The Guarani in Paraguay

ATENEO GUARANI LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

Horyvéva Maitei opavavépe

David Galeano Olivera



THE GUARANI IN PARAGUAY

Text and photos: Eduardo Quintana - Magazines Published in VeinteMundos - Switzerland, in French

Read (click) in: http://dgaleanolivera.wordpress.com/el-guarani-en-paraguay/



He was persecuted and banned for several decades in Paraguay. Was never formally taught. But it served as a defense mechanism in the wars and today is spoken by almost nine million people in different countries of South America. Since 1992 is an official language along with Spanish throughout Paraguay. Guarani has weathered major challenges over the years and still claims to do in the XXI century.

According to the census of 2002, Paraguay's indigenous population reaching nearly 100,000 people and brings together more than 17 ethnic groups. Although the figure is not significant within the national total (the country has nearly 7 million inhabitants), 87% of Paraguayans speak Guarani. Therefore, this Latin American nation is bilingual.

And why so many people speak this language original? According to Maria Antonia Rojas, the cultural institute "Ateneo Guara?" Dialect belongs to the first inhabitants of this area of ​​South America and has been defended as the language for themselves Paraguayans. "Thus, today, is a transcendental element in everyday culture," said the lawyer.

Starting with the name of Paraguay, which means "river flowing into the sea", this language has been part of the culture. Moreover, a large number of names of plants, animals, music, food and attitudes can be reported only in this language.

Despite the strong case made by the Paraguayans, long Guarani language was banned, including through political persecution, including penalties for all children and young people who speak in schools and colleges.

That reality changed when the dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner (1954-1989) fell and created a new constitution. Thus, given the rank of officer alongside Spanish in 1992. From that moment and with the new educational system, Guarani was taught compulsorily in all schools.

Also recently passed a law that protects 20 languages ​​around the territory and create conditions to protect the culture behind these languages. The new rules allow the spelling and grammar Guarani are official, in addition, there will be a unified dictionary of this language.

MODERN LANGUAGE

This language, in addition to being an officer in Paraguay, Bolivia is also (along with Quechua and Aymara), in the province of Corrientes, Argentina and the Brazilian municipality of Takuru. Since 2005 is the third language of the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), after the Castilian and Portuguese.

In the Paraguayan and shopping markets, restaurants and galleries using the Guarani merchants attract customers with this language. Some TV programs and is used by radio broadcasters use the language to communicate. In different types of holiday celebrations, both the music and the speeches are in Guarani.

"The Guarani language is not a primitive, but a modern language, vivid and interesting as any other used today," said David Galeano Olivera, director of "LANGUAGE AND CULTURE ATENEO Guara?". The professor adds that "despite the problems he had throughout its history, is a language of the third millennium, which is spoken by nearly 9 million people throughout South America."

Its importance lies not only in everyday use, but also in research and study there is to it. It is taught not only in universities in Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil, but also in prestigious U.S. think tanks and Europe. Universities like the Sorbonne (France), Mainz (Germany), Autónoma de Madrid (Spain), Zurich (Switzerland) and Bari (Italy) have chairs of this language and postgraduate courses.

Classes are taught by academics Paraguayans as European researchers, many with a significant stay in Paraguay. Some were diplomats, while others were simply seduced by the language.

Thus, on the Internet, Guarani has been booming, and is now present in thousands of sites. Moreover, the web is known to this native language as ta'anga veve, which means "flying images." "The languages ​​that have little or no presence on the Internet are those who are sentenced to death or disappearance" reflects Galeano Olivera.

And this is how Google and Wikipedia acetate have their version of Avañe'ẽ ("man's language"). In the network we can find from online translators to poems in the language.

However, the digital market is still complicated for the Guarani. Like most oral language, few people read or write in this language. So demand is still small by ordinary people, not by curious and academics. This is a new challenge for the Guarani, and probably not the only thing left to the language that has managed to survive over the years.

THE GUARANI

Legend has it that the Guarani Indians, a few centuries ago, left behind the Amazon and northern Brazil to seek new lands. The idea was to escape from other tribes and get better food. In their search for Marene'y Yvy ("land without evil"), Aborigines settled in what is now Paraguay, northern Argentina, southern Bolivia and western Brazil. And while anthropologists still guaraniólogos and agree if they reached their goal, he bequeathed his nomadic language to future generations that developed where they began to live a dream.