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New information about English
When Richard Bailey and his colleagues at Ann Arbor published materials for the EMED 20 years ago, they documented 4,400 words that antedate their first recorded OED occurrence, or that are not there at all. The late Jürgen Schäfer, in Early Modern English Lexicography (1989), surveyed 133 English glossaries from 1480 to 1640 (the only dictionaries he touched are the small ones by Cawdrey, Bullokar and Cockeram) and developed from them 5,000 entries that add to or correct the OED.
My search of only letters AA-AC in one work, Cotgrave's French-English dictionary of 1611 (about 10% of the total textbase), yielded 36 revisions to OED entries: six words not in the OED, four unrecorded senses for words that were there, and 26 antedatings (Lancashire 1993). AA-AC words are only 0.01% of typical English dictionaries; if these findings are representative, Cotgrave alone would offer tens of thousands of points of fresh information valuable to the revisers of the OED. In a paper delivered at the ACH/ALLC conference in Washington (June 1993) I compared the word "timber" in the OED and 14 early dictionaries. These indicate some debatable modern definitions, two antedatings ("timber-oak," "floor-timber"), and four important phrases omitted from the OED ("black timber," "cross timber," "timber sellers," "timber-vault") in addition to the one phrase located by Bailey (1978). For example, Thomas Thomas translates "fabrica" as "A carpenters timber yearde, where he maketh frames of houses," but the OED has "An open yard or place where timber is stacked or stored" and thus omits the role of the yard as a place where construction went on.
· Encoding and indexing
These dictionary texts are encoded in SGML according to specifications in the guidelines of Renaissance Electronic Texts and are then indexed with Open Text Corporation Pat. Mark Catt, a graduate student in my ENG2530Y class (Shakespeare's Language), in 1995-96 devised an perl interface for himself so that it could more easily display information from the EMEDD. He called this program patter. It runs Pat but strips out the SGML tags so as to make the text readable and outputs complete word-entries rather than contexts based on character- or line-length. The entire class and I quickly came to appreciate the increased usability of Mark Catt's interface and we all adopted it. The current version, patterweb, makes his admirable tool available to students of Early Modern English everywhere.
· Acknowledgements
I would first like to express my sincere gratitude to my much esteemed Toronto colleague T. Russon Wooldridge for his guidance and encouragement from the beginning. His pioneering scholarship on Nicot's Renaissance French dictionary inspired me to think of the EMEDD project. His labour of love, the CCH Working Papers series, hosted two conferences on early dictionaries at Toronto at which all participants, especially myself, benefited.
Many other colleagues have helped shape the cottage industry of early-dictionary scholarship that kept this project alive. Let me single out Brian Merrilees who, in his editing of the great Latin-French dictionary by Firmin le Ver (now published by Brepols), made me wonder about what could be learned from the structure of early dictionary word-entries.
I would like to recognize the strong support received from colleagues at other universities. Richard Bailey and Louis Milic believed in the viability of the project and buttressed my own flagging energies more than once. Vincent McCarren's enthusiasm was a delightful tonic, and his scholarly edition of the Medulla a model. Douglas Kibbee gave bibliographical information about French dictionaries in England, and his student Patrick Reidenbaugh passed on corrections to the Palsgrave text.
Let me especially thank those who put in long hours entering these unscannable dictionaries. Gail Richardson did the three largest: Palsgrave, Thomas Thomas, and Cotgrave. Her difficulties in carrying out my first tagging instructions made me realize that Cotgrave's word entries could not be encoded as having different fixed senses. Rosemary Newman and Maria Dumity, then undergraduates at Toronto, entered Thomas Elyot and William Thomas, respectively, with capable cheerfulness one summer. As much gentleman as businessman, John Bradley of Computer Input Corporation in California undertook entering Florio. My hard-working assistant Allison Hays input Garfield's Physical Dictionary quickly and accurately. Three graduate students at Toronto helped me finish the first phase of the EMEDD. Geoffrey Booth entered Coote and Cockeram. Katharine Patterson did Blount and art of Turner. Jonathan Warren engineered Bullokar and Minsheu. I cannot thank them enough for their tireless efforts and sense of humour on a project very far from their own doctoral research.
Proofreading continues to be a time-consuming part of EMEDD work. To Allison Hays and Jean F. Shaw, I owe gratitude for their work on Cotgrave. Geoffrey Booth began the checking of the Florio.
