Dave Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 What does the Armenian language sound like to the ears of the "odar"? I'm sure I'll hear various answers. Somebody had asked me once, if I was speaking Portuguese... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 What does the Armenian language sound like to the ears of the "odar"? I'm sure I'll hear various answers. Somebody had asked me once, if I was speaking Portuguese... I've been told from Iranian to Chinese and so many in between as if we look like Chinese go figure. But than again we have Vartan Mamigonian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harut Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 What does the Armenian language sound like to the ears of the "odar"? I'm sure I'll hear various answers. Somebody had asked me once, if I was speaking Portuguese... it's indeed very interesting... i've wondered about this a lot myself... sometimes when i hear people speaking armenian, i try to block the meaning of the words, try to pretend i don't understand the language, and try to hear just how it sounds... needless to say it doesn't work... though, one bulgarian coworker says it sounds like turkish to him... one other interesting thing... there are a lot of ethiopians in las vegas, and i get to hear them talk a lot... when i'm not paying attention, and they suddenly start talking, for a split second it feels as though someone is talking in armenian... i can't help but turn to look... although the words are absolutely not similar, their intonation (to ea armenian of yerevan region) and sounds do sound like armenian... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anoushik Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 While I don't really know what Armenian sounds like to otars, I know that when I hear Persian on TV with very little volume I resemble it to Armenian. So, maybe Armenian sounds Persian? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kakachik77 Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 I think it sounds like Hebrew. I've been told it sounds like Greek. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kakachik77 Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 just another observation, doesn't this sounding thing depend on what kind of Armenian the speakers are, I am sure Armenians from Iran will have the Farsi accent, to me they speak Armenian with Farsi accent etc etc., Armenians from France tend to have the French thing going. Also just because somebody says that Armenian sounds like this, it does not necessarily mean its true, some people have really bad ears and really have no idea what Farsi sounds in the first place anyway, a lot of times its assumptions because of geography. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eurocentric Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 It depends how one speaks it. I've heard it compared to Portuguese, Greek, Italian and even Gaelic (cuz of all the consonants probably). The average street punks Armenian sounds like Farsi though. I think the best Armenian ever spoken is medieval Armenian followed closely by the typical Soviet Armenian heard in movies, cartoons etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamavor Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 though, one bulgarian coworker says it sounds like turkish to him... Happened to me too:) No offence but Bulgarians are not very enlightened about languages. I was laughing my ass off at a Bulgarian historical movie - the "supposingly" turkish soldiers were exchanging words in the movies such as "shad lavn e", "shad aghvor", etc.. In the same time Bulgarian language itself is full of turkish words (close to 20% if not more are of turkic origin) One of my friends was surprised to learn that very "bulgarian" words such as "levent", "kutia", etc.. are turkish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kakachik77 Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 (edited) Armenian from Armenia resembles most the indigenous Caucasian languages I think as well, the street talk in Armenia has lots and lots of Russian words. For example: "yes kez dakazat piti anem", "karochi", some of this to me resembles the Southern Slavic (Serb etc.) way of talking. Edited July 24, 2006 by kakachik77 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harut Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 I think it sounds like Hebrew. I've been told it sounds like Greek. ah, yes... one arab coworker once told it sounds like hebrew... but again, he gets kick out of it each time he compares armenians to jews... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harut Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Happened to me too:) No offence but Bulgarians are not very enlightened about languages. I was laughing my ass off at a Bulgarian historical movie - the "supposingly" turkish soldiers were exchanging words in the movies such as "shad lavn e", "shad aghvor", etc.. In the same time Bulgarian language itself is full of turkish words (close to 20% if not more are of turkic origin) One of my friends was surprised to learn that very "bulgarian" words such as "levent", "kutia", etc.. are turkish. true... ... and around here certain armenians have a special way of getting in their nervs about that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kakachik77 Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 ah, yes... one arab coworker once told it sounds like hebrew... but again, he gets kick out of it each time he compares armenians