Armenian dialects

Overview of dialects of Armenian

The Armenian language has two standardized forms: Western Armenian and Eastern Armenian. Before the Armenian genocide and other significant demographic changes that affected the Armenians, several dozen Armenian dialects existed in the areas historically populated by them.

## Classification by Hrachia Acharian

[edit]

A map of Armenian dialects from Acharian's 1911 book.

Classification des dialectes arméniens (Classification of Armenian dialects) is a 1909 book by the Armenian linguist Hrachia Acharian, published in Paris.[1] It is Acharian's translation into French of his original work Hay Barbaṙagitutʿiwn ("Armenian Dialectology") that was later published as a book in 1911 in Moscow and New Nakhichevan. The French translation lacks dialectal examples. An English translation was published in 2024.[2]

Acharian surveyed the Armenian dialects in what is now Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Iran, Azerbaijan and other countries settled by Armenians.

Unlike the traditional division of Armenian into two dialect groups (Western Armenian and Eastern Armenian), he divided Armenian into three main dialect groups based on the present and imperfect indicative particles that were used. He called as the -owm (-ում) dialects, -gë (-կը) dialects, and -el (-ել) dialects.

After the Armenian genocide, linguists Gevorg Jahukyan, Jos Weitenberg, Bert Vaux and Hrach Martirosyan have extended the understanding of Armenian dialects.

### Map

[edit]

Map of Armenian dialects in the early 20th century:

-owm dialects, roughly corresponding to Eastern Armenian.

-el dialects.

-gë dialects, roughly corresponding to Western Armenian.

### List

[edit]

### -owm dialects

[edit]

Dialect

Areas spoken (country and city names as of 1909)

|
|

1  | Yerevan |  Russian Empire: Erivan, Novo-Bayazet, Ordubad, Shamshadin, Shulaver, Havlabar quarter (Tiflis)
Ottoman Empire: Bayazid, Kulp
Qajar Persia: Gala, quarter of Tabriz
1.1  | Bayazid |  Ottoman Empire: Bayazid
Russian Empire: Novo-Bayazet
1.2  | Tabriz |  Qajar Persia: Gala, quarter of Tabriz
2  | Tiflis |  Russian Empire: Tiflis (except Havlabar quarter)
3  | Artsakh[a] |  Russian Empire: Shusha, Elisabethpol, Nukha, Baku, Derbent, Ağstafa, Dilijan, Karakilis, Kazak, Lori, Jebrayil, Goris
Qajar Persia: Karadagh, Mujumbar; Lilava quarter of Tabriz
Ottoman Empire: Burdur, Ödemiş villages near Izmir
4  | Shamakha |  Russian Empire: Shamakhi, Kuba and nearby villages
5  | Astrakhan |  Russian Empire: Astrakhan, North Caucasus
Qajar Persia: Tabriz
6  | Julfa |  Russian Empire: Julfa
Qajar Persia: Isfahan (New Julfa quarter), Shiraz, Hamadan, Bushehr, Tehran, Qazvin, Rasht, Bandar-e Anzali
7  | Agulis |  Russian Empire: Agulis, Tsghna, Handamej, Tanakert, Ramis, Dasht, Kaghaki
7.1  | Tsghna |  Russian Empire: Tsghna

### -el dialects

[edit]

-el dialects

Dialect

Areas spoken (country and city names as of 1909)

1  | Maragha |  Qajar Persia: Maragha and surrounding villages
2  | Khoy |  Qajar Persia: Khoy, Salmas, Maku, Urmia
Russian Empire: Igdir, Nakhichevan;
Zangezur settlements: Kori, Alighuli, Mughanjugh, Karashen, Alilu, Angeghakot, Ghushchi-Tazakend, Tazakend, Uz, Mazra, Balak, Shaghat, Ltsen, Sisian, Nerkin Kilisa
3  | Artvin |  Russian Empire: Artvin, Ardahan, Artanuj, Olti

### -gë dialects

[edit]

Dialect

Areas spoken (country and city names as of 1909)