Then there are those who made gifts. My former graduate student Raymond Siemens, now editor of Henry VIII's lyrics and founding editor of Early Modern Literary Studies at the University of British Columbia, generously contributed Robert Cawdrey's Table Alphabetical to the EMEDD. Everyone interested in the Renaissance understanding of English owes him thanks for this gift. My colleague and friend Jeffery Triggs, Director, North American Reading Program for the Oxford English Dictionary, has contributed Mulcaster's word-list, as well as other works not yet on-line. He has collaborated genially on this project for three years and is adapting the electronic texts for the immense corpus of English language and literature being assembled for the lexicographers at work on the third edition of the OED.
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada has been very generous in giving me two research grants supporting research associated with this database. The English Department at Toronto gave me supplementary funds to complete the work on Florio. I wish to thank it, Chairman Tom Adamowski, Acting Chairman Brian Corman, and colleague George Rigg for their help.
19. The World libraries A library is a treasure-house of knowledge. A well-stocked library is an asset to the school, college, university or the neighborhood. A library has a librarian to guide and attend to the readers.
Books are kept and arranged properly which makes the reader look for a particular book easily. A member of a library can borrow a few books for a particular period and take them home. It is the responsibility of the reader that no pages are torn. If he loses a book, he has to pay for the loss. Each academy has a library of its own. There are also neighborhood libraries and district libraries. It is a boon for poor students. Information technology has helped in improving the library facilities. However, the popularity of internet will not adversely affect the importance of a library.
Books are man's best friends. They give him company equally in times of happiness as well as in times of distress. They are one of the main sources of knowledge. The best place for easy access to books is a library.
20. The National Library of Kazakhstan
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21. The role of English as a Global language
It is undeniable that English is beginning to become a global language in most parts of the world by and large. It is spoken frequently especially in developed countries for instance The United States of America and The Republic of China. This is an inescapable process of globalisation. However, according to many experts in linguistics, English is dominating today’s modern world and thus, disregard mostly minority languages. Therefore, it is essential to consider both arguments including the history of how English gradually become dominant up to the present time, its’ significance for the international community and how the number of world population affects the widespread of English along with the negative impact of its’ dominance on minority languages of which linguists are aware of.
The key to English globalisation and extension up to the current is basically due to the three eras which English had undergone in the past. According to Svartvik and Leech(2006):
English benefited from three overlapping eras of world history. The first era was the imperial expansion of European powers which spread the use of English as well as of other languages, like Spanish, French and Portuguese around the world. The second is the era of technological revolution, beginning with the industrial revolution in which the English-speaking nations of Britain and United States took a leading part, and the later electronic revolution, led above all by the USA. The third is the era of globalization. (p.227)
The mentioned three eras are pertinent to one another, for example the second era namely the electronic revolution has introduced the Internet technology including e-mail, e-commerce, e-business and other e-activities
which supports the third era, the globalisation era likely to take place
(Svartvik and Leech, 2006). Further development of the globalisation era leads to the commonness of English in several fields such as science, technology and world trade.
22. The Future of English The future status of English as the global language is assured
Due to the first industrial revolution in the 1760s, Britain became prosperous and rose quickly. In order to accumulate the capital, the Britain Empire began its colonial expansion, during which English, as a kind of language, was transmitted across the world. Nowadays, English has become a global language. It is estimated by David Crystal that about 350 million’s first language is English, along with 250-350 million speaking English as second language [1]. With the process of globalization, the number of people speaking English is still increasing. Although other kinds of language such as Chinese, French and German attract more and more speakers, I hold the belief that the future status of English as the global language is assured.
Opponents claim that many non-English speaking countries have launched a campaign against “linguistic invasion” [2]. Indeed, many countries manage to promote their native language and reject English. For example, the parliament in France established a law in 1994 requiring all slogans or bulletin board should be designed in French. What’s more, in 2011 many Japanese demonstrate to reject English as the public language. However, these events cannot shake the status of English. The argument ignores the fact that the number of people learning English is “soaring”. Today there are above 1 billion people learning English. Still more than a hundred countries list English as their first foreign language.[3] As for the executives in companies, they have to learn English taking business benefits and personal opportunities into account. What’s more, the unceasing development of media and Internet largely helps spread English according to “The World Language” by economist [4]. Therefore, those rejections against English only encourage people to speak more native language to some extent, but cannot stop the expansion of English.