to jews... no, this is true, I have never heard another language so similar sounding to Armenian, the funny things is that Hebrew is a Semitic language therefore has nothing similar to Armenian, so I always feel like I am listening to Armenian except cannot understand one single word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted July 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 (edited) A precision: When I was asked if I was speaking Portuguese, I was speaking Western Armenian. But I wonder if "odar"s notice the difference between Eastern and Western Armenian...? Kakachik77 I think that the "kh" letter repeats itself too much in Hebrew to say that it sounds like our language. Edited July 24, 2006 by Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armenak Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Armenian from Armenia resembles most the indigenous Caucasian languages I think as well, the street talk in Armenia has lots and lots of Russian words. For example: "yes kez dakazat piti anem", "karochi", some of this to me resembles the Southern Slavic (Serb etc.) way of talking. Do you consider this a good thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpa Posted July 25, 2006 Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 To an otar ear Armenian sounds like Barbarian. Let's see if we can see the double barakhagh/pun in the above Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted July 25, 2006 Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 To an otar ear Armenian sounds like Barbarian. Let's see if we can see the double barakhagh/pun in the above 1. Barbarian is Armenian because of "ian" ending 2. Armenian sounds like Barb(Arian) race. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpa Posted July 25, 2006 Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 (edited) 1. Barbarian is Armenian because of "ian" ending 2. Armenian sounds like Barb(Arian) race. Very good Yervant. But you don’t get the cigar. The double barakhagh I was alluding to is in fact a “barbar-a-khagh. Note the first syllables of “barbrian” , barbar, parpar/dialect to western ears. And the other pun is that the word “barbraian” was coined by the Greeks calling al those whose languages sounded like “barbarbarabar” barbarians. They should talk. Don’t we know the adage; “IT’S ALL GREEK TO ME” i.e “unintelligible”. http://langintro.com/greek/alphabet/iagtm.htm Here is the relevenat passage for the above site; “It's all Greek to me!” And then they'll laugh. As if it's really funny. As if you haven't heard it before. As if you haven't said it before. (Admit it -- we all have.) But inside that ancient cliché, which is probably as old as Greece itself, Edited July 25, 2006 by Arpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kakachik77 Posted July 25, 2006 Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 isn't "barbarian" from the armenian word "barbar" which means dialect or accent? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted July 25, 2006 Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 Very good Yervant. But you don’t get the cigar. How about a cigarette? Don't forget the light please. While at it do you have a spare change for a drink? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zartonk Posted July 25, 2006 Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 But than again we have Vartan Mamigonian Oh, Yervant you....! (Nice avatar) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpa Posted July 25, 2006 Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 (edited) isn't "barbarian" from the armenian word "barbar" which means dialect or accent? Very good Kakachik. But I don't think you got te real gist of the pun. "barbarian" was invented by the Greek, read above again. But curiously it fits so well with OUR "barbar". In fact we had spoken about this at sevaral occasions. Yes the Armenian "barbar" is very similar to the Greek "barbarian"** as it illustrates how I say one "bar/word" and you say another. That is where "bar-bar" i.e "im bar qo bar/my word your word" comes from **The Greek "barbar" is based on the sound of unintelligibilty of foreign languages, lik"barbarabarbar",listen to the sound of it, whwreas ourss is based on bar/word. BTW. The Armenian word for barbarian is barbaros/բարբարոս. Does that not sound Greek? :) Edited July 25, 2006 by Arpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted July 25, 2006 Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 Oh, Yervant you....! (Nice avatar) Thanks Bud!!!! You see what we men do for women, They say jump we say how high? I know, I know our vartanig is a special breed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpa Posted July 25, 2006 Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 Thanks Bud!!!! . Bud? Yuck! I thought those bottles in your bucket looked like KOTATK. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted July 25, 2006 Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 (edited) Bud? Yuck! I thought those bottles in your bucket looked like KOTATK. :) Don't make me look for another avatar please. Where is my cigarette? Edited July 25, 2006 by Yervant1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted July 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 OK Arpa. I think you wanted to say that the barbarian language that the Greeks heard and couldn't understand was in fact a dialect (barbar/parpar) of the Armenian language. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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