10 Armenian Language and Identity in Iran: The Case of Iranian Armenians of Isfahan
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Saeed Rezaei
Abstract
Armenians constitute a small diasporic religious minority group residing in different parts of Iran. Isfahan is one of the cities where Armenians have their own community, neighborhood and church, and as such are able to better maintain their Armenian language and identity. By first engaging with some seminal studies on Armenian language and identity in Iran, this chapter then moves to investigate the attitudes of Armenians towards both Persian and Armenian as languages used in the diglossic community of Armenians in Isfahan. The intent is to explore language attitude and identity among Armenians of Jolfa neighborhood. The participants, aged 17 to 71, were 94 Armenians from different social and educational echelon of their community in Isfahan. The results of both the questionnaire and the interviews, along with the ethnographic fieldwork, revealed that Armenians are strongly attached to their language as their source of identity. The results are also discussed from sociolinguistic perspectives such as Armenian as a heritage language, minority language policy in Iran, and the ecology of Armenian language. The chapter will close with proposing some under-researched suggestions for sociolinguistic research on Armenian language in Iran.
Abstract
Armenians constitute a small diasporic religious minority group residing in different parts of Iran. Isfahan is one of the cities where Armenians have their own community, neighborhood and church, and as such are able to better maintain their Armenian language and identity. By first engaging with some seminal studies on Armenian language and identity in Iran, this chapter then moves to investigate the attitudes of Armenians towards both Persian and Armenian as languages used in the diglossic community of Armenians in Isfahan. The intent is to explore language attitude and identity among Armenians of Jolfa neighborhood. The participants, aged 17 to 71, were 94 Armenians from different social and educational echelon of their community in Isfahan. The results of both the questionnaire and the interviews, along with the ethnographic fieldwork, revealed that Armenians are strongly attached to their language as their source of identity. The results are also discussed from sociolinguistic perspectives such as Armenian as a heritage language, minority language policy in Iran, and the ecology of Armenian language. The chapter will close with proposing some under-researched suggestions for sociolinguistic research on Armenian language in Iran.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Acknowledgements V
- Foreword VII
- Contents IX
- 1 Introduction 1
-
Part I: Iranian Minority Languages
- 2 At the Crossroads: Caspian Languages through a Sociolinguistic Lens 9
- 3 Mazandarani: Current Status and Future Prospects 37
- 4 Balochi: Literary Development, Status and Vitality 61
- 5 Attitudes Towards Tati Language Among its Native Speakers in Western Iran 83
- 6 The Bakhtiari Language: Maintenance or Shift? A Diachronic Survey on the Status of Bakhtiari in the City of Masjed Soleiman between 1996–2020 111
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Part II: Non-Iranian Minority Languages
- 7 Ebb and Flow of Azeri and Persian in Iran: A Longitudinal Study in the City of Zanjan 177
- 8 Language Shift and Language Maintenance among Turkmen Speakers 205
- 9 Language Change and Maintenance among Mandaic Speakers of Iran: A Socio-linguistic Study 231
- 10 Armenian Language and Identity in Iran: The Case of Iranian Armenians of Isfahan 249
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Part III: Iranian Heritage Languages in Diaspora
- 11 Wakhi in New York: Multilingualism and Language Contact in a Pamiri Diaspora Community 273
- 12 Language Maintenance and Language Shift: A Perspective from the First- Generation and Second-Generation Pashto Speakers Living in the United States and Canada 305
- 13 Persian as a Diasporic Language in the United States: A Survey of Heritage Persian Learners at College Level 333
- Index 379
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Acknowledgements V
- Foreword VII
- Contents IX
- 1 Introduction 1
-
Part I: Iranian Minority Languages
- 2 At the Crossroads: Caspian Languages through a Sociolinguistic Lens 9
- 3 Mazandarani: Current Status and Future Prospects 37
- 4 Balochi: Literary Development, Status and Vitality 61
- 5 Attitudes Towards Tati Language Among its Native Speakers in Western Iran 83
- 6 The Bakhtiari Language: Maintenance or Shift? A Diachronic Survey on the Status of Bakhtiari in the City of Masjed Soleiman between 1996–2020 111
-
Part II: Non-Iranian Minority Languages
- 7 Ebb and Flow of Azeri and Persian in Iran: A Longitudinal Study in the City of Zanjan 177
- 8 Language Shift and Language Maintenance among Turkmen Speakers 205
- 9 Language Change and Maintenance among Mandaic Speakers of Iran: A Socio-linguistic Study 231
- 10 Armenian Language and Identity in Iran: The Case of Iranian Armenians of Isfahan 249
-
Part III: Iranian Heritage Languages in Diaspora
- 11 Wakhi in New York: Multilingualism and Language Contact in a Pamiri Diaspora Community 273
- 12 Language Maintenance and Language Shift: A Perspective from the First- Generation and Second-Generation Pashto Speakers Living in the United States and Canada 305
- 13 Persian as a Diasporic Language in the United States: A Survey of Heritage Persian Learners at College Level 333
- Index 379