English is the first language for the people in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand. Also, English is the second language for many countries over the world. The English now is the first global language. The question is will English be the first language in future or not. Some people say no, but I think the English will be the first language for long time.
The people, who said the English will not be the first language, have some reasons. They think the English is not easy to learn because the English words frequently change. Second, they think about Japanese should be the first language. The last reason is some people don’t like to study in the United States.
Some people feel English is difficult to learn because the English words sometime have change. However the change in English language is good because it makes English so easy. The change in English is in the words not in the grammar. The changes help us to learn fast and easily.
Many people think that the Japanese language will be the global language because the technology in Japan is advanced. Industry in Japan has become excellent. The United States is the stronger technology country and the best country in the industry. Some people like to study in Japan because they think the education there is good. They should learn the Japanese language and that will make the Japanese language the global language. However, education in United States is the best one and all the good universities use the English language.
23. Literature in my life
All my life I have loved stories. I used to love to listen to my parents tell stories to me, whether they were reading from books, or just relating experiences from their own lives.
Today I still love stories. I love to watch TV shows and movies and I read a lot in my spare time. However, it wasn’t that easy for me to make a transition from having my parents read to me when I was a kid, to reading books on my own. When I was young I also loved making the stories up. I would create stories in my head mostly, and they would only make sense to me.
I remember my dad would read me “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” by Dr. Seuss. That book was one of the first books I can remember.
However, as I grew older and entered 1st grade, more complex books, such as those of the Strega Nona Series by Tomie de Paola, were read to me. I enjoyed the books tremendously, but I did not read them myself. I was unfortunately a rather stubborn and defiant six-year-old.
When I moved on to second grade, I was able to read, but I didn’t read much. I hated “Phonics” with a passion. My parents got me tutors to help me with that, and it did help somewhat, but I still didn’t want to read or write for fun.
Things changed a lot in 3rd grade, however, when I had to go to the so-called “Learning Center” in order to improve my reading skills. That was where I really got into reading. My teacher (Mr. Schutten was his name) was excellent. He had a system that really got me excited about reading. I remember that every other Friday we had a “game day” where we would watch movies and have a little party with candy and soda. However, to be able to get this candy and soda you needed to get points, and the way you got points was to read. If you read a whole book, like one of those “Hardy Boys” novels, you might get as many as 250 points. And if you read short stories you would get maybe 25 points. It was a good system, and it worked for me.
At first I read little mildly-entertaining books such as The Berenstain Bears by Stan & Jan Berenstain. However, I then started to read more complex books such as The Magic Tree House Series by Mary Pope Osborne. We also had to write paragraph-sized reports about various animals, and in that way I learned about the standard five sentence paragraph system. This was one of my first experiences writing real reports using an actual system.
In the 4th grade, I finally started to read for pleasure rather than just being forced to read by an adult. At this time, too, we had to do book reports. I loved history, so a lot of the books I read were works of historical fiction. History is still my favorite subject today. One book I read, which I still love, is “Dragons Gate” by Lawrence Yep. This book really opened my eyes to the pleasures of historical fiction. I also read a lot of the “My Name is America” series in which authors write stories in diary form about significant moments in American history.
I enjoyed abridged versions of classic books, too, such as “A Tale of Two Cities.” These books were rewritten to suit the reading-level of children, but they still gave me the basic plot of the original classics. I had about twenty of these books at home, which my Mom had got me from eBay. The experience of reading them made me envious of my brothers, who were all old enough to read and understand the original unedited books.
My fifth-grade year was all about making the transition between elementary school and middle school. I remember I had to do a lot of work on my writing at that time. While in sixth grade, I remember having to read the short book “The Little Prince” for school. A lot of people like the book, but I found it childish and uninteresting. The next book we read was much more interesting to me. It was Agatha Christie’s “Ten Little Indians,” which, for the sake of political correctness, is now called “And Then There Were None.” This book was one of the only assigned books that I actually read ahead of the class to find out what happened. We also wrote a few essays that year, but the essays we wrote had to be revised and turned in multiple times. We wrote about five drafts before we were done with an essay.
