Mother Language Day

Mother Language Day is celebrated on April 14. 44 years ago, on this very day, the Georgian nation realized that the native language was a necessary tool for preserving identity and cultural heritage, and that this treasure was in real danger of being lost and disappearing.

As Tamar Injia, Doctor of Philology, Professor, pointed out, language is the basis that makes a country a state and a people a nation. According to her, language is a mirror of the spiritual life of a nation.

What is the significance of April 14, what challenges did the Georgian language face then and today, how to take care of it, - Tamar Injia, Doctor of Philology discusses these issues.

Simultaneously: Dangerous and Important Day

April 14 is a dangerous and, at the same time, very important day. Dangerous because, in fact, we had to confront the state. It is important in a way that we had to protect the Georgian language. That’s why, the whole university, from professors to students went out in the street. We marched towards the Government House. We were all so proud that we were no longer afraid of the impending resistance, including the tanks. We were ready for everything, in order to protect out mother tongue.

Once Language Spoils, the Nation Also Falls

At that time everyone looked at the national language differently: they knew its value and importance. Now, unfortunately, it is no longer so. Today we “trash” the Georgian language with foreign terms. Nobody remembers what Grigol Orbeliani said: “Once Language Spoils, the Nation Also Falls”. However, in reality, the opposite happens: as soon as the nation spoils, the language also falls. We have to realize this well and then we will be saved. Otherwise, if we say one word in Georgian, another in English, a third in another language, it turns out that we are losing our own language.

Language is one of the main foundations that turns a country -into a state, and the people - a nation.

There are many superpowers in the modern world that you cannot call a nation, because they do not have their own language.

“Georgian Language” of Mass Media

The purity of language should be handled with special care by those who speak to a mass audience. First of all, this refers to the media, whose representatives have to speak literary Georgian language. Under no circumstances should they use words and terms that make the language lose its uniqueness. Today, there are very few journalists who speak literary Georgian language.

Once I decided to write down words from the language of the mass media that contradict literary Georgian language. I discovered that there were so many awkward mistakes while talking that I decided to give up this initiative.

Under no circumstances should you use foreign terms that have analogue in Georgian language. This is already barbarism and it violates the specificity of language.

Unfortunately, nowadays many people use foreign terms while speaking.

Simplicity is a great wealth of language ...

Georgian, unlike many foreign languages, is read in the same way it is written. This simplicity is a very great wealth of language. However, we have an unusual, rich vocabulary.

Niko Marie used to say - There is no object whose name cannot be found in Georgian language.

That is why the Georgian language is so precious.

Finally, our respondent shared some tips with us on how to preserve our language. According to her, the first thing we must do is read Georgian classical literature, in general, Georgian texts. They will enrich and diversify our vocabulary so much that we will no longer need to steal words from other languages ​​and establish them in our language.

Tamar Injia, Doctor of Philology, congratulated the Georgian people on Mother Language Day and noted that April 14 should always be remembered, because forgetting it also means forgetting oneself.

Soso Gazdeliani