Jump to content

Classical Armenian orthography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 154.60.64.29 (talk) at 10:18, 18 August 2017. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The classical Armenian orthography (Template:Lang-hy; also known as traditional orthography and Mashtotsian orthography) is the orthography developed during the early 19th century for the Armenian language. Today, it is used primarily by the Armenian diaspora (including all Western Armenian speakers and Eastern Armenian speakers in Iran), which has rejected the Armenian orthography reform that happened in Soviet Armenia in the 1920s. In the Armenian diaspora, some linguists and politicians allege political motives behind that reform.

It uses the original 36 letters of the Armenian alphabet.

Majuscule Ա Բ Գ Դ Ե Զ Է Ը Թ Ժ Ի Լ Խ Ծ Կ Հ Ձ Ղ Ճ Մ Յ Ն Շ Ո Չ Պ Ջ Ռ Ս Վ Տ Ր Ց Ւ Փ Ք
Minuscule ա բ գ դ ե զ է ը թ ժ ի լ խ ծ կ հ ձ ղ ճ մ յ ն շ ո չ պ ջ ռ ս վ տ ր ց ւ փ ք

It uses also 2 letters that were added to the Armenian alphabet in the 13th century:

Majuscule Օ Ֆ
Minuscule օ ֆ

Vowels

Monophthongs

Armenian has eight monophthongs (ɑ, ɛ, i, o, u, ə, ʏ, œ) and ten symbols to represent them (ա, ե, է, ը, ի, ո, օ, ու, իւ, էօ). They will be shown here with International Phonetic Alphabet:

Front Central Back
Unrounded Rounded Unrounded Rounded
Close i  (ի) ʏ  (իւ) u  (ու)
Mid ɛ  (է, ե) œ  (էօ) ə  (ը) ɔ  (ո, օ)
Open ɑ  (ա)

/ɑ/ — ա, այ

  1. The vowel ɑ is written <ա>. For example, [ɑɾɛv] ("sun") is written արեւ.
  2. Polysyllabic words ending in /ɑ/ are written with <այ>. For example, [dzɑɾɑ] ("slave") is written ծառայ; [ɡətoʁɑ] ("s/he shivers") is written կը դողայ. There are exceptions:
    1. Certain words like հիմա, ահա, հապա, ապա, ասիկա, սա, ատիկա, անիկա, մամա, պապա.
    2. Proper nouns like Արա, Էլենա, Ասիա.
    3. The singular imperative form of type III verbs. For example, կարդալ → կարդա՛; լուալ — լուա՛.
    4. Foreign words ending in /ɑ/. For example, Նորա (Nora), սոտա (soda), աղա (/ɑʁɑ/ in Turkish), etc.

/ɛ/ — է, ե

  1. At the end of a word, /ɛ/ is always written <է> (Never <ե>). For example, Մարգարէ, Վահէ, կը վազէ.
  2. At the beginning of a word, /ɛ/ is written <է>. For example, էջ, էակ.
  3. In the middle of a word after a vowel, /ɛ/ is written <է>. For example, գիտէիր, գործունէութիւն.
  4. When followed by two consonants within a root word, /ɛ/ is written <ե>. For example, ներկ, ուղերձ, խենդ, փեղկ.
  5. When making a noun plural, <եր> or <ներ> is added to the end of the noun. For example, տուփ → տուփեր, դրամ → դրամներ.
  6. When followed by an <լ>, <հ>, <ղ>, <մ>, or <ռ>, /ɛ/ is written <ե> (and not <է>). The following are exceptions: դէմ, վէմ and foreign proper nouns: Երուսաղէմ, Դանիէլ.

/i/ — ի

/i/ is always written <ի>. For example, [iɾ] ("his"/"her") is written իր.

/ɔ/ — օ, ո, ոյ

  1. At the start of a word, /ɔ/ is written <օ> unless the second sound is [v], when <ո> is written. For example, [ɔɾɛŋk] ("rule") is written օրէնք, and [ɔvɑsis] ("oasis") is written ովասիս.
  2. In the middle of a rootword followed by two consonants, /ɔ/ is written <ո> (not <օ>). For example, [koɾk] ("rug") is written գորգ, [hoɾt] ("calf") is written հորթ and [poʁɡ] ("radish") is written բողկ.
  3. /ɔ/ at the end of a word is written <ոյ>. For example, [jɛɾɛɡɔ] ("evening") is written երեկոյ, and [hɛdɔ] ("later") is written յետոյ. Here are exceptions:
    1. The words այո' ("yes"), pronounced [ɑjɔ], and ծօ' ("you" in slang), pronounced [dzɔ].
    2. Proper nouns. For example, Պետօ ("Bedo"), Քոնկօ ("Congo").
    3. Foreign words. For example, օթօ ("auto" from German), սոլօ ("solo"), զերօ ("zero"), մեթրօ ("metro").
  4. When a vowel is added to a word ending in <օ>, the latter is changed to <ոյ>. For example, Պետօ ([bɛdɔ]) → Պետոյին ([bɛdɔjin], "Bedo" in genitive-dative case), Քոնկօ ([kɔŋɡɔ]) → Քոնկոյէն ([kɔŋɡɔjɛn], "Congo" in ablative case).

/u/ — ու

/u/ is always written ու. For example, [dun] ("house") is written տուն.

