#laz language

This is the second post of this kind. As in the last post #1 I want to introduce you to important helpers of revitalising and documenting endangered and lesser-used languages here on tumblr. So, I will name some langblrs that deal partly or wholly with those languages. If you know more of such langblrs please tell me right away and I will mention them in a next post.

Greenlandic

Kalaallisut is a lesser-used language and certainly a minority language within the Danish realm.

@tulunnguaq

Laz language

ლაზური ენა, lazuri ena, or ჭანური ენა, ç̌anuri ena is an endangered Kartvelian language spoken by 22,000 people in Turkey and Georgia that is related to Georgian. 

@anadolular

Chickasaw

Chikashshanompa’ is a Muscogean language that is currently spoken by less than 75 people in Oklahoma.

@fractalrainbow

Irish

Gaeilge is the national language of Ireland but only has around 74,000 mother speakers.

@teangacha @chronically-chilll @seanfhocail

Scottish Gaelic

Gàidhlig is also a Celtic language as Irish is and is spoken in Scotland and Canada by only 57,000 mother speakers.

@ambi-alba @selchieproductions @sgribhisg

Cornish

Kernowek is a revived Celtic language that has gained some new mother speakers again.

@fortheloveoflanguistics (Also about language revitalisation in general)

Sami languages

Saami languages are Uralic languages, related to Finnish and Estonian, and are spoken by around 30,000 mother speakers.

@selchieproductions (Southern Swedish Saami) @fara-learns-sami (Northern Saami)

Kerem Morgül writes that he is “Laz from the maternal side”, but knows only a few words of Laz. He thus talked to Özcan Sapan, well-known in Turkey for his contributions to the Laz language and culture.

Sapan was born in Istanbul in 1960, yet spent his summers harvesting tea on the Black Sea Coast. At home he spoke Laz, and only learnt Turkish in primary school.

Many children are not taught Laz 

Sapan’s life has been affected by discrimination because of his accent and the use of the language. Many other Laz have not taught their children the language so that they may not have the same problems.

Sapan says that in the mountains and tea plantations people speak Laz, but switch to Turkish in the city. Because there is no formal teaching of Laz or a written literature, as well as a lack of terminology for technological innovations, it is in danger of becoming lost.

"Use of Laz was punished" 

For Sapan, the state is not innocent of the decline of the language and the reluctance of middle aged Laz to hand on the language to their children: “The language has been under so much pressure that even its real owners have been convinced that it is of no use. Those aged 70 or 80 know that those speaking Laz at school used to be punished, even by teachers who were Laz themselves. What could they do? That was the order from the Ministry of Education.”

When the state TV channel TRT started to broadcast a short weekly slot in minority languages, Laz was not accepted.

Erdogan's hypocrisy 

Sapan, too, points to the irony that Erdogan can criticise Germany for forcing Turks there to assimilate, what Erdogan called a “crime against humanity”, while Turkey offers no kind of education in the many languages of its own country.