Armenian Alphabet

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Armenian Alphabet

 

 

Armenian is a complex and beautiful language. Except for a transition into middle Armenian during the 10th-12th centuries and into a modern form in the 19th century, it has been continuously used for more than 1500 years as it was first created, borrowing traces of words and expressions from Hindu, Persian, Arabic, Greek and Latin along the way. In its current form in the Republic, it uses a lively and vibrant incorporation of words from Russian, French, English and other countries. It is a language alive. Armenian has its own unique alphabet, devised between 401-406 c.e. by Mesrop Mashtots (361-440 c.e.) under the patronage of King Vramshapuh and Catolicos Sahak Partev. Until that time, most written versions of Armenian were in Greek. During the turbulent years of the 4th century c.e., the new alphabet was treated as a divine gift from God, a weapon of intellect over the dark forces of fanaticism. The first sentence written in Armenian was "To know wisdom and gain instruction; to discern the words of understanding..." Armenians were quick to use the new alphabet, translating Greek, Roman, Persian, Arabic, Egyptian, even Chinese treatises into Armenian.

 

The Matenadaran in Yerevan contains more than 25,000 manuscripts dating to the 5th century. Many of these are Armenian translations of philosophical, scientific, historical and religious writings going back as far as the Hellenistic Greece. Some are the only existing versions of the originals. It has been said that no more important tool was given to Armenians then their alphabet, for it has preserved their identity during invasions, and allowed them to avoid assimilation. If Russian was the international tongue of the Soviet Union, then Armenian is the International tongue that binds almost 9 million Armenians around the world.

 

The language can give tongue fits to an English-speaking tourist, as it contains several sounds for which there are no English equivalents. There is more than one pronunciation of the consonants ‘p’ ‘k’ and ‘t’, for example, and it take a refined ear to discern the differences. Armenians usually place the subject of their sentence in front of the verb or action, so that the sentence, "I want coffee," is said in Armenian grammar, "I coffee want" (There is a subtle respect for the object of the sentence implied in this grammar. For example, in Armenian "I love you" is expressed, "I YOU love," placing the amorous object before the action). Armenians also use the double negative, so that "Nobody wants it," comes out ‘Nobody not wants it.’ In English the double negative would create a positive statement. Not in Armenian. And so the rules (and exceptions) continue. But do not despair. The rules are not that difficult to learn...

 

 

The Armenian Alphabet Originally there were 36 letters in the Armenian alphabet. Three letters were added in the 10th-12th cc, for a total of 39 letters. Mashtots’ alphabet begins with the Armenian letter for the sound "ah" and ends with the letter for the sound "Q". This was no accident: The letter ("a") stands for Astvatz ("Ast-VAHTZ," God) and the letter ("k") stands for Kristos ("Kris-TOS," Christ). Coincidentally, all Indo-European languages begin with the sound "ah".

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This chart shows the alphabet, a transliterated sound (Latin letter equivalent), and common pronunciations. Pronunciations of vowels are closer to the British long sounds than the flat American dialect.

 

Armenian script translations by Rafael Torossian http://www.15levels.com/armenia/armenian-alphabet.html

 

 

[This message has been edited by MJ (edited February 13, 2001).]

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The immense effort by Mesrop Mashtots in this aspect would turn out to be very decisive and just in its due time. Just a few decades later after the creation of the written alphabet, in 404-405 AD, in 428 AD, the Armenian Nakharars (Nobles) rebelled and overthrew the Arshakouni monarchy, with the help of the Persians. The Nakharars hoped that by overthrowing the central government and the monarchy they would gain more de-centralized power, in their own separate states. They were sadly mistaken. The Persians who promised the Nakharars wide array of power and self-control, instead installed marzpans or marzipans (satrap governors) who would place most of Armenia ( the Western parts of Greater Armenia along with Armenia Minor or Lesser Armenia were occupied by the Byzantines-from 387AD) under direct rule of the Persian Sasanid kings. From 394 AD St. Mesrop, with the help and the blessing of Armenia's Catholicos, Sahak Partev, set out on the mission of spreading the word of God, Christ the Savior to a still great degree pagan or semi-pagan (the word pagan in Latin means village, villagers or peoples of provinces as oppose to the people of the city who were the early Christians. The people of remote provinces and villages would retain and cling to their pagan ways as far as the late middle ages all over Europe) population of the remote provinces of Greater Armenia in Goghtan, Syunik and Artsakh. At the beginning St. Mesrop desperately searched for the lost scriptures and scrolls in remote provinces of Armenia, he even visited the provinces of Armenian Mesopotamia and Syria, in the cities of Urha (Edessa) and Amid. There a priest by the name of (v) Oghyump (Olympus), told him that he had in his possession some of the ancient scrolls of Armenian. After carefully reviewing them (the phonetic structure) St. Mesrop realized that the phonetic structure and the Armenian language had greatly shifted and changed from the archaic form of the symbol letters of ancient Armenian. Although it is speculated and suggested by some linguists and historians that St. Mesrop did use some of the letter forms in his the creation of the new alphabet, yet it is highly unlikely that there was an extensive usage of the old structure forms as suggested by some of the classical Armenian historians such as St. Mesrop's biographer and student Koryun, the great Movses Khorenatsi, Ghazar Parpetsi (Lazar of Parp) and many others. After the creation of the new 36 (later on in the XIII th century two more letters, O and F were added) letter alphabet, which he compiled during his travels throughout Armenia ( St. Mesrop very well knew the existence of many dialects in Armenia and he understood the need of a universal creation of a standard Armenian that was compiled during his travels throughout most of Armenia in the East and the West). In 405AD Mesrop Mashtots returned to the capital city of Vagharshapat (St. Echmiatsin) before entering the city he was warmly welcomed by the king of Armenia Vramshapuh Arshakouni, Catholicos Sahak Partev and other eminent members of the Upper Class. http://home.wish.net/~armen/Mesrop%20Masht...%20Alphabet.htm

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