In seventh grade, my reading experience was a bit different. It was different because I didn’t enjoy any of the books I read at all. We had to read “Freak the Mighty” by Rodman Philbrick, which I thought was a waste of time. I got so tired of it, in fact, that I didn’t finish it. I just asked other students what happened in the last few chapters.
Later that year I got Mono. Mono isn’t really a horrible illness, but I had to sleep 14 hours a day. Still, when I was home I had lots of time, so I read all four Dan Brown books in about 4 days. I enjoyed these because they were really easy, yet interesting at the same time. This got me into reading for pleasure again for a few months.
However, by the start of 8th grade I had almost stopped reading again. Nevertheless, we started reading some short stories in school that I actually liked. For instance, I really enjoyed reading the little horror story “The Monkey’s Paw” by W. W. Jacobs and “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe. We had to write responses to these and I found that work interesting, and I enjoyed analyzing what I had read. Later that year we had another book assignment, this time “The Call of The Wild” by Jack London. I could not stand this book, and it really made me wonder why it was considered such a classic. While I was half way through reading “The Call of the Wild,” I found a new book to read for my own pleasure. It was called “Into the Wild,” a biography of Christopher McCandless by John Krakauer. I really enjoyed it, and it was one of the first non-fiction books I read. I then found more non-fiction books that I liked, such as “Under the Banner of Heaven,” also by Jon Krakauer.
Over the summer, I read “Chasing Ghosts” by Paul Rieckhoff, which is about the author’s experiences during the war in Iraq. It was disturbing but informative.
As for writing in 8th grade, we had more essays again, which we would do multiple drafts of again! I then found that when doing book reports about books I actually liked, I would also enjoy writing the essays. However, I wrote essays like I talked. I had a lot to say, but some of my thoughts would get all disjointed.
In freshman year of high school, I found that writing was much more challenging. In middle school, as I’ve said, we did many drafts of an essay before actually turning it in, but in high school my teachers would basically say “It’s due Wednesday!” and they meant the final draft. This shocked me but I got to used to it and ultimately I found it a more effective way for me to improve my writing, as I would try to make my first draft my best since, most often, my first draft was also my final draft.
I really enjoyed writing one particular essay I had to do about youth violence because I found it to be a refreshing change from writing just about books or short stories, and the topic was something that was relevant today. This really showed me that it was possible for me to actually enjoy writing.
I find that my life of reading and writing, then, has been a life of many changes. For the most part, my relationship with reading and writing has been a love/hate relationship. I love writing some essays, but hate writing others. And the same goes for books I have to read. However, for the most part my “English” career has been beneficial to me. It has helped me with other classes and it has taught me how to enjoy literature.
24. My Favourite Classic English writer
It's said that none of the British writers of our age enjoyed such popularity all over the world as Agatha Christie did. Her works were translated into many languages, and scores of films were made using them as the script.
The name of Agatha Christie is a synonym for high-class detective story, as well as Pele is a symbol of football, and Marilyn Monroe is an embodiment of femininity.
According to Agatha Christ* herself, she began to write just to imitate her sister whose stories had already been published in magazines. And suddenly Agatha Christie became famous as if by miracle.
Having lost her father at an early age, the prospective writer didn't receive even fairly good education. During the First World War she was a nurse, then she studied pharmacology. Twenty years later she worked in a military hospital at the beginning of the Second World War.
The favourite personages of the "queen of detective story" are the detective Hercules Poirot and the sedate Miss Marple who carry out investigations in noisy London and delusive quiet countryside.
The composition of her stories is very simple: a comparatively closed space with a limited number of characters, who are often plane or train passengers, tourists, hotel guests or residents of a cosy old village. Everyone is suspected!
Murders in the books of Agatha Christie are committed in most unsuitable places: in the vicar's garden or in an old abbey; corpses are found in someone's libraries being murdered with the help of tropical fishes, a poker, candelabra, a dagger or poison.
Once Agatha Christie wrote: "Some ten years will pass after my death, and nobody will even remember me...". The writer was mistaken. Agatha Christie's novels are very popular now. People of all continents read and reread "The Oriental Express", "Ten Little Negroes", "The Bertram Hotel", "The Corpse in the library" and other of her novels time and again, enjoy films made by her works, and one can hardly find a country where people do not know her name.
