“Raises questions”: President comments on trend of using Arabic words in Kazakh language

Tengrinews.kz — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev drew attention to the growing use of Arabic vocabulary in place of native Kazakh words.
Speaking at the 10th Kurultai of the International Kazakh Language Society in Astana, the Head of State addressed issues related to the development and preservation of the Kazakh language.

“Recently, it has become fashionable to use Arabic vocabulary instead of our ancient words related to religion, which also raises questions,” the President said.

According to Tokayev, such issues require professional discussion involving scholars and linguists.

“Overall, this is a very important topic, so professional scholars should have their authoritative say on the matter,” he stressed.

The President also proposed developing a universal and publicly accessible digital system in the field of linguistics. A special working group comprising linguists, scholars, experts and representatives of the public will be established for this purpose. Its activities will be coordinated by the Presidential Administration.
Tokayev also stressed the importance of strengthening the position of the Kazakh language within the global linguistic community and promoting its interaction with other languages.