Homshetsi dialect
Encyclopedia
Homshetsi is an archaic Western Armenian
dialect spoken by the Eastern group and the Northern group of Hamshenis
(Hemshinli), an ethnic group living in northeastern Turkey
, Abkhazia
and Russia
.
It is practically a dialect
and mutually intelligible with Armenian. However, due to its speakers' distinct profile, it is widely regarded as an ethnolect
. It is not a written language and a slightly modified Turkish alphabet
in Turkey
and Armenian alphabet
(by Christian immigrants from Hamshen who refer to the language as Homshetsma (Հոմշեցմա)) in Russia
and Abkhazia
are used for limited purposes. A sub-dialect is spoken in Eşmekaya (Ardala) village in Hopa
.
Hemşince is a spoken language amongst the Eastern Hemshinli, also known as the Hopa Hemshinli, who live in a small number of villages in Turkey's Artvin
province. The Western Hemshinli, a related but geographically separate group living in Rize
province, also spoke it until sometime in the 19th century. They now speak only Turkish but preserve within it many Hemşince loanwords. A third group, the northern Homshentsik, who live in, also speak a variety of Homshetsma.
The language existed only in spoken form until 1995, when the linguist Bert Vaux
designed an orthographic system for it based on the Turkish alphabet.
Hemşince/Homshetsma has linguistic features that indicate it belongs to the western Armenian
dialect group; however, the two are generally not mutually intelligible. Hemşince has close ties to the Armenian dialects formerly found in north-eastern Turkey, in particular in Hodorchur and, to a lesser extent, in Trebizond
. Because of its extended isolation Hemşince also contains many archaisms that set it apart from all other Armenian dialects. The language preserves forms found only in Classical and Middle Armenian, and at the same time preserves foreign (especially Arab and Turkish) grammatical and lexical components that were stripped from modern Armenian during the twentieth century. "Homshetsma therefore gives us one of our only glimpses of Armenian in its 'pure' form", writes Bert Vaux.
UNESCO
has categorised Hemşince/Homshetsma as a language that is definitely endangered.
Western Armenian language
Western Armenian is one of the two standardized forms of modern Armenian, the other being Eastern Armenian. The two standard forms form a pluricentric language. For historical reasons explained below, generally speaking, Western Armenian is used outside the Republic of Armenia, while Eastern...
dialect spoken by the Eastern group and the Northern group of Hamshenis
Hamshenis
The Hemshin Peoples or Hemshinli are a diverse group of people who in the past history or present have been affiliated with the Hemşin district in the province of Rize, Turkey. They are called as Hemshinli , Hamshenis, Homshentsi meaning resident of Hemshin in the relevant language...
(Hemshinli), an ethnic group living in northeastern Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Abkhazia
Abkhazia
Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
It is practically a dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
and mutually intelligible with Armenian. However, due to its speakers' distinct profile, it is widely regarded as an ethnolect
Ethnolect
Ethnolect is a variety of a language spoken by a certain ethnic/cultural subgroup and serves as a distinguishing mark of social identity. The term combines the concepts of an ethnic group and dialect....
. It is not a written language and a slightly modified Turkish alphabet
Turkish alphabet
The Turkish alphabet is a Latin alphabet used for writing the Turkish language, consisting of 29 letters, seven of which have been modified from their Latin originals for the phonetic requirements of the language. This alphabet represents modern Turkish pronunciation with a high degree of accuracy...
in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and Armenian alphabet
Armenian alphabet
The Armenian alphabet is an alphabet that has been used to write the Armenian language since the year 405 or 406. It was devised by Saint Mesrop Mashtots, an Armenian linguist and ecclesiastical leader, and contained originally 36 letters. Two more letters, օ and ֆ, were added in the Middle Ages...
(by Christian immigrants from Hamshen who refer to the language as Homshetsma (Հոմշեցմա)) in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Abkhazia
Abkhazia
Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...
are used for limited purposes. A sub-dialect is spoken in Eşmekaya (Ardala) village in Hopa
Hopa
Hopa is a city and district of Artvin Province in northeast Turkey. It is located on the eastern Turkish Black Sea coast about from the city of Artvin and 18 kilometres from the border with Georgia.-Geography:...
.
Hemşince is a spoken language amongst the Eastern Hemshinli, also known as the Hopa Hemshinli, who live in a small number of villages in Turkey's Artvin
Artvin Province
Artvin Province is a province in Turkey, on the Black Sea coast in the north-eastern corner of the country, on the border with Georgia.The provincial capital is the city of Artvin.-Geography:...
province. The Western Hemshinli, a related but geographically separate group living in Rize
Rize Province
Rize Province is a province of north-east Turkey, on the eastern Black Sea coast between Trabzon and Artvin. Its capital is the city of Rize.-Geography:...
province, also spoke it until sometime in the 19th century. They now speak only Turkish but preserve within it many Hemşince loanwords. A third group, the northern Homshentsik, who live in, also speak a variety of Homshetsma.
The language existed only in spoken form until 1995, when the linguist Bert Vaux
Bert Vaux
Bert Vaux teaches phonology and morphology at the University of Cambridge. Previously, he taught for nine years at Harvard and three years at University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. Vaux specializes in phonological theory, dialectology, field methodology, and languages of the Caucasus...
designed an orthographic system for it based on the Turkish alphabet.
Hemşince/Homshetsma has linguistic features that indicate it belongs to the western Armenian
Western Armenian language
Western Armenian is one of the two standardized forms of modern Armenian, the other being Eastern Armenian. The two standard forms form a pluricentric language. For historical reasons explained below, generally speaking, Western Armenian is used outside the Republic of Armenia, while Eastern...
dialect group; however, the two are generally not mutually intelligible. Hemşince has close ties to the Armenian dialects formerly found in north-eastern Turkey, in particular in Hodorchur and, to a lesser extent, in Trebizond
Trabzon
Trabzon is a city on the Black Sea coast of north-eastern Turkey and the capital of Trabzon Province. Trabzon, located on the historical Silk Road, became a melting pot of religions, languages and culture for centuries and a trade gateway to Iran in the southeast and the Caucasus to the northeast...
. Because of its extended isolation Hemşince also contains many archaisms that set it apart from all other Armenian dialects. The language preserves forms found only in Classical and Middle Armenian, and at the same time preserves foreign (especially Arab and Turkish) grammatical and lexical components that were stripped from modern Armenian during the twentieth century. "Homshetsma therefore gives us one of our only glimpses of Armenian in its 'pure' form", writes Bert Vaux.
UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
has categorised Hemşince/Homshetsma as a language that is definitely endangered.
External links
- "Hemshinli: The Forgotten Black Sea Armenians" by Bert VauxBert VauxBert Vaux teaches phonology and morphology at the University of Cambridge. Previously, he taught for nine years at Harvard and three years at University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. Vaux specializes in phonological theory, dialectology, field methodology, and languages of the Caucasus...
- "Ethnographic Materials from the Muslim Hemshinli" Various samples of Homshetsi
- Gertak (We Are Going), a poem in Homshetsi, with Turkish translation from the website Voice of Hopa