The Tajik Language and the Socio-linguistic situation in the Mountainous Badakhshan

Abstract

The population of the Autonomous Region of Mountainous Badakhshan speaks different Pamir languages: Shughni, Rushani, Khufi, Bartangi, Roshorvi, Sariqoli, Yazghulami, Wakhi and Ishkashimi. These are spoken languages par excellence, having no script and written tradition. Nearly all Pamir languages to a certain extent can be characterised as endangered. Some of them are already extinct. These languages live in close interaction with the state language of Tajikistan-Tajik. Almost the whole population of Badakhshan is multilingual or bilingual. The second language is usually the official language of the state, Tajik. It is used in Badakhshan as the language of education, press, media, and culture. By early 20th century, the Tajik literary language had considerably deviated from the colloquial usage. The vocabulary was rather archaic and overloaded with Arabic loan words. Forms widely used in literary language were not used in colloquial speech, or were only partly used in dialects and local idioms. At the same time, numerous lexical forms and grammatical models that were used in the most local dialects were not part of literary language, whether written, oral or colloquial. Only after the October Revolution, work began on bringing the literary Tajik language closer to colloquial speech and dialects. In the late 1920's, the language started being purified of its archaisms and Arabic borrowings. Instead, variants of words were introduced to literary Tajik, along with grammatical and even some syntactical models, from dialects. The first Tajik newspaper Owozi Tojik appeared not long after the formation of the Tajik Autonomous Republic in November 1924. On the pages of this newspaper, discussion arose over problems of literary Tajik language, in particular, whether the language of press should be based on the standards of commonly spoken speech, which was closer to local dialects. Among the requirements for the newspaper writers were: the bringing of the literary language closer to the