The translation of Baksan's paragraph where he
considers linguistic aspects of the Alanian problem follows:
<<There are only 3 inscriptions in the
Alanian language made with Latin and Greek letters. In the work by Gothic
historian of the VI-th century Jordan "Getika" (it is known that he
was of the Alanian origin) traslators always come upon a "nonsensical" from
their point of view phrase which can not be understood by them: "alano wu a".
This phrase is the only one written in Alanian in the whole Jordan's work and
can be easily translated from Veinakh as "he is an Alan" [Ya.S.Vagapov "Vainakhi
i Sarmaty", Grozny, 1990]. Then, there is the
Alanian inscription from the the Mayatskoe settlement consisting of only 2
words: "... alanui kan" (the beginning of the inscription with a person's
name is lost). "Kan" is the Turkic word "prince". "Alanui kan" means in
Veinakh "prince (kan) of Alans" and the word "alanui" is irreproachably formed
according to the Veinakh grammar in Genitive plural [idem]. And finally,
the famous Zelenchuk inscription which can be read in Veinakh
without letters rearrangements and adding new symbols (what those, who
would like to see Ossetic in the inscription language, have to do):"Jesus Christ, Saint Nikolai. Sons of the Sakhari kin: Khoba,
son of Shita, Bagatar, son of Bagatar, Anbalan, son of Anbalan - these fine
fellows perished on the plain. Lado" [Ya.S.Vagapov "O yazyke Zelenchukskoy
nadpisi" - "Voprosy Vainakhskoy leksiki", Grozny, 1980]. (Lado is the name of
the person who made this devoting inscription approximately in the X-th
century). No matter how much statements like the following "I must
to declare with the full responsibility: The Zelenchuk inscription has
always been and will ever be Ossetic" is done, the fact remains - this Alanian
inscription is made in a Veinakh language.>>
Then D.Baksan writes about a manuscript recently found by a historian from
Jordan Abdul-Gani Hasan al Shashani in the al-Azkhar mosque in Cairo. This
manuscript has been written by Azdin Vazar (born in 1395). Baksan claims
that Azdin Vazar calls himself a man of "Alanian tribe Nokhchiy" and
describes his islamic mission to the motherland (North Caucasus). Many
Chechenian toponyms are mentioned in the manuscript; everywhere "Alan" and
"Veinakh" are synonyms for Azdin Vazar.
I failed to find any information about this manuscript either in Latin or
in Cyrillic sector of the Net. Perhaps something could be found in the
Arabic sector?
Alexander
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2001 12:50
PM
Subject: [tied] Re: Alans etc.
Miziyev writes (of the Zelenchuk
inscription): "... In a few words, the inscription tells how a few tribes once
gathered and, having called to the god, decided to move to the plain. The
inscription points to the disintegration of the tribe union."
This is absurd, and the examples of "Turk
words" given by Miziyev just demonstrate that he feels no qualms about
manipulating the letters of the inscription as him listeth (noble patriotic
motives, no doubt). I have the text at home and will post it later today with
the standard interpretation. The Zelenchuk inscription is a typical "in
memoriam" text, not a momentous historical document of the kind suggested by
Miziyev -- basically a tidily arranged (and therefore easy to interpret)
list of first names and patronymics with a few evidently Ossetic connecting
words.
I couldn't access Baksan's page for some
reason, so it would be very nice of you, Alexander, if you could post his
interpretation.
Piotr
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2001 10:04
AM
Subject: Re: Alans (was Re: [tied]
Re: Warning to list: Race and anthropology)
I.M. Miziyev (English version):
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Pagoda/7675/chapt6.html
D.
Baksan (only in Russian and highly not politcorrect, but containing a
lot
of very interesting ethnographic material):
http://balkaria.narod.ru/istoria/dbaksan/glava11.htm
Unfortunately,
neither Miziyev no Baksan give the complete word by word
reading - only
the phrase as a whole with some examples of reading single
words.
(If
you need it I could translate for you Baksan's variant of reading
the
Zelencuk inscription)
Alexander
> > However
some investigators claim that Alans were ancestors of
Karachay
and
> > Balkar volks (I. M. Miziyev ), or even of
Chechenians and Ingush (D.
> Baksan)
> > and
successfully (as they say) read the Zelencuk inscription as
Old
Turkic
> > or as Nakh respectively.
>
>
>
> Can you give me some references on this,
Alexander?
>
> Thanks
>
> Ed.
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