25. My Favourite American writer Jack London
I have to admit that I'm fond of reading. I like to read books about the history of our country, about famous people and adventures. Literature means much in my life. It helps to form the character and the world outlook, to understand life better. Books teach us to be honest, modest, and courageous. They help us to feel compassion for weak people.
Jack London became my favourite writer from his first books I'd read. First of all I got interested in Jack London as a personality. His life story struck me not less than his works. What a man! He was strong and talented. He lived a life of adventures and hardships, so he knew what he was writing about. In his novel Martin Iden he describes his biography. What a hard life he lived!
Jack London was born in San Francisco in 1876. From his childhood he suffered greatly. He changed a lot of jobs: selling out newspapers, working at the factory. He hated that kind of job, which exhausted people and made them suffer physically and morally.
Young Jack had no opportunity to go to school, so he studied privately reading much at night.
When gold was found in Alaska, Jack London joined the gold rush. He returned home without gold but with rich impressions about people with whom he met and made friends. They became the prototypes of his heroes.
The American novelist and short-story writer knew life in Alaska very well because he experienced it himself. That is why it is so interesting to read his novels "The Call of the Wild" and "White Fang" His heroes are bright personalities. They are physically strong and enduring people. They try to find a way out from the most difficult situations. They fight and survive.
The very first story The Love of Life caught my fancy. I was struck by the will of a sick man who found himself alone, side by side with a wolf. Both the man and the wolf were sick and weak. And each of them was waiting for the other to grow still weaker and faint in order to feed on him. The man won. While reading the story I admired the courage and human spirit of the hero.
The story "Brown Wolf" is not less interesting. Its about a dog and his devotion to people.
Later I read more novels and stories by Jack London. My fondness of Jack London, the greatest American writer, will stay with me all my life.
26. My Favourite writer
27. The US Court System:
The judicial system of the United States allows all Americans to receive a fair criminal trial regardless of personal wealth, gender, race, and ethnic background. Courts of law are used in an attempt to administer justice by the application and interpretation of the law. Due to the provisions established by the Constitution it is therefore believed that the Judicial System is operated to the benefit of every citizen, not a select few. The most obvious evidence of the efforts to uphold justice is apparent in the United States Court System. These courts enforce "that which must be obeyed and followed by citizens subject to sanctions or legal consequences: a body of rules of action or conduct prescribed by controlling authority , and having binding legal force."(The Black's Law Dictionary) Their usage expands the capability of the government to more fairly and adequately govern the people. Not only do the courts aid in the punishment of criminal offenders but they also ensure and preserve the rights of all victims. The United States Constitution most accurately demonstrates the promises that the founding fathers hoped to provide for the benefit of future generations. It is a document that guarantees individual rights and freedoms for all citizens regardless of their differences. Primarily it focuses on correcting any and all foreseeable injustices. Amendments such as the fifth amendment set the guidelines for the conduct of the judicial system. It states "No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law..."(The Black's Law Dictionary). Similar to many criminal laws and procedures these amendments must strictly be adhered to in order to ensure the truth the delivery of justice. Processes such as the reading of Miranda Rights upon arrest and the necessity of a Writ of Habeas Corpus provide a form of protection for the American public. Proper procedure aids in the preservation of the rights and freedoms granted to citizens of the United States. Anomaly Unfortunately exceptions to even the rule
28. Man and Music. Can you think of a day without music? We can hear music everywhere: in the streets and at home, over the radio and on TV, in the shops and in the parks. People all over the world are fond of music. They listen to music, they dance to music, they learn to play musical instruments.
But what is music? Specialists explain that music isn't only a combination of pleasant sounds. It is an art which reflects life. There are a lot of different kinds of music. Some of them appeared long ago, and some are modern. For example, folk music appeared long ago, but it is still alive. There are many local performers, choirs and folk groups in Russia; but perhaps the most famous singer is Nadezhda Babkina. Folk songs are very tuneful and pleasant to listen to. Classical music is often associated with the music of the past. However, this style also includes music being written now, and we may speak of modern classical music. Rap is a modern musical style where the singer speaks or shouts the words in time to music with a steady beat. Such groups as Public Enemy or House of Pain are leaders in this style.
Great Britain has produced more popular music stars than any other country. Over the last 30 years rock and pop music have been very popular in Britain. The Beatles, with their style of singing, eloquent and exciting, is still one of the most popular groups. British groups often set new trends in music. New styles, groups and singers continue to appear. Some of the more recent pop groups are Dire Straits, Eurhythmics and Spice Girls. Many of the new bands have been able to use the changes in technology to develop their music. Computerized drum machines, synthesizers and other electronic instruments are now just as popular as the piano and electric guitars.
