Lesson 1: Armenian Alphabet, the Sound System of Grabar

Listening (20 min)

In this section will be introduced the Classical Armenian (Grabar) as a separate and independent branch of the Indo-European language family. The Armenian alphabet was created in 404 AD by a cleric named Mesrop Maštocʿ. The most likely source of the alphabet is the Greek alphabet: like Greek, Armenian is read left to right; vowels are represented by separate characters, unlike nearby Semitic scripts; certain letters of the Armenian alphabet are reminiscent of the Greek (see more information: General characteristics of the Armenian alphabet, Hrach Martirosyan https://aspirantum.com/blog/armenian-alphabet). 

Grammar 1: The Sound System: Vowels (15 min)

The phonological system of Classical Armenian consists of 7 vowels  and 29 consonant  sounds. The vowels may be organized according to articulation as in the following chart.

Modern convention pronounces initial ե (e) as ye; the evidence for such pronunciation extending back to the classical period is unclear, since archaic texts often transcribe with initial ե Greek names beginning with epsilon or the alpha-iota diphthong. The word for Jerusalem, which however would have had an initial glide, is written simply as Erosałēm, indicating that ե was preceded by the glide y at least in some instances. Similarly, the pronunciation of initial ո (o) as vo seems to be post-classical.

Exercise 1: Read following words using vowels’  chart (15 min)

Աւագ, անիւ, խոնաւ, գաւազան,  գաւիթ, բազէ, բնաւ, արուեստ, անօթ, յօնք, պատուէր, սիրուած, հաշուել, նուէր, մարգարէ, կալուած, թշուառ, աւազ, նուազ, հազուադէպ, ակօս, աւերակ, պատուական, թունաւոր, գրէի։

Grammar 2: Diphthongs (15 min)

Below is a list of the diphthongs of Classical Armenian. In some instances the conventional pronunciation diverges from the classical rendering (20 min).

• այ (ay) -- conventionally pronounced as a in final position, and as a otherwise;
• ոյ (oy) -- conventionally pronounced as o in final position, and as uy otherwise;
• աւ (aw) -- conventionally pronounced as av before vowels and finally; later pronounced as ո o and so rendered in written documents;
• եւ (ew) -- conventionally pronounced as ev before vowels and finally; often written alternately as եաւ;
• իւ (iw) -- conventionally pronounced as iv before vowels and finally; often used to represent Greek upsilon;
• եա (ea) -- conventionally pronounced as ya.

Exercise 2: Read following words (15 min)

Առաքեալ, առիւծ,  նշոյլ, համբոյր, յաճախորդ, յուզել, Յակոբ, կոյր, իւրաքանչիւր, ողջոյն, յանցանք, յիշել, արիւն, հաւաքոյթ, յանկարծ, Յովհաննէս, հիւթ, իմաստութիւն, ողջոյն, յենուել, վայրկեան, հանգոյց, հարիւր, նշոյլ, արտոյտ։

Grammar 3: Constant vowel (25 min)

The constants may be organized according to articulation as in the following chart.               

Conventional pronunciation renders ղ (ł) as the voiced counterpart of խ (x), thereby lending it a fricative quality. The evidence from the classical period, however, seems to point to a heavy lateral articulation, as in Modern English 'ball'. The spelling gaył for the usual gayl shows that the distinction was not absolute within the language itself. It was also used to render the Greek lambda, as in titłos < Gk. titlos and Pawłos < Gk. Paulos.

վ (v) and ւ (w) are conventionally pronounced differently, as their English counterparts. In the classical period, however, they do not seem to have been distinct phonemes, but rather allographs: վ (v) was used initially, initially in the second element of compounds, and after ո (o) with ւ w used elsewhere.

Exercise 3: Read following words using constants’ chart (15 min)

Հզօր, անիւ, խոնաւ, մարգարէ, գաւիթ, բազէ, հանգոյց, խաբէութիւն, վրէժ, յօնք, պատուէր, բանուոր, թիկունք, գիւտ, հսկայ, յոդուած, թշուառ, գործօն, բոյր, կրթութիւն, ակօս, վտանգ, հպարտ, թունաւոր, աղաւնի։

Homework: Read the birth of Vahagn/ ՎԱՀԱԳՆԻ ԾՆՈՒՆԴԸ

Երկնէր երկին, երկնէր երկիր,
Erknēr erkin, erknēr erkir
Heaven and Earth were in labor

Երկնէր և ծովն ծիրանի.
erknēr ew covn cirani;
And in labor was the crimson sea

Երկն ի ծովուն ունէր և զկարմրիկն եղեգնիկ.
erkn i covun unēr ew zkarmrikn ełegnik;
The water of the earth had Reddish reeds.

Ընդ եղեգան փող ծուխ ելանէր,
ǝnd ełegan pcoł cux elanēr,
From the stems mist arose

Ընդ եղեգան փող բոց ելանէր,
ǝnd ełegan pcoł bocc elanēr;
From the stems flames arose

Եւ ի բոցոյն վազէր խարտեաշ պատանեկիկ.
ew i boccoyn vazēr xarteaš patanekik
And through the flames a youth ran forth.

Նա հուր հեր ունէր,
na hur her unēr, 
He had fiery hair

Բոց ունէր մօրուս,
bocc unēr mōrus,
And even his beard was aflame

Եւ աչքունքն էին արեգակունք:
ew ačckunkcn ein aregakunkc
and his eyes were little suns.