YSU scholar studies forgotten layers of Talysh vocabulary

The research on "The Vocabulary of Northern Talysh: Native and Borrowed Layers (Historical-Comparative Aspect)" has received funding from the "Support Program for Young Researchers' Studies-2025," announced by the Higher Education and Science Committee of MoESCS RA. The goal of this research is to uncover the native and borrowed layers of this language's vocabulary, shedding light on linguistic interactions and its historical development. Why has Talysh ended up on the list of endangered languages? What secrets can its vocabulary reveal, and what challenges does scientific research face in this area? These and other topics were discussed with Hakob Avchyan.

– Mr. Avchyan, what motivated you to choose this research topic?

– The number of scholars studying Talysh is not large worldwide, and the language's vocabulary has barely been explored. Although research has been conducted for nearly two centuries, it has mostly focused on the grammatical structure of the language. Previous published works provide almost no detailed information on the vocabulary of Talysh. The only exception is a small study published in Azerbaijan, which offers a very superficial understanding of the topic.

– What significance does this research have for Iranian linguistics?

– Talysh belongs to the Iranian language family, so its study helps us understand the history of this language and its connections with other Iranian languages. One of the goals of our research is to determine which layers of Talysh vocabulary are native and which are borrowed. This will later help uncover the language's interactions with other languages and show how cultures have influenced each other.

– What difficulties have you encountered while conducting this research?

– The first challenge is finding data on this language. Northern Talysh is primarily spoken in Azerbaijan, and partly in Iran. For understandable reasons, we cannot conduct research in Azerbaijan, but there are no such obstacles in Iran. Fortunately, the development of technology allows us to connect with language speakers online. Even the Talysh section of the Talysh language textbook published by the initiative of our chair was edited in Azerbaijan.

– What is the main reason Talysh is considered an endangered language? 

– UNESCO classifies Talysh as an endangered language, primarily due to the assimilation policies of the Azerbaijani authorities. The study and preservation of this language are highly restricted there. However, it should be emphasized that Talysh is still a living language. The Talysh people use it in their daily lives, so the language is not on the verge of extinction, but without scientific study, the threat is real.

– You mentioned that the study of Talysh is continuing in Armenia. Where and how is this being done?

– YSU is one of the few centers where Talysh is studied and taught. Sometimes, Talysh speakers themselves contact me, surprised that their language is being studied in Armenia. Recently, a Talysh speaker, thanking me, mentioned that in their country, very little research is done on the language. Even when work is done, it is mostly in the form of poetry or non-scientific texts.

– Could you present the phases of your research?

– The research consists of two phases. First, we will collect language data and try to find the necessary sources, and then we will conduct fieldwork, specifically in Iran. The second phase will focus on borrowings, determining which languages they have come from, in which periods, and under what influences.

– What results do you expect to achieve from this research?

– Our study will shed light on how the Talysh vocabulary has been formed. This will be an important contribution not only to Talysh studies but also to general Iranian linguistics. We hope that our work will lay the foundation for more comprehensive studies.