Baronian, Hos-hosi Dzeratetr@

[Arpa]

Another gem from his Hos-hosi Dzeratetre@

 

July 4. (We will assume the year to be 1880)

 

There are times when man may envy the animals.

There are so many problems that the animals seem to have solved while man still argues about.

Let's take the problem of language, for example.

I will not ask whether sheep speak grabar (classical) or ahkharhabar (vernacular), whether it speaks in provincial or whether their language is Indian-European (Indo-European). I don't need to analyse these subjects. A sheep born in Baghesh will understand perfectly a sheep born in, of all places, Spain, while a Mshetsi will not understand the Armenian of a Polsetsi, and visa versa.

Add to that confusion those Armenian languages that are being invented everyday. Only then you will also feel fortunate as I and find out how happy the beasts must be each having only one literature, and that each perfectly understands the language of its kind.

The reason for these lines is that today I had a meeting with a traveler from a village in the Van region. I asked him about the famine. He answered with many words, I did not understand one word except, maybe.. "mashlakh"...**

 

**A coarse overcoat not unlike a pancho. The word is from the Arabic that roughly means "over the shoulder". However when we say it is a foreign word, hence the reason why both conversants found it to be common, it may not so foreign after all. Consider the Armenian "shalak" that at times may mean "shoulder" and at other times "back" as "shalkel/shalakel"

[Arpa]

Baronian

Hos-hosi Dzeratetr@

 

-The following is the first article in the volume.

Looking at the content the article may be eassily titled as

Old But Always New.-

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Polis, June 1, 1880

 

Who says that there is no unity in our nation?

Only today there was a joint meeting of our three associations,

the Araratian, the Dprosasiratz-Arevelian and the Kilikin. This meeting was supposed to have happened four months ago, but having not found a proper name and description it took them this long. How long would it take them? Couldn't have they found a knowledgeable teacher of Armenian? Now they call themselves Miatzyal @nkeroutyunq (United Associations), however, even with this title it is nothing but a "Trinity", with Arartian being the Father, Dprotzaser the Son and Kilikian the Holy Ghost. Hence, from now on solicitations will be not in the name of one or the other but in the "Anoun Hor, yev Vordvo, yev Hogvouyn Srbo, Amen". Non-believers and skeptics don't believe in this Trinity and the union , they think it impossible. I, on the other hand am still unable to pass judgment, and I wish that the union will not act so glorified as to suggest a new school at every crack of dawn (havakhos)

The executive committee is headed by Mr. Gevorg Abdulla, an ectreme patriot, a very vigorous and passionate young man. He has enjoyed much honor and adulation. One wishes that he were elected to a committee whose main purpose was to erect buildings... in the air.