Tastes differ. So people's musical interests range from pop and rock music, which are extremely popular nowadays, especially among young people, to classical music and opera.
My favourite style of music is pop music, because it is breathtaking and full of energy. When I listen to pop music it makes me remember happy times and forget the problems of everyday life. It helps me to relax when I'm tired, and entertains me when I'd like to have fun. My favourite group is Abba. It was formed in 1973 in Sweden. Abba's cheerful tunes made them international pop stars and one of the most successful groups of the seventies. Their most famous songs ("Waterloo", "Money, Money, Money", "Knowing Me, Knowing You", etc.) often topped European charts. Though the group doesn't exist any more, it is still popular with people of all ages. I can't but admire their style of singing. I find it fascinating and overwhelming. When I have free time I listen to their records. I also like having background music while I am working.
I don't mind listening to dance music, especially when I go to disco clubs. This style of music is catchy and I like catchy tunes. It makes me more energetic.
It's a pity that many young people like to listen only to modern music. As for me, I also enjoy listening to classical music. I find it tuneful and appealing. Classical music is always a complex of emotions. It gives me delight, pleasure and a sense of happiness. Some pieces of classical music are really wonderful. Not long ago I listened to the First Piano Concerto, composed by Tchaikovsky. The power of his music captivated me. The impression was overwhelming.
The music I hate is heavy metal. I find it noisy and dreadful. When I listen to this style of music it presents to my mind pictures of dark days. Though some young people are fond of this style of music, it is not to everyone's taste. To my mind, music too loud can destroy our ears. I am indifferent to other styles of music. For example, I don't mind listening to jazz. Improvisation is an important part of this style, that's why a jazz song may sound a little different each time it is played. I think that jazz is a mixture of many different kinds of music, but I consider it a bit complicated.
My mother and father approve of my tastes in music. Though they prefer to listen to classical and "bard music", they think that, on the whole, modern music is not too bad. My parents agree that each generation has its own tastes.
It goes without saying that music plays a very important role in people's lives. It reflects our moods and emotions. Music appeals to our hearts and transforms our feelings. It conquers our souls and enriches our minds. Besides, listening to music is the perfect way to spend free time and not to feel bored. You can hardly find a person who doesn't like or need music and who never sings or dances. Music is beauty in sounds; it is our magic source of inspiration.
29. Customs and Holidays in Kazakhstan:
The main calendar holidays;
Customs and traditions in Kazakhstan; Customs and Holidays in Kazakhstan:
The main calendar holidays; Customs and traditions in Kazakhstan
The Kazakh people are rich in traditions. From birth through old age and death, every step of their lives has historically been marked with celebration. Even their funeral ceremonies have their own special symbolism.
Unfortunately, many rich and interesting traditions and customs of the Kazakh people have been forgotten throughout the past century. Real sovereignty is just now being reestablished in Kazakhstan due to the process of democratization. These abandoned traditions are just now being rediscovered by the Kazakh people. These traditions include being respectful to old people; being patriotic to the motherland; being honest; and learning to love mankind.
Not surprisingly, horses play a large part in their traditions. It is said that in the past, many Kazakh children learned to ride before they learned to walk, and the Kazakhs are still known for their superb horsemanship. They were the first to use stirrups, and perfected the technique of shooting arrows with superb accuracy while riding at a gallop. National games are usually performed on horseback and are an opportunity to witness the Kazakhs' outstanding riding skills. Kazaksha kures (Kazakh wrestling), baiga (horse racing over 25, 50 or 100 km), kokpar (a sort of polo game played with a dead goat), kyz-kuu (catch the girl) and alty bakan (six-pole swing).
As a result of their nomadic lifestyle, the Kazakhs developed one of the most efficient and practical transportable dwellings - the kiiz ui, which has many uses today. As you travel through Kazakhstan, you will see different types of these low, cylindrical felt and wood houses, still in use and beautifully decorated with tapestries, and multicolored embroidery. The horns of mountain rams and goats are used to decorate beds and caskets. Leather is used to make quivers, belts, harnesses and flasks (torsyks) for water and kumis. Kazakh artisans are also very skillful jewelers. The women's national costume consists of a white cotton or colored silk dress, a velvet waistcoat with embroidery and a cap or a silk scarf. Elderly women wear a hood made of white cloth with a hole for the face (the kimeshek). Brides wear a tall pointed, richly decorated hat, topped with feathers (saukele).
