Tati Language of Karingan Village

With the increasing influence of the media and as a result of dominant languages, many local languages have been or are being gradually forgotten. However, sometimes the isolation of a region from other regions causes certain customs and lifestyles to remain unchanged. The Karingan Village of East Azarbaijan has over the years preserved their local Tati language, which is also referred to as Old Azari and was inscribed on the list of intangible national Heritage of Iran in 2011 AD in order to preserve its existence and more attention is paid to its dynamism.

Tati Language and Its History

Tat is one of the ancient Iranian tribes who have throughout history chosen to live in remote areas and hard-to-reach villages in order to survive. Tats of Iran are so dispersed that many of them do not know about their fellow Tats in other regions; although they share the same language; i.e. Tati.

The Tati language is a very old language that was once spoken in the entire northern regions of Iran, from Azarbaijan to Khorasan. This language is widely spoken in the city of Takestan, Qazvin Province, but its purer form, which has been spared from the influence of Azari and Farsi languages, is popular in the village of Karingan. The originality of the Tati language of Karingan village has caused researchers in the field of linguistics to pay special attention to this village.

There are different opinions about the origin of the Tati language. Although some researchers are of the opinion that Tati was derived from the Median language, some others believe that its root was the Avestan language and there are also some other people who think it was a derivative of the Pahlavi language; both of which were ancient languages of Iran. It is, however, certain that the Tati language was the ancient language of Azarbaijan, which, with the spread of the Turkish language, came to be gradually less spoken, to the point that it has been completely forgotten in many regions.

The Tati language has no script, and for this reason, its most important treasure is its oral literature; although there have been some efforts in the last few decades to come up with written grammar for and written form of stories in this language. Also, research has taken place on the dialects of the Tati language, according to the findings of which it is spoken in 10 different dialects.

Tati Language of Karingan Village and Its Features

Karingan village is located in a difficult-to-reach region in the forests of Arasbaran, in Varzaqan County, and it is about 60 kilometers away from Varzaqan City. Being situated in the foothills, this village has a stepped structure, in such a way that the roof of each house is the courtyard of the upper house. This form of house building is popular in many mountainous regions of Iran, and there are several villages with this kind of structure in the west, north, and northwest of Iran.

The village has a mountainous climate with mild summers and cold and frosty winters. The people of this village mostly engage in agriculture and animal husbandry and their fields are irrigated by two nearby springs.

Karingan is bordered by Oula, Ahmedabad, and Mardanqom villages from the north and Vanestan, Malektalesh, and Astmal villages from the south, but the residents of none of these villages can understand the Tati language of Karingan village and use it in conversation. Of course, because of the relations they have with the surrounding cities and villages, the people of Karingan also speak the Azari Turkish language well, and as a result, some cultural experts are concerned about the danger of the Tati language of Karingan village being forgotten and, therefore, efforts are being made to protect it. One such effort has been the inscription of the Tati language on the list of Iran’s intangible national heritage.

Although some researchers are of the opinion that Tati was derived from the Median language, some others believe that its root was the Avestan language and there are also some other people who think it was a derivative of the Pahlavi language; both of which were ancient languages of Iran.