Day of the Circassian Language – March 14, 2025
Adel Bashqawi
March 14, 2025
Adyghe “ancient” alphabet
https://skyknowledge.com/adyghe.htm
The development of language and culture is a vital element of any nation. The richness of Circassian culture can be traced throughout thousands of years of history, encompassing language, social behavior, arts, literature, sciences, music, dance, and other national traditions.
However, the ancient Circassian language is facing a critical decline that may lead to its eventual extinction.
Regrettably, the Circassian language, known to its speakers as Adyghe, a pillar of national identity, is on the verge of extinction unless urgent action is taken to halt its decline. This linguistic and cultural decline, if left unaddressed, will lead to a national catastrophe. More than 160 years after the end of the Russo-Circassian War—marked by destruction, occupation, genocide, and illegal annexation, as well as the ethnic cleansing and deportation of 90% of the surviving Circassian population—the language continues to suffer.
Linguistic genocide remains one of the key pillars of the larger genocide inflicted upon the Circassian nation by the aggressor Russian Empire. This historical trauma led to the loss of more than half of the original population and has severely disrupted the sustainable development of Circassian language and culture.
For national survival, the evolution and growth of Circassian culture are essential. Language, social behavior, arts, literature, sciences, music, dance, and other cultural expressions have always been integral to Circassian identity. However, the Circassian language now faces unprecedented challenges.
The Current State of the Circassian Language
The precarious situation of the Circassian language is a direct reflection of the Circassian people’s fragmented existence. Only 10% of Circassians remain in their homeland, scattered across non-contiguous regions that are administratively Russian, with some areas retaining only nominal Circassian characteristics. Meanwhile, 90% of Circassians live in a vast diaspora spanning dozens of countries.
Within the homeland, the original Circassian language is further endangered by the division into two Russian-imposed Cyrillic alphabetic systems, Adygha and Kabardian, introduced in 1939. Despite their linguistic similarity and mutual intelligibility, these dialects have been marginalized and relegated to secondary status behind Russian, which is the dominant state language. This status was further cemented by a recent constitutional amendment that unfairly undermines the rights of all indigenous peoples under Russian rule.
Russian Policies and the Future of the Language
Russia’s policy of diminishing the significance of its subject peoples must be recognized as a deliberate strategy. The 2020 amendments to the Russian Constitution granted the Russian language the status of a “state-forming language,” thereby diminishing the legal and cultural standing of national languages, including Circassian. Alarmingly, this move was endorsed by the president of the International Circassian Association (ICA), further exacerbating the challenges facing the Circassian language.
If these trends continue, the Circassian language and culture may suffer irreversible damage. To ensure the survival of this ancient and historically rich language, urgent and decisive efforts are needed at both national and international levels.
