Circassia is one of the most mountanious area of the world. Even today to go somewhere is difficult without using the old roads. People live in different parts of these mountanious areas.
Since the old times, these roads were the only places for people to go or come somewhere. Today because of some known reasons the population is rare but not the Circassian languages. Although some of the languages, like the Ubykh language is not spoken anymore, there are still a lot of Circassian languages. Unfortunately not only in diaspora but also in the motherland young generations don't prefer their native languages for communication especially with the other tribes. The Russian is --unfortunately-- the main spoken language through the Circassian tribes, countries.
People think with words. Words are derived from life styles. Shortly, words and languages are oral forms of lifestyles. If you speak a foreign language for a long time, admit or not in time, you begin to live that languages lifestyle.
Young Circassians -- to be able to communicate with each other or to be able find a good job --prefer the most spoken language, The Russian.
This gave them a good advantage. In this way they can listen and understand other tribes' young men and women. They can find good jobs. They can read and write more. Especially for the ones who wants to have a good education, to know Russian has a vital importance.
But also they began to live Russian language lifestyle in time. This is not a shame for any of us. This must be changed but this is not shameful. We, the ones living in Diaspora also know very well second-homes' languages well. This is the fate I think. Not the desired one but this is a fate.
Today if I want to say something to homeland as a general saying, I must say in Russian or English. Otherwise I have to say the same thing in different tribal languages for a few times. I mean if you write an article in one tribal language, you must translate (NOT WRITE) the same thing for other tribes. This is really difficult. Because of which, homeland use Russian in education, we use Turkish, The American and European residents use English, the ones in the Middle East use Arabic ... etc.
So without losing the minor languages, we must choose one of the Circassian languages as a basic and common one. Maybe just for education or literature. And we must do this right now. English, Russian, Turkish or Arabic can not be the main language in Circassia.
Every word in a language has --known or not-- a story. When we speak a language we tell stories of that language and olds to each other. I want to tell Circassian stories, not the Russian ones.
Sincerely yours,
Kenugi J. UBYKH
August 23, 2010
August 22, 2010
The People Looking for Freedom
Every of us, it doesn't matter where we live, all of us, without any exception deeply need freedom. We want to be free like eagles in the sky, like wolfs in the forests. We want the freedom of coming back homeland, as a Circassian speaking Circassian language.
Every Circassian more or less miss his/her homeland. Sometimes we have dreams of riding a white horse through the Circassian Mountains, especially the Mountain Elbruz, by wearing traditional Circassian Clothes and weapons. Even these dreams make us happy like a little child. And some of us, crazy ones (!) hopes these dreams to be true. Even some of those crazy ones (nearly 1500 people) make their dreams true. Not only you need some money to come homeland, but also you have to know the language, Russian. Why do I have to learn the language, which my ancestors died not to learn? It is completely a stupid situation.
We exiled because we don't want to live with Russians .. etc. We want to live by ourselves by speaking our language on our soils, mountains. At least we were exiled because we didn't want to live as a Russian. Today still they want us to know and to speak Russian lanuage to come homeland. I have never heard any olds who know Russian language, Although they were in war for long years, as far as I know, none of them tried to learn Russian language.
When I wanted to learn the legal needs to come homeland, I saw such a long list that I was really horrified. Especially the requirement, to know Russian language. To learn a new FOREIGN LANGUAGE is really very precious. Especially the English and Russian language. The first one is for communicating with the rest of the world. The second one is may be to learn our history in the eyes of Russian historians. (The Russians write the history (mostly wrong) more than us --unfortunately--.) But to learn a foreign language should be just a choise not a requirement of living somewhere (especially at homeland). I think this is very shamefull. I can learn the Russian language in a very short time, but I won't because I still have the freedom of not knowing the Russian language.
As a summary, I want the freedom of living homeland by not knowing any Russian word or rule. I want the freedom of choosing or not to learn a foreign language (IF THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE IS THOUGHT TO BE A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
Having great respect to ones who still think that THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE is a FOREIGN LANGUAGE,
Kenugi J. UBYKH.
Every Circassian more or less miss his/her homeland. Sometimes we have dreams of riding a white horse through the Circassian Mountains, especially the Mountain Elbruz, by wearing traditional Circassian Clothes and weapons. Even these dreams make us happy like a little child. And some of us, crazy ones (!) hopes these dreams to be true. Even some of those crazy ones (nearly 1500 people) make their dreams true. Not only you need some money to come homeland, but also you have to know the language, Russian. Why do I have to learn the language, which my ancestors died not to learn? It is completely a stupid situation.
We exiled because we don't want to live with Russians .. etc. We want to live by ourselves by speaking our language on our soils, mountains. At least we were exiled because we didn't want to live as a Russian. Today still they want us to know and to speak Russian lanuage to come homeland. I have never heard any olds who know Russian language, Although they were in war for long years, as far as I know, none of them tried to learn Russian language.
When I wanted to learn the legal needs to come homeland, I saw such a long list that I was really horrified. Especially the requirement, to know Russian language. To learn a new FOREIGN LANGUAGE is really very precious. Especially the English and Russian language. The first one is for communicating with the rest of the world. The second one is may be to learn our history in the eyes of Russian historians. (The Russians write the history (mostly wrong) more than us --unfortunately--.) But to learn a foreign language should be just a choise not a requirement of living somewhere (especially at homeland). I think this is very shamefull. I can learn the Russian language in a very short time, but I won't because I still have the freedom of not knowing the Russian language.
As a summary, I want the freedom of living homeland by not knowing any Russian word or rule. I want the freedom of choosing or not to learn a foreign language (IF THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE IS THOUGHT TO BE A FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
Having great respect to ones who still think that THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE is a FOREIGN LANGUAGE,
Kenugi J. UBYKH.
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