|
|

1  | Erzurum |  Ottoman Empire: Erzurum, Ispir, Kaghzvan
Russian Empire: Kars, Alexandropol, Akhalkalak, Akhaltskha
2  | Mush |  Ottoman Empire: Mush, Sasun, Bitlis, Khizan, Khlat, Arjesh, Bulanikh, Manazkert, Khnus, Alashkert
Russian Empire: Aparan; Mets Kznut and surrounding villages; Javakhk (specifically Eshtia, Ujmana, Toria, Martuni)
3  | Van[b] |  Ottoman Empire: Van, Diadin, Moks, Bashkale, Shatakh
Russian Empire: Basargechar and surrounding villages
4  | Diarbekir |  Ottoman Empire: Diarbekir, Lice, Hazro, Hazzo, Khizan, Severek, Urfa (Edesia)
5  | Kharberd-Yerznka |  Ottoman Empire: Kharpert, Yerznka, Balu, Tchapaghjur, Chmshkatsag, Charsanjak, Kghi, Dersim, Kamakh
6  | Shabin-Karahisar |  Ottoman Empire: Shabin-Karahisar, Akıncılar
7  | Trebizond |  Ottoman Empire: Trebizond, Bayburt, Gyumushkhane, Kirasun
8  | Hamshen |  Ottoman Empire: Hamshen, Ünye, Fatsa, Terme, Çarşamba
Russian Empire: Sukhumi, Sochi, Poti,
9  | Malatia |  Ottoman Empire: Malatia, Adıyaman
10  | Cilicia[c] |  Ottoman Empire: Hadjin, Zeytun, Marash, Kilis, Alexandretta, Payas, Svedia
11  | Syria |  Ottoman Empire: Aramo
12  | Arabkir |  Ottoman Empire: Arabkir, Divrig, Gürün, Darende, villages of Kesaria
12.1  | Gürün |  Ottoman Empire: Gürün, Darende, villages of Kesaria
13  | Akn |  Ottoman Empire: Akn and surrounding villages
14  | Sivas |  Ottoman Empire: Sivas and 45 surrounding villages
15  | Tokat |  Ottoman Empire: Tokat, Amasia, Marsivan, Ordu, Samsun, Sinop
16  | Smyrna |  Ottoman Empire: Smyrna, Manisa, Menemen and surrounding villages
17  | Izmit |  Ottoman Empire: Nicomedia, Adapazar and the following villages: Yalova, Partizak, Geyve, Ortaköy, Sölöz, Benli, İznik, etc.[clarification needed]
18  | Constantinople |  Ottoman Empire: Constantinople
19  | Rodosto |  Ottoman Empire: Rodosto, Malgara
20  | Nakhichevan-on-Don |  Russian Empire: Nakhichevan-on-Don, Rostov-on-Don, Stavropol, Yekaterinodar, Yekaterinoslav, Anapa, Maykop, Taganrog, Dneprovskaya, Nogaysk, Novocherkassk, Theodosia, Simferopol, Karasubazar, Bakhchysarai, Eupatoria
21  | Austria-Hungary |  Russian Empire: Poland
Austria: Bukovina
Hungary

## Tree

[edit]

Modern geographical distribution of Armenian[citation needed]

Main article: List of Indo-European languages § Armenian language

* Proto-Armenian (extinct)
* Classical Armenian (Old Armenian)
* Liturgical Armenian
* Middle Armenian
* Judeo-Armenian
* Armenian (Modern Armenian)
* Western Armenian
* -gë Dialects
* Karin
* Turuberan
* Mush / Taron
* Gavar
* Van / Vaspurakan
* Torfavan
* Tigranakert / Aghdznik (Arzanene) (nearly extinct)
* Kharpert-Yerznka (nearly extinct)
* Shabin–Karahisar
* Trapizon (nearly extinct)
* Homshetsi
* Malatia (extinct)
* Adiyaman
* Cilician (nearly extinct)
* Sueidia / Syrian
* Vakıflı
* Kessab
* Latakia
* Jisr al-Shughur
* Anjar
* Arabkir (almost extinct)
* Akn (almost extinct)
* Sebastia (nearly extinct)
* Tokat (almost extinct)
* Western Armenian dialects in the diaspora
* Smyrna
* Nicomedia
* Constantinople (nearly extinct)
* Rodosto (extinct)
* Kaghakatsi / Jerusalem
* Crimea / Nakhichevan-on-Don / New Nakhichevan
* Austria-Hungary (extinct)
* Eastern Armenian
* -owm Dialects
* Araratian
* Astrakhan (extinct)
* Tiflis
* Yerevan
* Jugha
* New Jugha
* Zok
* Agulis
* Meghri
* Artsakh
* Shamakha (nearly extinct)
* Eastern Armenian dialects in the diaspora
* -el Dialects
* Ardvin / Tayk
* Nor Shirakan
* Khoy
* Maragha

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Adjarian, Hrachia (1909). Classification des dialectes arméniens. Paris: Librairie Honore Champion.
2. ^ Dolatian, Hossep (2024). Adjarian's Armenian dialectology (1911): Translation and commentary. Berlin: Language Science Press. ISBN 978-3-96110-489-5.

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Includes the subdialects of: Kazak, Lori, Karadagh, Goris, Zangezur, Elisabethpol, Nukha
2. ^ Subdialects: Moks, Norduz, Shatakh, Ozmi
3. ^ Subdialects: Marash

## Sources

[edit]

* Adjarian, Hrachia (1909). Classification des dialectes arméniens [Classification of Armenian dialects] (PDF) (in French). Paris: Librairie Honore Champion. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
* Dolatian, Hossep (2024). Adjarian's Armenian dialectology (1911): Translation and commentary (PDF). Berlin: Language Science Press. ISBN 978-3-96110-489-5.

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