Language and Meaning

I don’t know if it’s too soon (or if it would ever not be too soon) to write about the Azerbaijani language and make the broad generalizations I want to make here. Anthropology has taught me a lot about studying language and particularly about how language can tell someone so much about a culture. The meaning and roots of words, the way they are used in daily speech, even the way sentences are formed all speak to the ideals and values of a culture. Some anthropologists feel that it is impossible to fully understand a language unless one is fluent, and some that feel, as there are connotations that are inherent in the culture, no one outside of a culture can be truly fluent. Because I am nowhere near anything remotely approaching fluent, I am a bit wary to put out the following, so bear with me and remember these are just vague impressions.

Azerbaijani is a very direct language. It is blunt and to the point. Azerbaijanis are very forward with their opinions about things. It is uncommon to be asked questions such as “Why aren’t you married yet,” and be told “You’re fat/skinny/etc.” At the same time, when you want information from someone, you have to be exact about it. If I want to know what’s in your room, I can’t ask “What’s in your room?” That will just get me “Stuff.” I have to ask, “Is there a bed, windows, shelves, and a table in your room?” All in order to be told that you have just what and only what I asked about, or if you don’t have one of the items I listed.

My anthropology kicks in and I wonder why the language works that way. Does it just seem that way because of the way we’re being taught or because we don’t know enough of how the language is used in daily life. Perhaps we are just too used to a classroom setting and not enough in the regions. But on the other hand, something we’ve discussed is how Azerbaijanis have not been introduced to creative and critical thinking in schools in the way that American students have been. So is the directness a result of this? Probably not directly, but they seem related somehow. At our most recent HUB day session, four Azerbaijanis spoke to us about the differences between Soviet life in Azerbaijan and the present day. We were surprised at first to find that they spoke to us in Russian, which was then translated to English for us. One LCF explained this was because Russian was a more subtle language than Azerbaijani.