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EspañolWESTERN ARMENIAN LANGUAGE
(Redirected from Western Armenian)
'Western Armenian' is one of the two modern dialects of Armenian, an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian diaspora, mainly in North America, Europe and most of the Middle East except for Iran. It is also spoken in a few communities in Turkey. It was developed in the early part of the 19th century, and is based on the Armenian dialect of Constantinople.
Western Armenian has eight monophthong vowel sounds.
Notes
1. The choice of Armenian symbol depends on the vowel's context in the word. See the ''Orthography'' section below for details.
2. These symbols represent the same consonant due to a sound shift in Western Armenian from Classical Armenian. See the ''Differences in Phonology from Classical and Eastern Armenian'' section below for details.
3. This symbol has undergone a sound shift from Classical Armenian to Western Armenian. See the ''Differences in Phonology from Classical and Eastern Armenian'' section below for details.
4. The choice of Armenian symbol(s) depends on the context of the consonant within a word. See the ''Orthography'' section below for details.
5. Although Western Armenians are taught to pronounce two different rhotics (represented by <ր> and <ռ>), the two have merged in many dialects to a flap consonant.
The Western Armenian language has nine diphthong sounds.
This is the Western Armenian Consonantal System using symbols from the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), followed by the corresponding Armenian letter in parentheses.
Notes
1. The choice of Armenian symbol depends on the vowel's context in the word. See the ''Orthography'' section below for details.
2. These symbols represent the same consonant due to a sound shift in Western Armenian from Classical Armenian. See the ''Differences in Phonology from Classical and Eastern Armenian'' section below for details.
3. This symbol has undergone a sound shift from Classical Armenian to Western Armenian. See the ''Differences in Phonology from Classical and Eastern Armenian'' section below for details.
4. The choice of Armenian symbol(s) depends on the context of the consonant within a word. See the ''Orthography'' section below for details.
5. Although Western Armenians are taught to pronounce two different rhotics (represented by <ր> and <ռ>), the two have merged in many dialects to a flap consonant.
The differences in phonology between Western Armenian and Classical Armenian phonology include the distinction of stops and affricates.
First, while Classical Armenian has a three-way distinction of stops and affricates: one voiced and two voiceless — a plain version and an aspirated one — Western Armenian has kept only a two-way distinction — one voiced and one aspirated. For example, Classical has three bilabial stops: (<բ>), (<պ>), and (<փ>); Western Armenian, has two bilabial stops: (<պ>) and (<բ> or <փ>).
Second, Western Armenian has shifted the Classical Armenian ''voiced'' stops and ''voiced'' affricates into ''aspirated'' stops and ''aspirated'' affricates, and replaced the ''plain'' stops and ''plain'' affricates with ''voiced'' ones.
Specifically, the following are the changes from Classical Armenian to Western Armenian:
# Bilabial stops:
## merging of Classical Armenian (բ) and (փ) as
## voicing of Classical (պ) to
# Alveolar stops:
## merging of Classical Armenian (դ) and (թ) as
## voicing of Classical (տ) to
# Velar stops:
## merging of Classical Armenian (գ) and (ք) as
## voicing of Classical (կ) to
# Alveolar affricates:
## merging of Classical Armenian (ձ) and (ց) as
## voicing of Classical (ծ) to
# Post-alveolar affricates:
## merging of Classical Armenian (ջ) and (չ) as
## voicing of Classical (ճ) to
As a result, a word like (spelled ջուր in Classical Armenian, 'water') is cognate with Western Armenian (also spelled ջուր). However, [tʰoɹ]}} ('grandson') and ('stone') are pronounced identically in Classical and Western Armenian.
The difference in phonology between Western Armenian and Eastern Armenian phonology also lies in the distinction of stops and affricates (as in the difference with Classical Armenian).
First, Eastern Armenian is notable for shifting the plain stops and plain affricates from Classical Armenian to ejective consonants. Therefore, while Eastern Armenian has a three-way distinction of stops and affricates: one voiced and two voiceless — an ejective version and an aspirated one — Western Armenian has only a two-way distinction — one voiced and one aspirated. For example, Eastern Armenian has three bilabial stops: (<բ>), (ejective, <պ>), and (<փ>); Western Armenian, has two bilabial stops: (<պ>) and (<բ> or <փ>).
