The Journal of Mesopotamian Studies Köse, Özgür; Saraç, H. Sezai, Arikan, Arda, “An Ethnolinguistic Portrayal of the Arabic-Speaking Orthodox Christian Community of Antakya, Turkey”, The Journal of Mesopotamian Studies, V: 2/2, Summer 2017, p. 143-158. AN ETHNOLINGUISTIC PORTRAYAL OF THE ARABIC- SPEAKING ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY OF ANTAKYA, TURKEY Özgür KÖSE*, H. Sezgi SARAÇ**, Arda ARIKAN*** Abstract Results of the last census in Turkey showed that the total number of Arabic speaking population was 1.20% that is 5% less than the results of the 1960 census. One third of all Arabic speakers in Turkey reside in Antakya (Antioch). Although the population of the Arabic speaking communities in Turkey is in decline, research is needed to understand to what extent such linguistic change occurs. Hence, the purpose of this study is to study the status of the use of Arabic among Arabic-Speaking Orthodox community of Antakya while investigating the factors contributing to a possible shift from Arabic to Turkish. Fifty members of an Orthodox Christian Church established in Antakya participated in the study by answering a five-point Likert scale that was translated into Turkish and Arabic and was given to the participants in both languages. Results show that almost all participants find their reading and writing skills in Arabic weak or very weak and participants’ language skills in Turkish have started to be stronger across all generations as younger generations use Arabic less successfully. Results also imply that Arabic language is threatened rather than it is well maintained when our results are considered from an intergenerational perspective. Keywords: Ethnolinguistic Vitality, Language Shift, Multilingualism, Regional Languages Özet “Arapça Konuşan Ortodoks Hristiyanların Etnodilbilimsel Bir Portresi” Türkiye’de yapılan son sayımların gösterdiğine göre Arapça konuşan nüfusun toplamı % 1.20’dir ki bu da 1960’da ki sonuçlardan % 5 daha az demek oluyor. Arapça konusanların üçte biri Antakya’da ikamet ediyor. Her ne kadar Türkiye’de Arapça konusan kişi sayısı azalsa da, bu dil değişiminin ne derece olduğunu anlayabilmek için araştırmalara ihtiyaç var. Bu çalışmanın amacı Arapçanın Antakyadaki Arapça konuşan Ortodokslar arasındaki durumunu ortaya çıkarmak, ayrıca Arapçadan Türkçeye olan dil değişimine neden olan faktörleri irdelemektir. Antakyada bulunan Ortodoks Hristiyan kilisesinden elli kişi Beş-Ölçekli Likert * Department of Modern Languages, Middle Eastern Technical University, Ankara ** Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Letters, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey *** Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Letters, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey, [email protected] Özgür KÖSE, H. Sezgi SARAÇ, Arda ARİKAN ölçegine cevap vererek bu çalışmaya katkı sağlamıştır. Söz konusu ölçek Türkçeye ve Arapçaya çevrilmiş ve katılımcılara her iki dilde dağıtılmıştır. Sonuçlar göstermektedir ki hemen her katılımcı Arapça okuma ve yazma becerisini zayıf ya da cok zayıf bulmaktadır ve katılımcıların Türkçedeki dil becerisi nesiller boyunca daha iyi olmaya başlamiştir. Ayrıca genç nüfus Arapçayı daha az konusabilmektedir. Sonuçlar daha genel bir perspektifle ele alındığında şunu göstermektedir ki Arapça korunamamaktadır ve tehlikededir. Anahtar kelimeler: Etnodilbilimsel irilik, Dil değişimi, Çokdillilik, Bölgesel diller Introduction Antakya (Antioch) is located in Turkey’s Hatay province in the southernmost part of the country, on the Syrian border. Just like its world famous mosaics composed of many colors, Antakya continues to be a very diverse community of people who have various ethnic and religious backgrounds. People in Antakya are composed of Muslims, Christians, and Jews, each including a variety of denominations. Despite religious variety in Antakya’s mosaic-like structure, the city seems to have a noticeable linguistic and cultural unity. Due to the reasons stemming from historical and geographical matters, Antakya has predominantly been under the influence of Arabic cultures in both linguistically as well as culturally (Neyzi, 2004). Arab speakers living in Antakya have long known to be Turkish-Arabic bilinguals. While no questions on language use have been included in Turkey’s national censuses since 1965, the results of the last census 144 attempting to investigate the number of the speakers of other languages in Turkey showed that the total number of Arabic speaking population was 1.20% of the entire population of Turkey that is 5% less than the results of the 1960 census (Önder, 2007). The largest portion, almost a third, of this number resides in Antakya region (Dündar, 1999). Arabic speaking Christians have been a part of the population