On the occasion of International Mother Language Day, Hayern Aysor’s correspondent sat down for an interview with candidate of philological sciences, Associate Professor, senior scientific worker of the Department of Dialectology of the Hrachya Atcharyan Language Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia (NAS RA) Haikanush Mesropyan.

Hayern Aysor: Mrs. Mesropyan, how long have you been involved in the field of linguistics?

Haikanush Mesropyan: I have been involved in this field for over 40 years. After graduating from Yerevan State University, I got accepted to the Language Institute. I have been in this ��?constellation’ of science since 1978. At the time, the Department of Dialectology was compiling a dictionary of Armenian dialects. A star-studded line-up of devoted individuals, including the late Varag Arakelyan, Tamar Chilingaryan, Hrachik Kostanyan, Aharon Grigoryan, Ashkhen Hakobyan, Gaspar Gasparyan, Pailunik Sargsyan and others compiled that dictionary, and the work was still in progress. I had just graduated when I started typewriting that dictionary. I became a master with the help of a dictionary and fell in love with dialectology.

Hayern Aysor: I know you have also been involved in journalism. How long have you been a journalist?

H. M.: Yes, that is the case. I have worked as a journalist while working at the Institute of Language. I started my career as a journalist thanks to my very beloved professor, famous linguist, the late Rafael Ishkhanyan. After Armenia declared its independence, Rafael Ishkhanyan established the “Lusavorich” (Illuminator) newspaper and hired me as a correspondent as one of his best students. In the beginning, it was just the three of us, that is, Mr. Ishkhanyan, Vardan Devrikyan and I. Rafael Ishkhanyan was doing most of the job. All three of us would edit and proofread the pages. During those years, Ishkhanyan helped me learn classic Armenian orthography, for which I am more than grateful to the great linguist and patriot. That is how I became more involved in journalism.

Hayern Aysor: Your scientific and journalistic activities have also made you dedicated to preserving the purity of the Armenian language. Being Rafael Ishkhanyan’s student and co-worker, you were obviously zealous to preserve the purity of the Armenian language and fought against linguistic mistakes. Is that so?

H. M.: Yes, that is the case. After working for “Lusavorich” newspaper, I worked for the “Kristonya Hayastan” (Christian Armenia) and “Shoghakn Araratian” newspapers and, when you work for a newspaper edition, you are continuously editing, sorting out, fixing and becoming the ��?soldier’ for the purity and preservation of the mother language. As far as the struggle is concerned, I must say that the expression “fighting for the purity of the mother language” is not close to my heart. I have substituted that with dedication. The newspaper had smart, well established, experienced and inexperienced, but promising journalists and had gathered the students of the Vazgenyan and Gevorgyan Lyceums. Through the newspaper, we would clean, sort out and preserve our ��?golden’ Armenian language.

Hayern Aysor: Mrs. Mesropyan, you were in Turkey on a business trip to examine the state of Armenian language in schools. You visited various cities and villages…Could you please share your impressions with our readers?

H. M.: Indeed! The National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia sent me to Turkey to examine the state of Armenian language and become familiar with the Armenian dialects that have been preserved in Turkey. I have visited almost all the residences in Turkey. It’s obvious that the foundations for Armenian language are stronger in Istanbul where there are many Armenia schools, the Marmara and Agos newspapers, the Araz Publishing House and more. The Armenians of Istanbul use the mother language during the implementation of their activities generously and with great dedication.

I would especially like to mention the New Awakening Union, the director of which is the talented Armenian Zan Erzrumogli. The Union’s headquarters are in the Beyoglu territory, which is adjacent to the editorial office of Marmara newspaper and the Armenian church. The New Awakening Union organizes Armenian language courses. In Istanbul there are many Kurdish-speaking and Turkic-speaking Armenians who really want to learn their mother language. Due to social, political and economic factors, the people are really interested in the mother language and aspire to learn the language and study Armenian history through that language. The Vagif village of Svedia is populated with Armenians, and they speak in the dialect of Svedia. Based on my surveys, ten families in Antakia speak in Armenian, but they don’t have the opportunity to receive an Armenian education. There are also Armenian-speaking Armenians in Beylan, Malatia and Adyaman. Armenian language teaching, Armenian schools and presses are more centralized in Istanbul. The director of the Yesayan School, a hard-working woman, said they need an Armenian language teacher. Recently, a young Syrian-Armenian employee of the Language Institute went there and is currently working at the Bosphorus University.

Hayern Aysor: Is there any university there that has an Armenian language department or a chair of Armenian language?

H. M.: Yes, the rector of the University of Trakia Enver Duman tried that. Although he is a doctor by profession, he knows the history of the Armenian people very well and took the initiative to open a chair of Armenian language at the University of Trakia. There are also chairs of Armenian language at the universities of Kesaria and Kars, but the people teaching Armenian are Azerbaijanis who have lived in Armenia and have graduated from the Pedagogical Institute. There are no professionals of Armenian descent.

