն բառերու կիրառումը, որոնց հետ մեծցած եմ, օրինակի համար, եւ իմ ընտանիքիս, նոյնիսկ ազգիս մշակոյթին մաս կը կազմեն: Այն ամէնը մէկ կողմ դնելը աւելի վտանգաւոր է, իմ կարծիքով, որով հետեւ մեր պատմութեան մէկ մասը անտեսած կ’ըլլանք:
Նշեմ որ Անգլերէնով գրած էք Ձեր յօդուածը: Արդեօ՞ք կը նշանակէ որ ազգասիրութեան պակաս կայ անոր մէջ: Ուրիշ, հաւելեալ փաստեր ալ կան, որոնք կրնան Ձեր ըսածին հակառակը ցոյց տալ: Օրինակ, ինչքան գիտեմ, արդի Թրքերէնի մէջ «խաչ» նշանակելու համար “hach” բառը կը գործածեն: Եւ, ի միջի այլոց, «շուկայ» բառը հին ասորական, սեմական ակունք ունի, Արաբերէն «سوق» (“souq”) բառին համապատասխան է:
Պարոն Ասթարճեան, մեր ազգին եւ մշակոյթին հզօրութիւնը բաւարար է որ դիմակայէ օտար բառերու օգտագործմանը եւ, այո, այդ բառերուն Հայերէնի վերածմանը: Մեր լեզուին հարստութիւնը չի կրնար թերագնահատուիլ: Շատերը այժմ քիչ թէ շատ կը խառնեն Արեւելահայերէնը եւ Արեւմտահայերէնը, եւ միեւնոյնժամանակ կրնան Անգլերէն եւ ուրիշ լեզուներ ալ գործածել առանց որեւէ խնդրի: Մէկը միւսին չի խանգարեր, իմ կարծիքով:
Baron Astarjian,
I cannot say I completely agree with everything that you have written. The fact is that languages are natural phenomena, and are always influencing or being influenced. I find it very natural to use certain Turkish words, for example, those with which I grew up, and I would say they form part of the culture of my family, and even my nation. To brush it all aside is more dangerous, in my opinion, as that would mean ignoring a facet of our history.
Let me point out that your article is in English. Is there anything less-than-patriotic about that? There are other facts that could be taken into account which would demonstrate the opposite of what you state. For example, as far as I know, Modern Turkish uses the word “hach” to mean “cross” (clearly taken from the Armenian, “khach”). And, by the way, the word “shouga” has Assyrian, Semitic roots, akin to the Arabic “souq”.
Baron Astarjian, our nation and culture is strong enough to withstand the use of foreign words and, indeed, to render them Armenian. The richness of our language cannot be underestimated. Many nowadays tend to mix Eastern and Western Armenian, and, at the same time, have no trouble with English or other languages. One does not get in the way of the other, in my opinion.
Perhaps you will pay closer attention to the examples that you yourself choosen to use, that being the Jews. The Jews have survived all these years by adapting to their surroundings, and not hacking off part of their population for not meeting up to a segment’s version of what should be.
The Yiddish language itself is a combination of several languages including that of the people that they were in the midst of, the Ethopian Jews are actually “black”, the main point is perhaps that we all need each other, My grandparents came to this country as a result of the slaughter of their relatives, kiddnaping of their youth, conpfiscation of their properties, rape of their women, etc.. they are the ones who brought this music, food, and words that you, who have not actually lived through any of this, somehow feel qualified to critisize. If they could separate the evil deeds of those Turks from the food names, music, expressions, etc..then it should not be too difficult for you to do the same.
Also, let us not forget, many good Turks are responsible for saving lives of Armenians while others were being killed by other Turks, we did live along side of these people for centuries, do you really think that we could remain so untouched by the dominating culture of that area and not share common expressions, words, food names etc ??. We need to be more realistic and stop this divisive bickering, it is absolutely counterproductive and serves to further divide an already fragmented people. -Chow
In response to Henry Astarjian’s views in “Is our language dead?”, maybe he should start with himself first and look at the Turkish origin of his last name. ”Astar” means “lining” – why doesn’t he find the Armenian equivalent and change it??? Or does he even know that it is Turkish????
