14:00, 15 May 2010

South Ossetia marks the Mother Tongue Day

Today, the Republic of South Ossetia marks the Day of the Ossetian Language. Tskhinvali and regional capitals held celebratory actions.

The holiday was founded in March 2003 by a decree of Alexander Dzasokhov, President of the Republic of South Ossetia-Alania, the "Osinform" Agency reports.

According to Gatsyr Pliev, Vice-Rector for Education of the South-Ossetian State University, the republic needs to work much on development of the Ossetian language. "It is a very complex, ancient and rich language," he has noted. "If there are nations in the world, bearers of most ancient languages, one of them, undoubtedly, is the Ossetian one. Our language is very important; and a proof is the Historical-Etymological Dictionary of the Ossetian language compiled by Vaso Abaev; only three nations - Ossetians, Frenchmen and Belgians - have such dictionaries."

Kosta Khetagurov is regarded to be the founder of the Ossetian literary language. Today, public activists laid flowers to his monument in Tskhinvali. Local schools run open lessons and literary parties, the "Res" Agency reports.

See also: "Ossetian wedding ceremony".