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Arnold ChikobavaGeorgian linguist and philologist
Date of Birth: 14.03.1898
Country:  Georgia |
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Biography of Arnold Chikobava
Arnold Chikobava was a Georgian linguist and philologist, known for his active criticism of Nikolay Marr's "New Theory of Language". He graduated from Tbilisi State University in 1922 and held positions as an associate professor (1926-1933) and professor (1933-1985) at the university. He also served as the head of the Department of Caucasian Studies (1933-1960) and the Ibero-Caucasian Languages Department at the Institute of Linguistics in Tbilisi (1936-1985). The institute, which Chikobava briefly led from 1950 to 1952, now bears his name. In 1941, he became one of the founders of the Georgian SSR Academy of Sciences and was a member of its presidium from 1950 to 1963. Chikobava received numerous awards for his contributions to linguistics and was the author/editor of a series of dictionaries and publications on Caucasian linguistics.
Opposition to the "New Theory of Language"
Chikobava was an uncompromising opponent of Nikolay Marr's "New Theory of Language," despite Marr's official support. Thanks to his friendship with the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Georgia, Kandida Charkviani, Chikobava was able to transmit his letter to Joseph Stalin. Stalin became interested in the letter and personally met with Chikobava. As a result, in 1950, a discussion on linguistic issues began in the newspaper "Pravda," which culminated in the publication of Stalin's article "Marxism and Linguistic Questions." This article, written from the perspective of "mladogrammatism" and with the consultation of Chikobava, declared the "New Theory of Language" as non-Marxist, while also calling for the avoidance of persecuting supporters of Marr's theory. Chikobava gained recognition among linguists in the Soviet Union due to his position, and for a brief period in the 1950s, students in many universities studied linguistics using his textbook "Introduction to Linguistics." His influence was particularly significant in Soviet Caucasian studies from the 1950s to the 1960s, until his school was eventually defeated by the efforts of G. A. Klimov and his supporters.
