Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has called for the development of new terminology in the Tajik language to reflect advances in science, technology and artificial intelligence.
In a congratulatory message marking State Language Day, Rahmon today also stressed the need to expand the use of Tajik literary language on the internet and preserve its national and cultural identity, according to the president’s official website.
Language and national identity
Rahmon described the Tajik language as one of the key pillars of national statehood and said it plays an important role in preserving the history, culture and national identity of the Tajik people.
He said that during more than 35 years of independence, the Tajik language had undergone an important stage of development and become one of the main means of uniting society.
The president also stressed the importance of studying and preserving the literary heritage of prominent scholars and writers who contributed to the development of the Tajik-Persian language.
New terminology for a changing world
Addressing the rapid development of science, technology and artificial intelligence, Rahmon said technological advances are also reflected in language and specialized terminology.
He called on specialists to make greater use of the language’s existing lexical and semantic resources when developing new terms.
“Specialists in the relevant fields must further enrich the system of term formation by drawing on the semantic and lexical resources of the language and, on the basis of the native Tajik vocabulary, propose terms that are correct, comprehensible and suited to the content and characteristics of the various fields,” Rahmon said.
He also called for greater use of Tajik literary language online and urged the integration of scientific and technical developments into the global digital space while taking national and cultural values into account.
Focus on young people
The president said knowledge of Tajik is an important component of national consciousness among younger generations.
He called for children and young people to be taught the social significance of the language from an early age, encouraged to use it correctly and taught to respect their native language.
Rahmon also linked proficiency in Tajik literary language with the learning of foreign languages.
“Our children must understand that language is not only a means of expressing thoughts, but also a unique social phenomenon that embodies our glorious history and civilization, our priceless folk culture and spirituality, as well as a profound sense of self-awareness and patriotism,” he said.
Rahmon urged native speakers to observe the norms of the Tajik language, preserve its purity and expand its use in different spheres of public life.
He described this as a “sacred duty” of those who speak and preserve the language.
State Language Day
Tajikistan now celebrates State Language Day on October 5.
The holiday was previously observed on July 22, marking the adoption of the law granting Tajik the status of state language in 1989. In 2010, the date was changed to October 5 by presidential decree.
Under Tajikistan’s Constitution, Tajik is the state language, while Russian was designated as the language of interethnic communication. A new law on the state language that came into force in October 2009 removed the provision giving Russian the status of a language of interethnic communication.
In 2008, Rahmon declared it the Year of the Tajik Language and proposed the publication of a new two-volume Tajik dictionary, as well as grammars of the classical and modern literary languages.
The October 5 date of State Language Day also coincides with President Rahmon’s birthday.