Hayern Aysor: Were you only in Turkey to examine the state of the Armenian language, or did you also introduce the programs, books and textbooks developed by the Language Institute?

H. M.: Of course, I also introduced the books and programs.

Hayern Aysor: Mrs. Mesropyan, let’s get back to the problems related to the Armenian language and distortion of the language in Armenia. Many experts, as well as many members of Armenian society who worship the Armenian language, claim that the Armenian language is in a devastating state. Do you agree? How can we resist the distortion of the language?

H. M.: You are right, but I don’t agree with claiming that the Armenian language is in a devastating state. I am very optimistic and don’t share that opinion. I teach at different universities and have had contacts with wonderful young Armenians who speak pure and beautiful Armenian. As far as the Armenian on television is concerned, I must say that I neither listen to nor watch television because it is nerve-racking. I choose films and materials according to my taste and in beautiful Armenian on the Internet. I listen to the Public Radio with pleasure because the Armenian heard on the radio is purer.

Hayern Aysor: Mrs. Mesropyan, I repeat my question. How do you think we can clean the language on television and fight against distortion of the language?

H. M.: The Law of the Republic of Armenia “On language” clearly states that the national language of the Republic of Armenia is Armenian, meaning each individual in the Republic of Armenia can speak in the Armenian he or she prefers, be it dialect, jargon, or the daily language. It is up to a person’s taste, which is linked to his or her education, discipline and level. So, you can’t make anyone speak in purely literate Armenian. However, the Law of the Republic of Armenia “On language” also states that the official language of the Republic of Armenia is literary Armenian, which is the language for the National Assembly, government agencies, as well as schools, television, radio, literature and journalism…If a person doesn’t respect the national law, what can you say? The person who strikes the doors of the elevator in his apartment building with his foot, throws a cigarette on the street, that same person speaks in conversational Armenian instead of the official language on television or the radio…

Hayern Aysor: Where should we start, Mrs. Mesropyan?

H. M.: Conversational language always becomes detached from literary language in the course of development of a language. Language is a living organism. It is the natural image of linguistic development, and one person can’t fight alone. Grabar (classic Armenian) became middle Armenian in the course of development.

Hayern Aysor: Shouldn’t we do anything? Should we simply close our eyes and ears and not say anything? Should we let the language be distorted and hear the words ��?etam, helnem, tenam, esi, eti, eni, stuts, enduts, etuts, sents, nents, etents, urdeh, urduts, khi…OK, wow, positsiv, proyekt, hitsoon, paratonner’ and thousands of other conversational, jargon, foreign and incorrect words in Armenian and phrases in schools, on television and radio, around us, in our families? Should we let signs and posters be written in English on the frontals of stores and offices?

H. M.: It would be wrong to say that efforts aren’t being made. Conferences and discussions devoted to the Armenian language are organized, but that won’t solve the problem.

Hayern  Aysor: Can we solve the problem through fees and fines in certain fields? Perhaps that issue can be solved through legislation.

H. M.: The government agencies, television companies, as well as stores and offices (whose signs are only in English) violating the national law on language need to be fined, just like drivers crossing a red light or committing other violations are fined…This means that the Ministry of Internal Affairs is doing a good job, and drivers are driving more carefully in order to avoid committing violations and getting fined.

Hayern Aysor: So, we need to fine those who violate the law on language…

H. M.: Yes! Why should a deputy of the National Assembly talk with the letter ա (ah in Armenian) or say the words ��?pti, klni, hitsun, egrord, dbrots, inchkam’ on air?

Hayern Aysor: Is there anything you would like to add?

H. M.: I would like to give a short notification about the Armenian (է) ա (Eh) ah auxiliary verb, which has become very common. Growing up in Vanadzor, I myself have used the ա “ah” auxiliary verb, but I control myself in official speech. I respect the է “eh” auxiliary verb because that is what is preferred in the national legislation. The person speaking in the dialect of Karno says “eh”, the person speaking in the dialect of Sasoon says ի “ee”, the person from Mush says ի “ee” (like garoun ee-it is spring)…This is a matter of respect. My dears, we have people who speak in dialects, but as a nation, we have decided to choose է “eh”. Why do people stick the letter ա “ah” in their speech?

Hayern Aysor: Mrs. Mesropyan, let’s end our interview with the lines from any poem devoted to the Armenian language by one of your favorite poets.

H. M.: “Yes Eem Anoush Hayastani Arevaham Barn em Siroom” (I Love the Sun-Tasting Word of My Sweet Armenia…)

Hayern Aysor: Thank you for this substantial interview and for defending the very symbolic է “eh” Armenian auxiliary verb like that.

Karine Avagyan