language use

Assessing the Degree of Endangerment of the Armenian Language in the Kurdistan Region According to UNESCO Criteria

Salwa Fariq Salih, Abdulsalam N. Abdullah

The issue of language contact and the threats facing minority languages and languages that are not used in different domains and do not acquire new functions is considered one of the main topics in linguistics, particularly in sociolinguistics. Within this framework, the present study attempts to examine the status of the Armenian language in the city of Zakho. In Zakho, Kurdish is the dominant language, and Armenian, as a result of the absence of a clear language policy, has faced several challenges. The aim of this study is to determine to what extent the Armenian language is endangered and what its status is according to UNESCO’s nine factors (2003). This research was conducted using both quantitative and qualitative methods. For this purpose, two methods were employed: interviews with selected individuals and knowledgeable members of the Armenian community, and a questionnaire based on UNESCO’s criteria distributed among different groups and social layers of the Armenian community in Zakho. The main research question is: despite the existence of schools and the attention given by the Kurdistan Regional Government, what is the status of the Armenian language according to UNESCO’s nine factors? After collecting opinions and analyzing the questionnaire forms, it was found that the Armenian language is endangered and has approached the stage of severe endangerment. Accordingly, in order to revitalize the Armenian language and prevent further endangerment, it is necessary, first, that the Kurdistan Regional Government officially recognize it at the national level, raise its status, and provide it with new social functions within society. Second, speakers of the language themselves should give greater attention to it, use it within the family, and transmit it from one generation to the next.