He needs to realize that the Armenian community is culturally diverse in the U.S. I was wondering how long it would take for another Armenian to pop up and represent himself as somewhat more Armenian than me. I happen to like Turkish songs – does that make me less of an Armenian? Yes, I, too attended many of the “Kefs” in Connecticut and I do not apologize for it. The difference is that I do not judge others because of their taste in music nor in their use of Turkish words. Lighten up and do not despair – we still have those “absolutely atrocious westernized Armenian videos from Yerevan. Who am I to decide what you should like???????
Henry, I beleive that you make valid pointson the shallow definition that many Armenians have today(and for many years for that matter) on what constitutes Armenian behavior. I do believe that
we tend to look at our current situation with a finer lense; since the data is more available. I am certain that there have been many Armenians over the generations with a superficial identity with their heritage and we have endured. The Turkish influence is an interesting issue. Our culture
has been influenced by countless parties over the centuries; due in large part to their political and territorial domination. I tend to think that we are overly sensitive to the Turkish influence because of our unfinished agenda. But really do we have the same passion for the Russian and Persian influence in the east or is that just because they’re not Turks and most of the U.S. was settled by Western Armenians? How about the impactof the French and Crusaders on Cilicia?
In fact today, with the visibility of “eastern and western ” Armenian, I hear more American-
Armenians speak with a nostolgic view of their Turkish-Armenian born grandparents and the early influences on their identity from the Ottoman past. It is a reality of our historial evolution. I think the issue of our cultural direction has been very influenced by the dominance of the Genocide in our dispersed society. It has been our focus and at the heart of our community at least since the
“re-awakening” in 1965. Our culture has evolved for centuries and currently we are feeling the effect of assimilation. If I meet an Armenian with a pure heart towards his or her people speaks some Turkified words, then I have hope because our destiny has always been determined by our heart.
In one way or another, after 1000 years of cohabitation, intermarriage, friendship and war, we really are all variations on the same Turkish-Armenian theme. Everyone we know is a Kazanjian, Sabounjian, Tufenkjian, Basturmajian, Muradian, Kilijian, Hamamjian, Chakmakjian, Deukmejian, Deirmenjian, Boyadjian, Chorbajian, Helvajian, Kahvejian, etc, etc, etc. , with little knowledge of their true origin. Let’s face it, most of us in the US grew up eating pilaf, pekmez, tuz, shakar, batlijan, kebab, isot, biber, patates, midiya, bamiya, dolma, yalanchi cooked in a tangire and kept in the buzluk, and that night, slept under a yorgan that came out of the sunduk, and the next morning might have used a kesa or peshkir in the tub. Sorry, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that…our ancestors did not come from either Yerevan or Beirut, they came from Harput, Malatya, Bitlis, Bursa or Bolis. Unlike our Rusa-Hai, Libana-Hai or Barska-Hai counterparts, who incorporate many Russian, Arabic or Farsi loan words, lots of us use Turkish. So what? Get over it and get used to it. It’s a part of our history, and an important one, at that. At the very least, it makes travelling in Turkey alot more fun and much easier, too.
I would beg to differ Mr. Karekin,
First of all, people from Yerevan are not “Rusa-Hai” Armenians.
Proper Armenian, the way you speak with a stranger, on TV, and the way you write, does not have “loan words” from Russian or Arabic. Armenia and Lebanon have had state structures that have been able to reinforce the proper Armenian through schools and other education.
Other Armenians have had to fend for themselves, and, although have done a brilliant job considering the odds they have faced — their Armenian cannot compare to Lebanese or Hayastantsi Armenian. The Yerevantsi and Beirutsi Armenian has loan words only in terms of slang and day to day speaking — proper Armenian remains relatively…well…proper. The same cannot be said of Armenians from other places.
For once I agree with Henry.
And Karekin brought up something very interesting when he said “At the very least, it makes travelling in Turkey alot more fun and much easier, too.”
This may be what Astarjian was getting at, too many Armenians have a connection with turkey, such as visiting it or thinking of it as their homeland, instead of the modern Armenia we have now. There is no excuse to travel to turkey on a regular basis but not do so to Armenia. I am not saying you fall into this category Karekin as I don’t know anything about you other than the little bit you wrote above. But for those who are in that category, I say shame on you!
