isk inchu voch Hayeren??

[Anonymouse]

Language aint only a caravan for the expression of thoughts, perceptions, or sentiments, and values of a community. Its also the expression of social identity. As LIke the noted linguist Edward Sapir said, "the mere fact of a common speech serves as a peculiar potent symbol of the social solidarity of those who speak the language." So retaining ones language helps maintain cultural cohesion and kinship.

[nairi]

So now he quotes a "noted" linguist in defence of his nation's propaganda...

[Anonymouse]

Uh oh, she has returneth. Other than your incessant whining in these particular threads related to language, what is the purpose of you on these boards?

[sleuth]

es sirumem knats mknikner

[Darorinag]

you obviously werent raised as an Armenian, thus you dont know what I'm talking about. Its the Armenian values and morals that are passed down by your parents, grandparents, thats what I mean when I say "being raised as an Armenian." Anybody who was raised as an Armenian would know what I'm talking about.

Who says I wasn't raised as an Armenian? I spoke Armenian about three quarters of the day, I went to agoump, I was taught to be proud of being an Armenian, even if half!!! And I still think language is very important in that. If I had not been taught Armenian, I would not have felt the same way.

They are not delusional...somewhere in their long line of ancestory they had Armenian grandparents.

Yes, and somewhere in my long line of ancestry, Diana had Armenian grandparents. That still doesn't make her Armenian. There is no "Armenian gene."

Good for you..so you were taught Armenian, correct? You just didnt come out of your mothers womb and began to speak Armenian. So I'm quessing I would have to be taught as well, huh? Please Dan, tell me how I would go about doing that, being taught that is?

Just like I am learning German. Get a book. Get someone to talk to in Armenian. Ask questions. It's not impossible to learn. I dare say learning Armenian is easier than learning Chinese.

Come on, Inna. You know what I'm talking about. You just don't wanna admit it. An Armenian who knows every other language except for Armenian is NOT an Armenian. Period. I don't care if you have Armenian ancestry up to the time of Tigran medz. If you don't know Armenian, you're no more of an Armenian than the Ethiopian who is not an Armenian. Our language is what has set us apart from other nations a very long long time ago. And once we give it up, we will be giving up an integral part of our national and cultural identity.

[sleuth]

And once we give it up, we will be giving up an integral part of our national and cultural identity.

APRES!!! darorinag...anonk chen hasknar vor lezun ASTSO pargevne AZGIN xxxx xosetsi ?

[Inna]

Who says I wasn't raised as an Armenian? I spoke Armenian about three quarters of the day, I went to agoump, I was taught to be proud of being an Armenian, even if half!!! And I still think language is very important in that. If I had not been taught Armenian, I would not have felt the same way.

So if you didnt speak Armenian, you wouldnt feel "Armenian"? I dont understand how that is possible, I spoke Armenian when I lived in Armenia, and that didnt make me feel any more or any less Armenian.

Yes, and somewhere in my long line of ancestry, Diana had Armenian grandparents. That still doesn't make her Armenian. There is no "Armenian gene."

She isnt Armenian b/c her parents, grandparents, great grandparents, etc didnt pass down the Armenian culture, but these Ethopian people that I'm talking about have, shlt, by your standards, "your only Armenian if you speak the language" they are more Armenian then me.

let me ask you something Dan, if you had a child with someone that isnt Armenian, and that child has a child with someone who isnt Armenian, would that make your grandchild less of an Armenian?

Just like I am learning German. Get a book. Get someone to talk to in Armenian. Ask questions. It's not impossible to learn. I dare say learning Armenian is easier than learning Chinese.

You say it like its that easy Dan...why dont you find me an Armenian teacher in Raleigh, North Carolina and I would be more than happy to attend these teaching sessions....learning a language on your own that uses the same alphabet as English is easier since you are already able to pronounce the letters, but learning a complete new alphabet...well now thats hard...there is no one that lives close enough to me that I know of that speaks the language...heck the majority of Armenians that I do know here are all from Baku, and they all speak Russian like me, not Armenian.

