We celebrating UNESCO's International Mother Language Day and Honouring the Power of Kazakh Language.
Today, February 21st, we celebrate UNESCO’s 25th International Mother Language Day, its Jubilee and a date for the books.
And thus, I want to use this opportunity to write for a second about how Kazakh language, our mother tongue, is increasingly becoming critical for the development of our society and occupying the space it deserves in our lives.
The language of Shoqan Walikhanov, of Abai Qunanbaiuly, Magzhan Zhumabayuly, Saken Seifullin, Gabit Musrepov, or Mukhtar Auezov, the language of our forefathers and foremothers, is the vehicular language of our people - and our connection with hundreds of years of culture and history.
Kazakh emerged from Chagatay Turkic and Kipchak Turkic, but now is a language for business, culture, theatre, advertising, and life. There is an Oxford-Kazakh dictionary, released a couple of years ago, and a Kazakh Wikipedia, dating 2022.
Our mother tongue unites and defines us as a nation. It traveled through events to become our symbol, and millions speak it of voices. It carries memories from generation to generation.
Kazakh is a branch of the Turkic family and has 13 million speakers worldwide. Kazakhstan is the home of many, but there are many groups of speakers in other nations, including China, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Russia, Turkey, and parts of Europe.
UNESCO findings suggest that tongues vanish without action. As we have proven, protecting a tongue makes a language and a group of speakers thrive and grow.
Today, February 21st, is International Mother Language Day. So happy day to all those who speak Kazakh, and kudos to those who make the effort to learn it.
It was our great poet Olzhas Suleimenov who said.
“Language of our fathers, ancient language,
time has transformed you into fired clay.
The blow of your sword and the whistle of your lash contain male pride and female passion.”
(And yes, for those of you asking, more Kazakh language to come soon!)
https://lnkd.in/efzHPBai