I’m very sorry, but travelling to find and explore your ancestor’s roots, see where they lived and how they lived is nothing shameful. In fact, it is enlightening and educational. If your family originates in Turkey, you are diminished by not exploring those origins, which are, in fact, the original Armenian homeland. The problem is, too many diasporan Armenians have turned their backs on historic Armenia, and the loss of understanding is evident. Let’s be honest, in 1914, there were more Armenians in most Anatolian cities than in Yerevan. That is nothing to be shameful about. It’s part of history. Our families lived in Anatolia for hundreds and hundreds of years. Why deny it or pretend it did not exist? That’s exactly what the ultranationalists in Turkey want.
Karekin:
I see you may have misunderstood my point. So here it is again, if an Armenian visits turkey more often than Armenia, or has never been to Armenia yet visits turkey, that is a shame and I would say disgrace. If one goes to turkey because some part of his family lived there prior to the Genocide, that is understandable, one should try to connect with his roots. Nowhere did I say Western Armenia aka eastern turkey wasn’t Armenian, but for now the only Armenia we have is the roughly 10% of our historic lands which goes by the name of the Republic of Armenia. Out lost/occupied lands are not coming back anytime soon, so why don’t we collectively work toward improving what we do have and possibly when the time is right regain the remaining parts of our rightful lands.
AR, would you be so kind as to email me your name? You seem like an interesting person. Do you live in the NY area?
I have no problem at all supporting today’s Armenia or the Armenians living there, that’s a very good thing. However, culturally and even linguistically, it can be somewhat foreign to Anatolian Armenians. If Armenians really care about their culture and heritage (which is mostly talk, not action), they should also know that even the inventor of the Armenian alphabet was from Anatolia (Mush region). People complain about how Turkey treats historic Armenian sites, but there are plenty of collapsed and destroyed ancient churches and vanks all over Armenia as well, many in remote locations so they will never be restored. And, Yerevan has very little of its historic architecture left at all. So, you may disparage Turkey and for good reasons, but there are several dozens of operating Armenian churches in Istanbul alone? Most are open every day, with doors unlocked, and never have a problem. So, while today’s Armenia is important, it is equally important not to forget where the vast majority of diasporan Armenians come from….the other 90% of historic Armenia. To forget about that is a true shame, no matter who has control of it.
Correction: While he was born in Taron — St. Mashtot’s intellectual curiousity, professional service (including the invention of the alphabet), and his death happened at the very heart of present day Eastern Armenia, and later, Kharabagh. He is not as “Anatolian” as you think.
You don’t base someone’s character on where they died, but on where they were born, because all the elements that formed one’s character is derived from that fact at a very early age. Einstein died in America….does that change the essence of who or what he was? Not likely. In any event, at that point in time, Armenia was being divided between Rome and Persia, and Taron was fully in the Persian-Armenia orbit, although it was fully part of Anatolia. All that aside, let’s fact facts: in 1914, Yerevan had a population of approx. 30,000, many of whom were not Armenian…yet the Armenian population of almost every major Anatolian city was much, much greater. I suspect the denigration of anything seen as ‘Turkish-Armenian’ is much more a biased political position than anything related to history or an honest understanding of the importance of Ottoman-Armenian culture.
I was only pointing out that, in fact, the “elements that formed his character” were mostly from Ejmiatzin or the outside world (since he traveled a lot). The rest of what you said, I agree with.
However, a few things: Eastern Armenia produced the same intellectual and cultural fabric of the Armenian nation (one has to only look at the Tiflis intellegentsia and the other writers from the era) as did Western Armenia. And second, people always assume that present day Armenia is made up of people from “Eastern Armenia.” That is not true. The refugees from Western Armenia all eventually settled in the young republic and brought with them huge cultural significance. Additionally, a lot of the survivors of the genocide moved to Soviet Armenia decades after. Most “Hayastantsis” have at least one great-grandparent that was from Western Armenia (like me).
And Western Armenians have played a huge role in Armenia’s blossoming. The First president of Armenia, for example, was a Western Armenian.