Kazakh music and musical instruments: The Kazakhs love the art of wordplay and their akyns (poets), who improvise at public competitions (aitys) accompanied by Kazakh stringed musical instruments: the dombra or the kobyz.
Today there are some national holidays in Kazakhstan:
January 1 - 2 – New Year
March 8 – International Women’s Day
March 22 – Nauryz Meyramy
May 1 – Kazakhstan Nations’ Unity Holiday
May 9 – Victory Day
June 10 – Day of the capital
August 30 – Constitution Day
October 25 – Republic Day
December 16 - Independence Day
Together with these official holidays, religious holidays are widely observed: Kurban Bayram (Eid al) and Ramadan among Muslims; Easter and Christmas among Сhristians. There are many less significant days which,while not public holidays like the ones listed above, are marked with outdoor markets, festivals, fireworks and other entertainments.
30. The National Holiday “Nauryz” The National Holiday
The National Holiday "Nauryz"
Nauryz is the celebration of the new year practiced in most eastern countries, but it was mostly forgotten in Kazakhstan until several years ago. This wonderful holiday has now been reinstituted, enhancing our rich tradition. This holiday is celebrated in during spring equinox (22 March), and when mother earth, people, cattle, insects, and all of nature begins to blossom and revive. Cranes and geese return during this period from warm places, and signs of Spring are everywhere. Nauryz is celebrated on the twenty second of March, just before the coming of April and May bring forth the fragrance of flowers to tickle one's nose. Uighir people call this celebration "Kuit kezi." During Nauryz festivities, zhigits (=fellows) would joke with the ladies, cows would calve, and birds would lay eggs. Everybody would be happy and joyful that the cold winter days were over. During Nauryz, people would be very kind and hospitable, forgetting about previous quarrels, making friends, and wishing each other happiness. Hostesses would prepare Nauryz koje (=thin soup) and invite neighbors to taste it. They would greet each other with congratulations upon the beginning of the new year, and wish one another prosperity and happiness. During my childhood I remember that we visited our aul (=village) in a valley. When Nauryz arrived, the sun shone brightly and there was no trace of snow. Women would open the tuirlik (the felt which covered the lower cylindrical part of the kiiz ui (nomadic house) and begin patching the fabric. This meant that they were eager to move to the summer pasture and were doing all the preparations required for the move. The quickest families were already in their summer pastures, preparing for the nauryz celebration. By this time all meat from the previous Autumn's slaughter would have been eaten, with just enough for nauryz koje left over.
My mother asked me to fill the huge kazan with water, one of the seven ingredients we had to add to nauryz koje. Then she added a fat pelvic bone from a sheep and kazy (=horse sausage). After this she skimmed the broth, then added salt and ground wheat. Then she asked me to stir the kurt (=a kind of salty cheese) with the water, while she turned to making beesting. Finally, she asked me to bring some garlic from our Higher neighbors.
When the koje was ready, mother invited all the neighbors to eat some. One of the aksakals (=old respected men) would pray before starting to eat, and after finishing would conclude: "May this great nauryz day bring much rain and more diary products to everybody. Everyone take care!." Others would wish their neighbors many children and the cattle. It would also be required for all neighbors to taste each others nauryz koje, because each family had prepared it for sharing. In the evening all of them would gather in one kiiz ui. They would talk about their experiences, about kazakh batyrs (=heroes) and their bravery, quote the sayings of wise people, and talk of the fairness of Bi (=a judge from an ancient Kazakh aul). Singers in attendance also sang colorful folksongs, and it might take the entire day for a clan to glorify their families and places they were from.
At night, well-dressed young people would swing on an "Altybakan" (a swing with six poles). In earlier times the entire aul would go to greet the sunrise. From early morning men would then dig irrigation ditches and begin to plant. They would say "Instead of leaving cattle, you should leave a tree." Women would water them. Nauryz was especially enjoyable for the children. So, the Nauryz holiday is one of the brightest and most meaningful holidays of the Kazakh people.