Second, Western Armenian has shifted the Classical Armenian ''voiced'' stops and ''voiced'' affricates into ''aspirated'' stops and ''aspirated'' affricates, and replaced the ''plain'' stops and ''plain'' affricates with ''voiced'' ones.
The following is a comparison of the stops and affricates in Eastern Armenian and Western Armenian:
# Bilabial stops:
## Eastern Armenian: (բ), (փ), (պ)
## Western Armenian: (պ), (փ and բ)
# Alveolar stops:
## Eastern Armenian: (դ), (թ), (տ)
## Western Armenian: (տ), (թ and դ)
# Velar stops:
## Eastern Armenian: (գ), (ք), (կ)
## Western Armenian: (կ), (ք and գ)
# Alveolar affricates:
## Eastern Armenian: (ձ), (ց), (ծ)
## Western Armenian: (ծ), (ց or ձ)
# Post-alveolar affricates:
## Eastern Armenian: (ջ), (չ), (ճ)
## Western Armenian: (ճ), (չ or ջ)
Main articles: Traditional Armenian orthography
Western Armenian uses ''traditional'' Armenian orthography, also known as ''classical'' orthography or ''Mashdotsian'' orthography. Reformed Armenian orthography (introduced in Soviet Armenia and still used by most Eastern Armenian speakers from the Republic of Armenia) has not been adopted in Western Armenian.
Western Armenian nouns have six cases: Nominative (subject), Accusative (direct object), Genitive (possession), Dative (indirect object), Ablative (origin) and Instrumental (means). Of the six cases, the nominative and accusative are the same, and the genitive and dative are the same, meaning that nouns have four distinct forms for case. Nouns in Armenian also decline for number (singular and plural), but do not decline for gender (i.e. masculine or feminine).
Declension in Armenian is based on how the genitive is formed. There are several declensions, but two are the most used (genitive in ''i'', and genitive in ''u''):
Like English and some other languages, Armenian has definite and indefinite articles. The indefinite article in Western Armenian is , which follows the noun:
''mart mə'' ('a man', Nom.sg), ''martu mə'' ('of a man', Gen.sg)
The definite article is a suffix attached to the noun, and is one of two forms, either '-ə' or '-n', depending on whether the final sound is a vowel or a consonant, and whether a preceding word begins with a vowel or consonant:
''martə'' ('the man', Nom.sg)
''karin'' ('the barley' Nom.sg)
but:
''Sa martn e'' ('This is the man')
''Sa karin e'' ('This is the barley')
The indefinite article becomes 'mən' under the same circumstance as '-ə' becomes '-n':
''mart mə'' ('a man', Nom.sg)
but:
''Sa mart mən e'' ('This is a man')
Adjectives in Armenian do not decline for case or number, and precede the noun:
''lav martə'' ('the good man', Nom.sg)
''lav martun'' ('to the good man', Gen.sg)
Verbs in Armenian are based on two basic series of forms, a "present" form and a "imperfect" form. From this, all other tenses and moods are formed with various particles and constructions. There is a third form, the preterite, which in Armenian is tense in its own right, and takes no other particles or constructions. (See also Armenian verbs for more detailed information.)
The "present" tense in Western Armenian is based on three conjugations ('a, e, i'):
The present tense (as we know it in English) is made by adding the particle 'gə' before the "present" form, while the future is made by adding 'bidi':
''Yes kirk' g? gartam '' (I am reading the book or I read the book, Pres)
''Yes kirk' bidi gartam '' (I will read the book, Fut)
In vernacular language, the particle "gor" is added after the verb to indicate present progressive tense. The distinction is not made in literary Armenian.
" Yes kirk' g? gartam gor (I am reading the book)
The verb without any particles constitutes the subjunctive mood:
Udem
(if I eat, should I eat, that I eat, I wish I eat)
Udes
(if you eat, etc.)
