What Living in Iceland Taught Me About My Mother Tongue | Knarik Jalatyan | TEDxAUA

Quick Overview

Knarik Jalatyan shares her personal journey of rediscovering the immense cultural and historical value of the Armenian language after moving to Iceland, a country with a small diaspora population, contrasting it with her previous experience where Armenian was often overlooked or treated as secondary to Western languages.

Key Points: The speaker moved to Iceland, a country with only two registered Armenian nationals, which lacked the typical Armenian diaspora community she was used to. In Iceland, she realized the deep cultural significance of the Armenian language, which was created in the 5th century by Mesrop Mashtots and considered a national treasure. She contrasts this realization with her prior life where Armenian was often seen as just a mandatory school subject or an optional cultural artifact. The speaker notes that Icelandic people, despite having a small diaspora, treat their language with immense pride, using over 100 words for 'wind'. Her Icelandic friends and linguist peers, unaware of Armenian history, were surprised to learn that Armenian was a language carried by refugees across deserts and was the foundation of a civilization. The core message is that reclaiming pride in one's heritage language is vital, as it holds unique cultural history that cannot be captured by other languages.

Context: Knarik Jalatyan delivers a TEDx talk centered on the importance of language preservation, specifically focusing on the Armenian language. The narrative contrasts her early life experience, where Armenian was often marginalized or treated as merely a school subject, with her later realization of its profound cultural and historical value after moving to Iceland, where the Armenian presence was minimal.

Detailed Analysis

Knarik Jalatyan opens by asking the audience to picture a place with no war, crime, or military, possessing stunning natural beauty like ocean views and waterfalls—she reveals this place is Iceland. She notes that since 2008, Iceland has only two registered Armenian nationals, meaning she lacked the large Armenian diaspora community she was accustomed to. This absence forced her to re-evaluate her relationship with her mother tongue. She shares an anecdote about her Icelandic friends, who, despite being linguists, could not pronounce her name, leading to the realization that they were only aware of the language as a geographical quiz item, not a cultural treasure. Jalatyan highlights that Icelanders treat their language with immense pride, citing over 100 words for 'wind' in Icelandic, and they have a sculpture dedicated to the wind. She contrasts this with the Armenian language, which was created in the 5th century by Mesrop Mashtots and served as the pillar of resilience for Armenians who survived genocide and crossed deserts, preserving their identity through it. She points out the irony that she was telling this story in English, but argues that the solution to preserving endangered languages like Armenian is not abandonment, but changing how people approach it—treating it as a vital treasure and not just an optional cultural artifact or school subject.