What If ...

If you were not fortunate enough to belong to the Armenian race, what would you prefer to be? (Please do not respond "I would rather be dead" - thank you !!!)

Sulamita

Wow Sulamita! This sounds like a topic I would come up with, only to be lynched! Well I am very happy to be half Armenian, sometimes I wish I were full Armenian because it would make things easier, but then that doesn't last very long! I bet all of you can guess what my second choice of ethnicity would be, after all I am Farsisteve! I love the Persian culture, they have a rich heritage of cuisine, poetry, and their manners and etiquette are among the most sophisticated, even among the poor. They are always very welcoming to me, despite the fact that I am not ethnically Persian, they truly consider me to be one of them.

I would have to say that my third choice would be Mexican!!! Yes, that's right. I guess since I have so many Mexican friends, I speak Spanish and constantly travel to Mexico, I love the Mexican spirit. I identify with them because they constantly struggle with their dual identity:Spanish and Indian, much as I do with my two cultures.I am really saddened by the recent hatred between Mexicans and Armenians here in the Los Angeles area. It is just the trash on both sides that are giving the majority of Mexicans and Armenians who are good, a bad name. Mexicans have always been like my brothers. Viva Mexico!

Turkish!::::::::::: ))))))))

Sulamita, is this a joke?
I'd rather be Dead
:: )) This question is the unique: ) never thought about that

Steve,

This one is for you. I hope you will be able to understand it. And I am sure the author will be familiar

Indz harts en talis
Hayern amenur
Te xnjuyqnerum.
Te handesnerum.
-Ahmad Nurizade,
Du vor hay ches tsnvel
Apa vonts gites zgal mer hogin,
Mer hayutyun@,

Yes stipvats u kisakatak
Mi ban em asum
Yev indz prkum em lurj patasxanits,
Bayts ays ropein kuzem mek@ndmisht,
Lurj u ankatak,
Patasxan tal ays krknvogh hartsin:
-Ayo, barekam, @nker harazat,
Parz e, Hay chem yes,
Togh ayspes asem.-
Yes mi gilantsi yev irantsi em,
Kyanq@ vijakets hayeren gitnal,
Grel u kardal`
Zgal hayi hogin,
Yev shat el chnchin karoghutyan chap
Tsarayel nra grakan hogun
U mshakuytin
Yev yes em aysor
Voch hay banasteghts,
Indz anvanel en
Hay joghovrdi parskaxos zavak,
Vor gite arden hayeren xosel,
Xokal hayeren,
Hayeren xndal, txrel hayeren.
Hayi het nstats tonum em tsntsum,
Nra tseserin hajax masnaktsum:
Yerb vor kardum em Hayots patmutyun,
Ays joghovrdi kyanq@ txrurax -
Yelevejnerits nra potorkot
Yes el em taxtsum yev uraxanum:
Yerb vor haghtum e azg@ charutyan
U brnapetin`
Yes el em zgum im yeraknerum
Haghtanaki shunch.
Yev hpartutyun.
Sirts e darnum nrants husheri haghtakamar@...
U yerb partvum en`
Yes el em zohvum hazarneri het,
Yes el em latsum
Mayreri lalkan, vshtahar srtum:
Yev yes el unem "April 24"
Ayd Yeghern@ mets:
Yerb vor lsum em
Sayat Novu ayd anmoranali saz u qamanchen
Indz el e ayrum:
Indz el e gerum:

Yes el em sirum Teryani het mek
Ayrvel siruts
Yev papkasun u qnqush, nrbiran
Hay aghjikneri govasanq asem:
U Charentsi het amboxn yergem
U yergem nra "Yerkir Nairi"n:
Tumanyani "Anush"@ prkem baxtits u mahits:
Te Bellayi het zepyur darnam u sarits ijnem:

Ayo, im tsanot,
Barekam imoy,
Sirum em yes qo azg u mshakuyt.
Yes` mi irantsi, voch hay` banasteghts,
Sirum em aynqan vorqan du sires,
Qani vor yes mard`mardun em sirum
Yev nra hogu steghtsats veh@.
U ays e hima
Dzer ayd krknvogh hartsi patasxan.
Te sirum em yes hay u hayeren,
Yev voch te char u mardaspan gazan,
Apa hay lini yev te aylazgi,
Qanzi tenchum em vor ashxarn ays hin
Darna mi mets u mardkayin hamerg
Yev mard@ mardu yeghbayr@ darna
Yev yergen irar amenapoem@
Veh, havitenakan:

Ays e patasxan
Im aziz tsanot,
Im hay barekam:

Ahmad Nurizade

Well it a tough thing. Give me a few years to think about it.

Chechchchchen....just kiddin'!

If Armenian nation wouldn't exist I would have become the first Armenian. Philosophy!