Ude
(if it eats)
Udenk'
(if we eat)
Udek'
(if you all eat)
Uden
(if they eat)
★ Գործնական Քերականութիւն - Արդի Հայերէն Լեզուի (Միջին եւ Բարձրագոյն Դասընթացք), , Zareh, Melkonian, , 1990,
★ Armenian verbs
★ Traditional Armenian orthography
★ Armenian language
★ Eastern Armenian
★ Western Armenia
★ Eastern Armenia
★ Language families and languages
★ Free online resources for learners
★ http://www.ethnologue.com/show_iso639.asp?code=hye
★ http://www.cilicia.com
'Western Armenian' is one of the two modern dialects of Armenian, an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian diaspora, mainly in North America, Europe and most of the Middle East except for Iran. It is also spoken in a few communities in Turkey. It was developed in the early part of the 19th century, and is based on the Armenian dialect of Constantinople.
Phonology
Vowels
Monophthongs
Western Armenian has eight monophthong vowel sounds.
| Front | Central | Back | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrounded | Rounded | Unrounded | Rounded | ||
| Close | (ի) | (իւ) | (ու) | ||
| Mid | (է, ե) [1] | (էօ) | (ը) | (ո, օ) | |
| Open | (ա) | ||||
Notes
1. The choice of Armenian symbol depends on the vowel's context in the word. See the ''Orthography'' section below for details.
2. These symbols represent the same consonant due to a sound shift in Western Armenian from Classical Armenian. See the ''Differences in Phonology from Classical and Eastern Armenian'' section below for details.
3. This symbol has undergone a sound shift from Classical Armenian to Western Armenian. See the ''Differences in Phonology from Classical and Eastern Armenian'' section below for details.
4. The choice of Armenian symbol(s) depends on the context of the consonant within a word. See the ''Orthography'' section below for details.
5. Although Western Armenians are taught to pronounce two different rhotics (represented by <ր> and <ռ>), the two have merged in many dialects to a flap consonant.
Examples of Western Armenian monophthongs
| IPA | Example (IPA) | Example (Written) | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| արեւ | "sun" | Similar to the English vowel in the word c'a'r. | ||
| էջ | "page" | Similar to the English vowel in the word b'e'd. | ||
| իմ | "my" | Similar to the English vowel in the word 'ea't. | ||
| չոր | "dry" | Similar to the English vowel in b'o're. | ||
| ուր | "where" | Similar to the English vowel in the word sh'oo't. | ||
| ըսել | "to say" | Similar to the English vowel in the word th'e'. | ||
| հիւր | "guest" | |||
| Էօժենի | a female name | This vowel sound is rare in Armenian, and is used in foreign words. |
Diphthongs
The Western Armenian language has nine diphthong sounds.
| IPA | Example (IPA) | Example (Written) | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| սենեակ | "room" | Similar to English 'ya'rd. | ||
| երազ | "dream" | Similar to English 'ye'll. | ||
| Մայիս | "May" | Similar to English 'yea'r. | ||
| եօթը | "seven" | Similar to English 'you'r. | ||
| կայուն | "firm" | Similar to English 'you.' | ||
| մայր | "mother" | Similar to English m'y'. | ||
| թէյ | "tea" | Similar to English d'ay.' | ||
| իյնալ | "to fall" | Similar to English n'ea'r. | ||
| քոյր | "sister" |
Consonants
This is the Western Armenian Consonantal System using symbols from the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), followed by the corresponding Armenian letter in parentheses.
| Bilabial | Labiodental | Alveolar | Post- alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Uvular | Glottal | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | (մ) | (ն) | |||||||
| Plosive | Voiceless | (բ, փ)[2] | (դ, թ) | (գ, ք) | |||||
| Voiced | (պ)[3] | (տ) | (կ) | ||||||
| Fricative | Voiceless | (ֆ) | (ս) | (շ) | (խ) | (հ, յ)[4] | |||
| Voiced | (վ , ւ , ու, ո) | (զ) | (ժ) | (ղ) | |||||
| Approximant | (յ, ե, ի, է) | ||||||||
| Flap | (ռ, ր) [5] | ||||||||
| Lateral approximant | (լ) | ||||||||
| Affricate | Voiceless | (ձ, ց) | (չ, ջ) | ||||||
| Voiced | (ծ) | (ճ) | |||||||
Notes
1. The choice of Armenian symbol depends on the vowel's context in the word. See the ''Orthography'' section below for details.
2. These symbols represent the same consonant due to a sound shift in Western Armenian from Classical Armenian. See the ''Differences in Phonology from Classical and Eastern Armenian'' section below for details.
