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T s . B a r a m i d z e (Tbilisi)
Language Situation in Daghestan on the Example
of the Lezgian Languages
(history and modern times)
Traditionally the Caucasus always was an arena of interests and battle of
large neighbouring countries. During the process of this battle as a result of conquering
the Caucasus, departing the Caucasian nations and their parting, settling
and rooting of foreign ethnoses, deporting and also extinguishing of aborigine
nations often were realized.
The Caucasus is characterized by years-old language interaction of Palaeo-
Caucasian, Indo-European, Turkish and Semitic peoples. The Ibero-Caucasian
nations have been living on this territory from immemorial times, others came
to the Caucasus in different period of the historical past. Migration and language
contacts were dissimilar in different epoch.
The paper discusses the kinds of language contacts in old times and at
present on the example of the Lezgian languages.
Beginning from the 19th century language policy in the Lezgian as well
as in other Daghestanian languages was and remained one-sided. During the
process of russification and assimilation these ethnoses did not and could not take
organized measures for protecting their language rights. Language situation in
the Lezgian languages is a part of a language policy in the North Caucasus.
In the 20s of the 20th century a new language policy was worked out by
the Soviet government. This policy was built on formal recognation of complete
equality of all languages. Taking part in language building and educational policy,
many countries (even not large in number) had possibility to restore or to
create written language as a basis for developing the literary language, as a result
of what in 30s education in the Northern Caucasian regions became massive
and popular. Though latter on deformation in a language policy – forcing of so
called internationalism (which in many cases turned russification), erroneous
thesis about two native languages (native language and Russian) and others –
provoked massive moving of national schools to Russian education. At the beginning
of the 80s education in native language was brought to a stop. In the
90s of the 20th century together with reorientation of statehood (“perestroika”)
a language reform was restored up an energy. The law fixed Russian as a state
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