of Antakya since the arrival of Christianity to this land. Indeed, it is the city of Antakya where the Gospel of Matthew was written, Peter and Paul converted the ‘gentiles,’ the followers of Christ were called the first Christians, and where one of the oldest churches of Christianity still welcomes visitors. While all these have always made Antakya a sacred place for those of Christian faith, the region has gone through vast changes since the early 1900s, resulting in drastic decreases in the Christian population in the area. After WW I, in 1920, Hatay and its vicinity were occupied by France for 16 years. When the occupation ended, Hatay declared independence and remained as an independent state until its unification with Turkey in 1939. This was when, according to Khoury (1987), many Christians immigrated in large numbers to Syria, Europe and the Americas. Today the estimated number of Christians living in the area including the neighboring provinces is somewhere around ten thousand, 85% of whom resides in Antakya and its vicinity (Karimova & Deverell, 2001; Kalkan, 2009). Among the entire Christian The Journal of Mesopotamian Studies Periodical Journal for Kurdish, Arabic and Syriac Studies Vol. 2/2 Summer 2017 An Ethnolinguistic Portrayal of the Arabic-Speaking Orthodox Christian ... ölçegine cevap vererek bu çalışmaya katkı sağlamıştır. Söz konusu ölçek Türkçeye population, those of the Orthodox faith make up the largest denomination within ve Arapçaya çevrilmiş ve katılımcılara her iki dilde dağıtılmıştır. Sonuçlar göstermektedir ki hemen her katılımcı Arapça okuma ve yazma becerisini zayıf ya the city’s Christian community (Kalkan, 2009). da cok zayıf bulmaktadır ve katılımcıların Türkçedeki dil becerisi nesiller boyunca It should be noted that although they are referred as ‘Greek Orthodox’ in many daha iyi olmaya başlamiştir. Ayrıca genç nüfus Arapçayı daha az konusabilmektedir. Sonuçlar daha genel bir perspektifle ele alındığında şunu sources, the Arabic-Speaking Orthodox community of Antakya (ASOC göstermektedir ki Arapça korunamamaktadır ve tehlikededir. hereafter) has notable differences with the other Orthodox communities in Anahtar kelimeler: Etnodilbilimsel irilik, Dil değişimi, Çokdillilik, Bölgesel Turkey. An example that signifies this difference is the fact that, different from diller the Orthodox community living in Istanbul who speak Greek, the liturgical Introduction language for ASOC remains Arabic (Ortaylı, 1987; Owens, 2000) Antakya (Antioch) is located in Turkey’s Hatay province in the southernmost notwithstanding the linguistic imperialism that they were exposed by Greeks part of the country, on the Syrian border. Just like its world famous mosaics during the Ottoman times (Masters, 2001). From a historical point of view, it composed of many colors, Antakya continues to be a very diverse community of can be said that their linguistic and cultural connections with their Muslim Arab people who have various ethnic and religious backgrounds. People in Antakya neighbors helped ASOC members keep their indigenous heritage among which are composed of Muslims, Christians, and Jews, each including a variety of their language is the most significant (Masters, 2001). However, according denominations. Despite religious variety in Antakya’s mosaic-like structure, the Komondrous and McEntee-Atalianis (2004), many members of ASOC continue city seems to have a noticeable linguistic and cultural unity. Due to the reasons moving to Istanbul ‘as economic migrants’ and join the Greek Orthodox stemming from historical and geographical matters, Antakya has predominantly Community ‘due to their shared religion’; as they attend Greek schools and been under the influence of Arabic cultures in both linguistically as well as churches there, they inevitably ‘become assimilated’ into the Greek Orthodox culturally (Neyzi, 2004). Arab speakers living in Antakya have long known to community of Istanbul (p. 370). It is also noted that there has been an ‘influx of be Turkish-Arabic bilinguals. While no questions on language use have been Arabic-speaking Greek Orthodox Christians from South East Turkey (Antakya included in Turkey’s national censuses since 1965, the results of the last census region) who have moved as economic migrants’ to Istanbul who ‘due to their attempting to investigate the number of the speakers of other languages in shared religion, become assimilated into the community’ (Komondouros & 145 Turkey showed that the total number of Arabic speaking population was 1.20% McEntee-Atalianis, 2007, p. 370). While this influx from Antakya to Istanbul of the entire population of Turkey that is 5% less than the results of the 1960 gives, so to say, a ‘fresh breath’ to the Greek Orthodox Community of census (Önder, 2007). The largest