3. This symbol has undergone a sound shift from Classical Armenian to Western Armenian. See the ''Differences in Phonology from Classical and Eastern Armenian'' section below for details.
4. The choice of Armenian symbol(s) depends on the context of the consonant within a word. See the ''Orthography'' section below for details.
5. Although Western Armenians are taught to pronounce two different rhotics (represented by <ր> and <ռ>), the two have merged in many dialects to a flap consonant.
Differences in Phonology from Classical Armenian
The differences in phonology between Western Armenian and Classical Armenian phonology include the distinction of stops and affricates.
First, while Classical Armenian has a three-way distinction of stops and affricates: one voiced and two voiceless — a plain version and an aspirated one — Western Armenian has kept only a two-way distinction — one voiced and one aspirated. For example, Classical has three bilabial stops: (<բ>), (<պ>), and (<փ>); Western Armenian, has two bilabial stops: (<պ>) and (<բ> or <փ>).
Second, Western Armenian has shifted the Classical Armenian ''voiced'' stops and ''voiced'' affricates into ''aspirated'' stops and ''aspirated'' affricates, and replaced the ''plain'' stops and ''plain'' affricates with ''voiced'' ones.
Specifically, the following are the changes from Classical Armenian to Western Armenian:
# Bilabial stops:
## merging of Classical Armenian (բ) and (փ) as
## voicing of Classical (պ) to
# Alveolar stops:
## merging of Classical Armenian (դ) and (թ) as
## voicing of Classical (տ) to
# Velar stops:
## merging of Classical Armenian (գ) and (ք) as
## voicing of Classical (կ) to
# Alveolar affricates:
## merging of Classical Armenian (ձ) and (ց) as
## voicing of Classical (ծ) to
# Post-alveolar affricates:
## merging of Classical Armenian (ջ) and (չ) as
## voicing of Classical (ճ) to
As a result, a word like (spelled ջուր in Classical Armenian, 'water') is cognate with Western Armenian (also spelled ջուր). However, [tʰoɹ]}} ('grandson') and ('stone') are pronounced identically in Classical and Western Armenian.
Differences in Phonology from Eastern Armenian
The difference in phonology between Western Armenian and Eastern Armenian phonology also lies in the distinction of stops and affricates (as in the difference with Classical Armenian).
First, Eastern Armenian is notable for shifting the plain stops and plain affricates from Classical Armenian to ejective consonants. Therefore, while Eastern Armenian has a three-way distinction of stops and affricates: one voiced and two voiceless — an ejective version and an aspirated one — Western Armenian has only a two-way distinction — one voiced and one aspirated. For example, Eastern Armenian has three bilabial stops: (<բ>), (ejective, <պ>), and (<փ>); Western Armenian, has two bilabial stops: (<պ>) and (<բ> or <փ>).
Second, Western Armenian has shifted the Classical Armenian ''voiced'' stops and ''voiced'' affricates into ''aspirated'' stops and ''aspirated'' affricates, and replaced the ''plain'' stops and ''plain'' affricates with ''voiced'' ones.
The following is a comparison of the stops and affricates in Eastern Armenian and Western Armenian:
# Bilabial stops:
## Eastern Armenian: (բ), (փ), (պ)
## Western Armenian: (պ), (փ and բ)
# Alveolar stops:
## Eastern Armenian: (դ), (թ), (տ)
## Western Armenian: (տ), (թ and դ)
# Velar stops:
## Eastern Armenian: (գ), (ք), (կ)
## Western Armenian: (կ), (ք and գ)
# Alveolar affricates:
## Eastern Armenian: (ձ), (ց), (ծ)
## Western Armenian: (ծ), (ց or ձ)
# Post-alveolar affricates:
## Eastern Armenian: (ջ), (չ), (ճ)
## Western Armenian: (ճ), (չ or ջ)
Examples of Consonants in Western Armenian
Orthography
Main articles: Traditional Armenian orthography
Western Armenian uses ''traditional'' Armenian orthography, also known as ''classical'' orthography or ''Mashdotsian'' orthography. Reformed Armenian orthography (introduced in Soviet Armenia and still used by most Eastern Armenian speakers from the Republic of Armenia) has not been adopted in Western Armenian.
