ISSN: 2347-7474 International Journal Advances in Social Science and Humanities Available online at: www.ijassh.com RESEARCH ARTICLE About One Case of Linguistic Influence of Migration Ketevan Gigashvili*1, George Gotsiridze2 1Dept. of Georgian Philology Iakob Gogebashvili Telavi State University 28a, Leselidze street, Telavi, Georgia. 2Dept. of History Iakob Gogebashvili Telavi State University 28a, Leselidze street, Telavi, Georgia. *Corresponding Author: E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Abstract The work analyzes one peculiar case of linguistic influence of migration, namely the work deals with migrations of the speakers of Tsovatush language spread in a little village as well as their linguistic results. As a result of migration Tsovatushs were appeared in Georgian language environment. There were all the conditions for shifting Tsovatush language onto its dominated Georgian one. Just migration became the reason for starting language shift, which was resulted by the fact that at present the mentioned language is considered as endangered. The work names the essence of migration and gives its description due to the parameters such as: place, time, motivation, socio-cultural factors. The issue of migration is described on the bases of archival documents and historical or sociolinguistic literature and the nature of migration is revealed according to the mentioned parameters in case of Tsovatushs. After the research it was found out that we deal with short-distance, internal, long-lasting, massive, compulsory migrations from the village to the village, the linguistic result of which is the shift of Tsovatush language onto dominated Georgian one. The migration of the population from the mountain to the valley was enclosed with the illness caused from foreign climate conditions, which somehow decreased the number of speakers of the language. The research was carried out under the scientific project, which was implemented at the Department of Georgian Philology at Telavi State University. Keywords: Internal migration, Short Distance Migration, Compulsory Migration, Massive Migration, Language Shift, Endangered Language. Introduction Lots of factors have influence on the process of Culture is everywhere the totality of language shift. They are involved together in the achievements of the society in the fields of regions of the contact of languages. Diverse education, science, technique, art and life as well; combination of factors have difference influence in Economy is the totality of relations between the various regions, various contact situations. It is persons connected to production and etc. The interesting that their research outcomes are difference is in connections and attitudes of the factually coincided in spite the questionnaires component parts of their character and system were carried out in different countries or target revealed in any political space. It is impossible groups. Even the mentioned factors have different that the relations of these units to be analogical in influence in different time and space by taking a every countries. Different interrelations between lot of parameters into our consideration. these elements cause just the fact, that we meet Resemblance of the research outcomes is natural peculiar causes of danger in one country and the as macro system, the organic part of which is different reasons in another one and so on. linguistic space, consists of one and the same elements in all the countries or continents. In its These reasons are widely named in linguistic tend, these component units are identical in their literature. Here we should also mention that not structural features. e.g. the language, which only one cause has influence on the language shift functions in any society, is everywhere the totality but it is caused by the group of reasons. of lexical fund and grammatical structure; Ketevan Gigashvili & George Gotsiridze| September 2014 | Vol.2 | Issue 9|05-14 5 Available online at: www.ijassh.com We divide these reasons in two groups: where Tsovatushs live. The village is situated in Akhmeta Region, the North-East part of Georgia. The first covers natural reasons such as: droughts, Akhmeta belongs to Kakheti region. It is bordered starvation, massive illnesses, inundations, from the East by Republic of Dagestan earthquakes, tsunamis, spitting out of the volcano (Federation of Russia) and Telavi Region, from or other catastrophes which conditions people’s the West by the Regions of Tianeti and Dusheti, migrations or movements to safer places. from the South – Regions of Sagarejo and Telavi Migrations of the populations are followed by and from the North – Republics of Chechnya and formation of the new language contact situations. Ingushetia (Federation of Russia). The second group contains political-economical- Before settling in the valley, it was obvious that social-cultural reasons. there existed the language contact between The given article deals with the case of migration Georgian and Tsovatush languages, but not with which had important influence