캅카스 지역의 압하스어 상황 연구

Abstract

Georgia established a goal of building a mono-ethnic nation, becoming a sovereign country through the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. However, the establishment and implementation of the goal made it difficult for this multinational state to deal with domestic and foreign situations. In particular, Abkhazia (an autonomous republic at the time of the independence of Georgia) and South Ossetia (an autonomous province) led armed resistance against the Georgian declaration of independence and development of Georgian language programs. Both Abkhazia and South Ossetia were recognized as de-facto autonomous states thereafter. Abkhaz is the state language in Abkhazia, but Russian is the most extensively used language and lingua franca which functions for communication between ethnic groups in the multinational country. Abkhaz is an official state language stipulated in the Constitution of Abkhazia in 1994, even though its current status is in serious danger. Although there exist Abkhazian kindergartens, schools, lectures in universities, and media outlets, Russian is the most commonly spoken language due to their pro-Russian attitudes as well as underpopulation. The influence of Russian in Abkhazia is enormous and dominant in the streets and markets. And Russian is the language of the bureaucrats, administrations, parliament, schools, business, and in many cases Abkhazian urban families. The bilingualism of Abkhaz and Russian would be ideal, but it is clear that Abkhazia is steadily moving toward a society where Russian is mainly spoken. In other words, if the Abkhazian government does not take a decisive and appropriate position for Abkhaz, the language must be endangered after several generations. The Abkhazians did not have an independent status in Georgia during the Russian Empire and Soviet era. In addition, they underwent the process of assimilation into Georgia. The status of Abkhaz also declined and its use also decreased. Although Abkhazia achieved the independence from Georgia, it needs to be dependent on Russian Federation due to geopolitical factors. This study shows that Abkhazia is devoid of the great influence of Georgian people and language, but it is entirely under the influence of Russian people and language.