The new book by Olzhas Suleimenov, “Code of the Word,” was recently presented in Almaty in an event organised by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Education and Science.
“Code of the Word” describes Suleimenov’s method of etymology, which he believes allows researchers to explore the older meaning of written signs based on the sun-worshipping, common faith of early humans. Suleimenov argues that this helped mankind learn to think as humans created language from sound imitation to sign imitation and to letters.
Speaking about his new book, Suleimenov noted that UNESCO has launched a research project on the knowledge of human history. The initial stage of the project, “The great resettlement of humanity in prehistory and early history,” was financed by Kazakhstan, he said, and international conferences revealing the stages of research in this area are organised by the permanent mission of Kazakhstan to UNESCO.
In June 2008, the first conference was held at UNESCO’s Paris headquarters. The participants – geneticists, anthropologists, archaeologists, linguists and cultural experts – discussed issues related to the study of the genesis of the human species, Homo sapiens, and how the population spread in Africa and beyond. The second conference, “Settlement of America,” was held with the participation of Columbia University in New York; the third conference, “Settlement of Southeast Asia and the Far East,” was organised at Hanyang University in Seoul. More events on the study of the settlement of Europe and Northern Eurasia are planned to be held in Spain and Russia.
Through his involvement in the project, Suleimenov created a dictionary “1001 Words,” the idea of which dates back to his first book, “AZ i IA” (1975), his exploration of interethnic relations in Russian and Central Asian history. He went on to study Turko-Sumerian linguistic relations and the origin of writing and language in “Language of Writing” (1998). In “Turks in Prehistory” (2002) he reflected on the origin of ancient Turkic writing and then explored the ties between Slavic and Turkic languages in “Intersecting Parallels” (1998-2004). The author associates the future of his scientific research with young people, students and scholars involved in the study of “1001 Words.”
In an emotional speech at the book’s presentation, Murat Auezov, a prominent Kazakh scholar and diplomat, stressed that the publication of the book was an outstanding social and historical event. This titanic work will have an epochal impact on the minds of millions of people in this challenging global world, he said.
The event was attended by scientists from leading Kazakh research institutions and the teaching faculty of the Kazakh National Al-Farabi University and the Abai Kazakh national pedagogical university.
Karlygash Buzaubagarova Ph.D. and Mariyam Kondubayeva, Ph.D. are professors of Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University.