Morphology
Nouns
Western Armenian nouns have six cases: Nominative (subject), Accusative (direct object), Genitive (possession), Dative (indirect object), Ablative (origin) and Instrumental (means). Of the six cases, the nominative and accusative are the same, and the genitive and dative are the same, meaning that nouns have four distinct forms for case. Nouns in Armenian also decline for number (singular and plural), but do not decline for gender (i.e. masculine or feminine).
Declension in Armenian is based on how the genitive is formed. There are several declensions, but two are the most used (genitive in ''i'', and genitive in ''u''):
| | 'tashd' (field) | 'kari' (barley) | ||
| | singular | plural | singular | plural |
| Nom-Acc (Ուղղական-Հայցական) | tashd | tashder | kari | kariner |
| Gen-Dat (Սեռական-Տրական) | tashd'i' | tashder'u' | kar'u' | kariner'u' |
| Abl (Բացարական) | tashd'e' | tashder'e' | kar'e' | kariner'e' |
| Instr (Գործիական) | tashd'ov' | tashder'ov' | kar'ov' | kariner'ov' |
Articles
Like English and some other languages, Armenian has definite and indefinite articles. The indefinite article in Western Armenian is , which follows the noun:
''mart mə'' ('a man', Nom.sg), ''martu mə'' ('of a man', Gen.sg)
The definite article is a suffix attached to the noun, and is one of two forms, either '-ə' or '-n', depending on whether the final sound is a vowel or a consonant, and whether a preceding word begins with a vowel or consonant:
''martə'' ('the man', Nom.sg)
''karin'' ('the barley' Nom.sg)
but:
''Sa martn e'' ('This is the man')
''Sa karin e'' ('This is the barley')
The indefinite article becomes 'mən' under the same circumstance as '-ə' becomes '-n':
''mart mə'' ('a man', Nom.sg)
but:
''Sa mart mən e'' ('This is a man')
Adjectives
Adjectives in Armenian do not decline for case or number, and precede the noun:
''lav martə'' ('the good man', Nom.sg)
''lav martun'' ('to the good man', Gen.sg)
Verbs
Verbs in Armenian are based on two basic series of forms, a "present" form and a "imperfect" form. From this, all other tenses and moods are formed with various particles and constructions. There is a third form, the preterite, which in Armenian is tense in its own right, and takes no other particles or constructions. (See also Armenian verbs for more detailed information.)
The "present" tense in Western Armenian is based on three conjugations ('a, e, i'):
| | sir'el' 'to love' | khos'il' 'to speak' | gart'al' 'to read' |
| ''yes'' (I) | sir'em' | khos'im' | gart'am' |
| ''tun'' (you.sg) | sir'es' | khos'is' | gart'as' |
| ''an'' (he/she/it) | sir'e' | khos'i' | gart'a' |
| ''menk' (we) | sir'enk'' | khos'ink'' | gart'ank'' |
| ''tuk' (you.pl) | sir'ek'' | khos'ik'' | gart'ak'' |
| ''anonk' (they) | sir'en' | khos'in' | gart'an' |
The present tense (as we know it in English) is made by adding the particle 'gə' before the "present" form, while the future is made by adding 'bidi':
''Yes kirk' g? gartam '' (I am reading the book or I read the book, Pres)
''Yes kirk' bidi gartam '' (I will read the book, Fut)
In vernacular language, the particle "gor" is added after the verb to indicate present progressive tense. The distinction is not made in literary Armenian.
" Yes kirk' g? gartam gor (I am reading the book)
The verb without any particles constitutes the subjunctive mood:
Udem
(if I eat, should I eat, that I eat, I wish I eat)
Udes
(if you eat, etc.)
Ude
(if it eats)
Udenk'
(if we eat)
Udek'
(if you all eat)
Uden
(if they eat)
References
★ Գործնական Քերականութիւն - Արդի Հայերէն Լեզուի (Միջին եւ Բարձրագոյն Դասընթացք), , Zareh, Melkonian, , 1990,
See also
★ Armenian verbs
★ Traditional Armenian orthography
★ Armenian language
★ Eastern Armenian
★ Western Armenia
★ Eastern Armenia
★ Language families and languages
External links
★ Free online resources for learners
★ http://www.ethnologue.com/show_iso639.asp?code=hye
★ http://www.cilicia.com
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