on the status of this scale and nature. When Ivane Javakhishvili their language in case of Tsovatushs. appreciated the merits of Anton Schiefner and Body Text Peter Uslar in studying Tsovatush language, he mentioned: “both of them knew well how great The methods recognized in the science are used in influence had Georgian onto Tsova language, the research process. These are the following: mainly onto its treasure of words” [3]. The works observation on the materials (in our case of Schiefner and Uslar were created in II half of observation on historical sources) and XIX century and accordingly we should take into systematization; analysis of the materials: consideration Ivane Javakhishvili’s viewpoint segmentation and defining the interrelations while evaluating the scales of influence of between segmented elements; synthesis of the Georgian language onto Tsovatush one. As it is gained outcomes: integration and interpretation, clear, in spite of relief location of Tsovata (it also the methods of incorporation and comparison creates the separate gorge, it is surrounded by the of the sources and the opinions expressed in rocks and separated from the rest territory of scientific literature. Tusheti), Tushs had (not intensive but still) Results and Discussion peculiar relations with other communities at the time of living in the mountain. The language shift caused by the natural factors is called the sudden shift by Grimes. e.g. the We have quite little information about settling people in the United States of America were Tsovatushs in Mtatusheti itself. Little quantity of 30.000 in 1804 but they were decreased up to information causes diversity of the viewpoints. 6000 because of smallpox and in 2001 they were Peculiar part of the scientists thinks that they did only 90 among the population of 1000 persons [1]. not live in Tusheti at first and they were migrated The number of the population was decreased also from Ghlighveti. The internal conflict and strife in Brazil after the Europeans spread measles between the tribes of Dzurdzuketi caused there [2]. migration of Tsovas from Ghlighveti to the gorge We should regard the language motions caused by of Gometsari: Kists, the ancestors of Tsovas, had natural cataclysms as the language shift only if quarrels with other kindred tribes, as a result of the functions of the language are not stopped. which they left the gorge of Ghlighvi and Otherwise, they should be called as the language transferred to the various places, some of them death. Thus, the natural calamities and massive went to the ravine, to Mtiuleti, to Kartli, to the deseases may become the cause of sudden shift of ravines of Aragvi and Tergi. In those places they the language or the language death. were oppressed by the head of the population of Aragvi. That was the reason they came to Tusheti Our target society-Tsovas-lived in one part of and settled on the uninhabited lands near Mtatusheti-Tsovata-before 20-30s of XIX century Gometsarians due to the consent by Tushs [4; 5; near other Tush tribes-Chaghmas, Gometsarians 6]. and Pirikitians. Tusheti is located over the main ringe of Caucasia on the North hem: as a result of Mikheil Machabeli wrote in 1900, that Tushs inundation Tsovatushs settled in the village Zemo speak in pure Georgian and do not differ from the Alvani, thus the migration to the valley caused by rest Georgians, though they are originated from the natural cataclysms became the fundamnetal Kists and their language is the kindred one of of close language relations between Georgian and Kist language [7]. Tsovatush languages. Gyuldenshtedt and Veidenbaum also regarded Today Zemo Alvani is the only place in the world Tsovas as the descendants of Kists. In the archive Ketevan Gigashvili & George Gotsiridze| September 2014 | Vol.2 | Issue 9|05-14 6 Available online at: www.ijassh.com of Veidenbaum the document is kept, where Kists Chaghma-Tushs, Mokheves… and many others” are regarded as the ancestors of not only Tsovas [20]. but Pirikitelians as well [8, 9]. V. Lagazidze described Tsovas as originated from A. Zisserman and Iv. Tsiskarishvili supposed the Nakh tribe and considered them different from origin of Tsovas and Pirikitelians as Vainakhian Georgian tribes: “the inhabitants of Mtatusheti (Dalghian) and regarded Kists as their language are divided into two ethnical groups: Tsova and [10; 11]. Chaghma Tushs” [21]. German scientist Heinrich Klaproth travelled in Gyuldenshtedt points: “Tush people, which Caucasia at the beginning of XIX century, which belongs and is located at the beginnings of the was soon followed by his book: “Travelling in river Alazani, consists of Georgians, which are Caucasia and Georgia”. Here he considered mixed with Kists” [8]. Tsovas together with other Tush people as V. Elanidze notes in the article published in 1964, originated from Kists [12]. that Tusheti is not the first residence of Tushs. A. Shavkhelishvili regards Tsovatushs (as well as “The tribe of Tushs underwent the migration like Kists) as Vainakhs and describes them as other Georgian tribes” [22].