Come on, Inna. You know what I'm talking about. You just don't wanna admit it. An Armenian who knows every other language except for Armenian is NOT an Armenian. Period. I don't care if you have Armenian ancestry up to the time of Tigran medz. If you don't know Armenian, you're no more of an Armenian than the Ethiopian who is not an Armenian. Our language is what has set us apart from other nations a very long long time ago. And once we give it up, we will be giving up an integral part of our national and cultural identity.

I dont have to admit anything to you Dan, you of all people should understand how it feels to be outcasted by your own people.

[sleuth]

Inna STOP!!! preaching nubism in my thread ev xosir hayeren!!

[Darorinag]

So if you didnt speak Armenian, you wouldnt feel "Armenian"? I dont understand how that is possible, I spoke Armenian when I lived in Armenia, and that didnt make me feel any more or any less Armenian.

So do you consider those pretentious "Armenians" in L.A who are ashamed of speaking our language Armenians? Heck, they can even go to church every day, but they are still not Armenians in my books. Why would you not speak Armenian? Is there anything wrong or inferior about it? Why learn another language before you learn your own? What's so good about another language that you wanna learn when you don't even know your own? Btw, my cousin doesn't know Armenian, and she's studying Spanish. Go figure. Beats me. Idiocy is rampant in the Armenian community...

She isnt Armenian b/c her parents, grandparents, great grandparents, etc didnt pass down the Armenian culture, but these Ethopian people that I'm talking about have, shlt, by your standards, "your only Armenian if you speak the language" they are more Armenian then me.

If her ancestors had preserved the Armenian language without even preserving the Armenian music and other aspects of culture, rest assured, she would've felt Armenian at least to a certain extent (depending on how much the ancestors valued this preservation).

let me ask you something Dan, if you had a child with someone that isnt Armenian, and that child has a child with someone who isnt Armenian, would that make your grandchild less of an Armenian?

First of all, I would not have a child with someone that isn't Armenian or English (I don't believe in miscegenation). Second, IF I did (hypothetically speaking), it depends on how much that child is taught the language. Only the children in a family that speaks Armenian at home to a certain extent (compared to not at all, and there are many such pretentious Armenian families) will be able to fight the risks of assimilation. I can see tons of Armenians talking to each other in English rather than Armenian. I mean, what is that if not pretentiousness? That is downright dumb. Why not speak Armenian? I don't see the Chinese speaking English 99.9% of the time. In fact, 99% of the time, they speak Chinese! And they don't even have the risk of being "lost" through miscegenation because of their huge numbers. What makes a French French and a German German if not language? Cultural practices might overlap, but when the languages vary, the two identities will be very much separate.

You say it like its that easy Dan...why dont you find me an Armenian teacher in Raleigh, North Carolina and I would be more than happy to attend these teaching sessions....learning a language on your own that uses the same alphabet as English is easier since you are already able to pronounce the letters, but learning a complete new alphabet...

Inna, there was a black man who learned Armenian by himself. It was a completely new alphabet to him. It is possible. You just have to want it. In fact, I know someone who has learned Japanese by himself. How is THAT for some contrast?

heck the majority of Armenians that I do know here are all from Baku, and they all speak Russian like me, not Armenian.

Look, we're not living in the medieval times. You can just get online and find people to talk to. If you wanted to, you can do it. I go to German chatrooms to have a better grasp of how they talk. It takes lots of time and effort, and it is at times frustrating, but if you want to learn the language, there is nothing that can stop you.

I dont have to admit anything to you Dan, you of all people should understand how it feels to be outcasted by your own people.

Understanding how it feels does not have to be coupled with tolerating the feelings of helplessness and the constant whining and excuses that come with it. Just take a look beyond that. There is more to life than being an outcast from a group. Sitting there and whining doesn't change anything. And you're definitely not going to change the minds of people like me, because once you do that, Armenianism is lost. Gone. If all Armenians adopted your mentality, our language that has lasted for millenia will be lost. What have YOU done to preserve it?

[dstyle]

I live in LA and all I talk is Armenian with my friends and family. Your generelization shows what an @ss you are. What is it with Armenian Canadians and there hate with us Armenians in LA.