Finally Farsi. Something to agree 100%.
I also would like to live in Iran in this case. Because if we go back to the times before Arabic invasions and Islam, Armenia and Persia were almost the same nation. This is not feelings or culture, this is science.
The closest relation to Armenians are Iranians of Fars, Baluchestan, Pushtuns in Afganistan, and Tajigs of Pamir, Panjsher and Badakhshan. Analize this: mek-yak, erku-jughd, ereq-se, chors-jor, hing-panj, mard-mord, darpas-darvoz, tandz-donj, achqer-ochi, tag-toj, dasht-dasht. These words could not have been adopted by either of languages, because I guess counting and words like man, eye, field, crown, gates are something these nations would have invented on their own. Armenians and Iranians have the same type of scull (Armenoid) and features. Traditional music rythm (3 original ones) is the same.
I hate to metion this, but Kurds are also from the same family.

Berj Jan

What is the world coming to? We are agreeing too much lately! Here are some more Armenian-Farsi cognates

das(lesson)dars grag-cherag(can also mean lights in farsi)

and of course "jan" which sometimes is pronounced as "joon" in some Farsi dialects.
I think it is time for linguists to reexplore the original theory that Armenian belongs to the Indo-Iranian language group. Yes, Kurds are closely related too, as much as I don't like to think of it. Its a bit of a stretch, but I can sometimes understand something of Kurdish when I hear it, especially if it is the Kurmanji dialect. Khaylee awlee e!

Indo-European Languge groups' root-word table:

German Slavic Armenian

1. mother mat' mayr
2. man muzh mard
3. door dver' dour
4. meat myaso mis
5. wolf volk gayl

It will took me half a day to post all the 900 of them, so...

Farsi, this one is gonna blow your brains!
One of my classmates in univesity was a Tajik from Pamir. And you know what we found out? Even curses in Armenian and Farsi are closely interrelated. (Girls, sorry but I must post this). I guess you know what's the meening of Farsi word "kun". So compare it with "to ****" in Armenian, if you know it in Armenian. And this is just one example.
I think that the scientists, when comparing the languages, must start from the bad words, because these were the first words the ancient men said to each other at first meeting. And also the Iranian capital Teheran is named after an Armenian "Tigran", or maybe the other way round.
Farsi, yesterday I read your postings on Karabagh...There are almost 200 churches with Armenian inscribtions and cross-stones (khachqar) dating 5th cent. AD to 19th cent. AD. And only 2 moscues dating 1890-s and 1960-s. The moscues are untouched even now!
As for the Caucasian Albanians, they were one of Pharfic tribes very close to Armenians. Once they had a kingdom. Now they are called Talish, and are a minority in Azerbaijan. Some of them adopted Christianity and mixed with Kharabagh Armenians. The Azeris, or Caucasian Tatars, or Karakalpaks (Russian Imperial Archives), or Karakoyunlus came somewhere from the nothern border of Turkmenistan with Uzbekistan. The Karakalpak tribe lives there until now, and has a Karakalpak Autonomy within Uzbekistan. Azeri features changed because they all had 4-5 wifes, many of whom were stolen Albanian, Armenian, Chechen, Georgian girls.

Berj Jan

I had no idea that the rather obscene word(k*n) was also used in Armenian! Of course we Barskahays use it a lot, but I thought it was merely another farsi word that we use in our spoken Armenian.

I must somewhat disagree with you on physionomy of Persians and Armenians. Well, not totally. Of course Armenians and Persians look more similar than either do to Arabs(despite what odars seem to think!) but I usually can tell them apart, though of course not always. My aunt is usually taken for a Persian rather than Armenian. Also, Armenians tend to have more people with light hair and eyes than Persians, though the Kurds have probably more than Armenians. It is interesting though. Have you been to Iran? I think you would love it. I am hesistant to return because my dad, having worked for the Shah's military in conjunction with the U.S. military is blacklisted, thus so am I! I do hope to return for a visit one day, inshallah! As I have said before, Iran has, overall, treated Armenians very well, probably better than any other country in the Middle East, with the possible exception of Lebanon. Armenians are very esteemed by Persians as being industrious, though we also have the reputation of being somewhat dour! If you ever travel there, be sure to go to Esfahan that has the Armenian colony of New Jolfa, it is incredible! Also Rezaiyeh(Urmia) is a very Armenian town, many of the street signs are even in Armenian. Surprisingly the Azeris and Armenians there have gotten along pretty well, at least according to what I have heard.

Anyway back to Sulamita's topic, Sulamita, what would you choose, if you weren't Armenian?

I knew someone was going to ask me that I am not too sure but for some reason I have always idealized the French. That could be one option

Sulamita

Heres another one to consider:Ethiopian. I have always considered Ethiopians to be the Armenians of Africa, in a sense. They also have a Monophysite Orthodox Christian civilization dating back to about the same time as Armenia's, they have been constantly attacked by the surrounding Moslems, heck their alphabet even looks a bit like ours! The Ethiopians also have a rich history interwoven with legends and epics much like Armenia. Anyway what is the deal with that alphabet similarity? Is it just coincidence?