Kazan and Tartar Language

[dezelina.livejournal.com]

Hi everyone,

I don't think this is an appropriate post for this forum, but  you have all been very helpful to me, and I thought maybe some users would be able to answer my question.  I am going to Kazan this summer, and I  heard that many people speak the Tartar language there.  How similar is it to Russian?  Does anyone know where I can find a good English site explaining the language?  I tried several online searches, but haven't found anything too great.  Also, if anyone has any recommendations on what to do and see in Kazan, you can send me a private message.  I posted this on the travel forum, and it appears that non one knows anything about Kazan or the tartar language!

Thanks in advance for your help!

Comments

[misha-dnvtsk.livejournal.com]

Tatar and Russian are completely different languages. But if you know Russian do not worry about communications problems in Kazan - everyone speaks Russian there anyway.

[ulvesang.livejournal.com]

Tatar is nothing at all like Russian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatar_language).

Granted, Russian is the primary language there. You'd probably have a much more difficult time there speaking Tatar rather than Russian...

[greeny-world.livejournal.com]

I grew up there. Don't worry, everyone speaks Russian there. U'll hear Tatar, of course, and you will be able to distinguish it from Russian. Tatar is more like Turkish.

here's a link to their alphabet http://www.omniglot.com/writing/tatar.htm

good luck !

[drivebyluna.livejournal.com]

Do you know why they switched from an Arabic alphabet to a Latin one?

[shimshoni.livejournal.com]

After the Soviet Revolution for easier typewriting they first switch Tatar language to Latin and then to Cyrillic alphabet. They switch back to Latin only in 1999 after USSR break up.

[greeny-world.livejournal.com]

Well, actually, as I remember, there were debates with regards to which alphabet to go to: Latin or Arabic. I don't actually know, why they chose the Latin one. Our tatar language teacher mentioned that this way it will be easier for all the etnic tatar, the new generation that us, to learn the language.

[romik-g.livejournal.com]

Actually only cirillic alphabet is in use now, the only exception I know is that there are some banners made in 2000-2004 with Kazan history located in the center of the city.

[alon_68]

The stuff about "for easier typewriting" and something like this is always purely artificial excuses. The actual reason was then to stop the influence of the traditional Muslim leaders to the the population. Similarly, the unsuccessful attempt to switch to the Latin script was intended to stress the independence from the Russian influence. The last one was eventually interrupted by the Russian federal authorities that issued the law prohibiting such switches for the local minorities languages.

[kart.livejournal.com]

Reminds me of that episode in Gravity's Rainbow

Most distressing of all is the power struggle he has somehow been suckered into with one Igor Blobadjian, a party representative on the prestigious G Committee. Blobadjian is fanatically attempting to steal Ƣ's from Tchitcherine's Committee, and change them to G's, using loan-words as an entering wedge. In the sunlit, sweltering commissary the two men sneer at each other across trays of zapekanka and Georgian fruit soup.

There is a crisis over which kind of g to use in the word "stenography." There is a lot of emotional attachment to the word around here. Tchitcherine one morning finds all the pencils in his conference room have mysteriously vanished. In revenge, he and Radnichny sneak in Blobadjian's conference room next night with hacksaws, files and torches, and reform the alphabet on his typewriter. It is some fun in the morning. Blobadjian runs around in a prolonged screaming fit. Tchitcherine's in conference, meeting's called to order, CRASH! two dozen linguists and bureaucrats go toppling over on their ass. Noise echoes for full two minutes. Tchitcherine, on his ass, notes that pieces of chair leg all around the table have been sawed off, reattached with wax and varnished over again. A professional job, all right. Could Radnichny be a double agent? The time for lighthearted practical jokes is past. Tchitcherine must go it alone.

[greeny-world.livejournal.com]

I guess you should dig up some history to answer this question. I would take a wild guess and say that it happened because Latin language was the domination one at the time.

[shimshoni.livejournal.com]

Tatar is a language - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatar_language
and taRtat is a sauce;) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tartar_sauce

[fiachasorcha.livejournal.com]

Everyone else has said it but I'll agree - every person I met from Kazan spoke Russian. Mind you I didn't meet many, but I lived down the river (Nizhny Novgorod) for a summer and I met a few tourists. Also, if you have a chance check out Nizhny - you seem to be adventurous if you're heading to Kazan and Nizhny is absolutely beautiful and the people there are some of the friendliest I've met anywhere in the world.

[fiachasorcha.livejournal.com]

also - oh wow you went to Pitt...I'm currently at Pitt for grad school (not for russian even). Small world.

[romik-g.livejournal.com]

Hello, my name is Roman and I live in Kazan (don't trust my profile :)). My native language is Russian, I speak English... not good but enough for the purposes I use it, and I understand Tatar a little bit.
I will PM you with my contact details and don't hesitate to ask for any help when you'll come here this summer.

[alexzzzzz.livejournal.com]

As to places to vizit in Kazan, better check some local Kazan forums
http://www.mykazan.ru/newforum/index.php?showforum=41

[elwen-tindomiel.livejournal.com]

As far as I know, all children in Tatarstan have to study Tatar at school, though the main language is Russian. And people speak Russian in general. I've been to Kazan lately and heard Tatar speech only once :)
And what about sightseeing you should really see the Kremlin, and I've heard recently that there's an exhibition of Tret'yakov gallery somewhere in the Kremlin.

[schlagen.livejournal.com]

I spent a summer in Kazan' a couple of years ago and I was absolutely fine with only my basic Russian and no Tatar whatsoever. I second the Nizhny suggestion too - you can do a very nice cruise down the Volga.

[towarysc.livejournal.com]

Russian <- Slavic <- Indo-European
Tatar <- Turkic <- Altaic

No relations at all:)

[kroshkaboo.livejournal.com]

Hi there!

My name is Katie and I live right in Kazan. I speak english quite fluently, since I teach it) So if you would like any kind of help, I'd be happy to be there for you. I've been to US on a governmental grant, so, I guess, it's my turn to be hospitable :))

Anyways, whether you need a guide, an advice, or so- feel free to contact me on kbulatova@hotmail.com