/ə/ — ը, epenthetical

The [ə] vowel is usually not written. For example, [məˈdɑdzum] ("thought") is written մտածում (not մըտածում), and [əskɑntʃɛli] ("marvelous") is written սքանչելի (not ըսքանչելի).
<ը> is written in the following cases:

  1. At the start of a word if the second sound is a [n] (<ն>) or [m] (<մ>). For example, [əndɾɛl] ("to choose") is written ընտրել, [əŋɡɛɾ] ("friend") is written ընկեր, [əmposd] ("defiant") is written ըմբոստ and [əmpəɾnɛl] ("to comprehend") is written ըմբռնել.
  2. At the start of a word if the [ə] vowel stems from the [i] or [u] sound. For example, [əʁtsʰɑl] ("to desire") is written ըղձալ because it stems from the noun [iʁtsʰ] ("desire," իղձ): իղձ–ալ. Also, [əmbɛl] ("to drink") is written ըմպել because it stems from the noun [umb] ("mouthful," ումպ): ումպ–ել.
  3. At the start or the middle of a monosyllabic word whose only vowel is [ə]. For example, [əsd] ("according to") is written ըստ, and [mən] ("a" or "an," indefinite article) is written մըն.
  4. In derivative and compound words if their second part starts with [ə]. For example, [ɑnəntunɛli] ("inadmissible") is written անընդունելի because it is a derivative word that is formed from the prefix [ɑn] ("un-," ան-) and the root [əŋɡɛɾ] ("friend," ընկեր): ան–ընկեր. Also, [ɑɾɑkəntɑtsʰ] ("swift") is written արագընթաց because it is a compound word that is formed from the root words արագ ("quick") and ընթացք ("gait"): արագ–ընթաց.
  5. Within a word after the letters <ու>, if they are not followed by a vowel they represent [v]. For example, պահուըտիլ ([bɑhvədil] "to hide") and վաղուընէ ([vɑʁvənɛ] "from tomorrow").
  6. In line-breaking. For example, վնաս ([vənɑs], "harm") becomes վը–նաս, and զգալ (əzkɑl, "to feel") becomes ըզ–գալ.
  7. At the end of words, to specify the article "the". For example, լոյսը ([lujsə], "the light") is formed by adding ը to the end of լոյս. Also, արձանները ([ɑɾtsʰɑnˈnɛɾə], "the statues") does the same.

/ʏ/ — իւ

/ʏ/ is always written <իւ>. For example, [kʏʁ] ("village") is written գիւղ.

/œ/ — էօ

/œ/ is a rare sound to write foreign words and is always written <էօ>. For example, the female name [œʒɛni] is written Էօժենի, a transcripton of letters. էօ is actually equivalent to EU and էօժէնի is EUgine or Εβγενι.

Diphthongs

Armenian has nine diphthongs: /jɑ/, /jɛ/, /ji/, /jɔ/, /ju/, /ɑj/, /ej/, /ij/, /uj/.

/jɑ/ — եա, եայ, յա; occurs in էա, իա

/jɑ/ is written differently depending on its context.

  1. [jɑ] at the start of a word is written <եա>. For example, [jɑnikjɑn] ("Yanikian," a family name) is written Եանիքեան.
  2. Preceded by a consonant, it is written <եա>. For example, [sɛnjɑɡ] ("room") is written սենեակ. However, at the end of a word, <եա> is written <եայ>. For example, [ɑɾɔɾja] ("daily) is written առօրեայ.
  3. When [jɑ] is preceded by a vowel other than [i] or [ɛ], it is written <յա>. For example, ɡɑ.jɑn ("station") is written կայան.
  4. A disyllabic sequence of a monophthong ([i]) and a diphthong ([jɑ]) is written <իա> (<իայ> when at the end of a word). For example, [mijɑsin] ("together") is written միասին.
  5. A disyllabic sequence of a monophthong ([ɛ]) and a diphthong ([jɑ]) is written <էա> (or <էայ> at the end of a word). For example, [ɛjɑɡ] ("being," the noun) is written էակ.

/jɛ/ — ե, յե, յէ

/jɛ/ is written differently depending on its context.

  1. At the start of a word, it is written <ե>. For example, [jɛɾɑz] ("dream") is written երազ. <ե> between two consonants represents /ɛ/ (see above for details).
  2. In the middle of a word, /jɛ/ is written <յե>. For example, [hɑjɛli] ("mirror") is written հայելի. <յե> at the start of a word represents [hɛ] (see below for details).
  3. At the end of a word, /jɛ/ is written <յէ> (never <յե>). For example, [nɑjɛ] ("look!") is written նայէ՛.

/ji/ — յի; occurs in էի

/ji/ is never at the start of a word and is written differently depending on its context:

  1. A disyllabic sequence of a monophthong ([ɛ]) and a diphthong ([ji]) is written <էի>. For example, [ɛji] ("I was") is written <էի>, and [ɡuzɛjin] ("they wanted") is written կ'ուզէին.
  2. Otherwise, /ji/ is written <յի>. For example, [mɑjis] ("May") is written Մայիս. <յի> at the start of a word represents [hi] (see below for details).

/jɔ/ — եօ

/jɔ/ is written <եօ>. For example, [jɔtə] ("seven") is written եօթը.

/ju/ — յու, իւ; occurs in իու, էու

/ju/ is written differently depending on its context:

  1. At the start of a word, /ju/ is written <իւ>. For example, [juʁ] ("oil") is written իւղ.
  2. After a vowel other than [i] or [ɛ], it is written <յու>. For example, [ɡɑjun] ("firm") is written կայուն. <յու> at the start of a word represents [hu] (see below for an example).
  3. The disyllabic sequence of the monophthong [i] and the diphthong [ju] is written <իու>. For example, [mijutjun] ("union") is written միութիւն.
  4. The disyllabic sequence of the monophthong [ɛ] and the diphthong [ju] is written <էու>. For example, [ɛjutjun] ("essence") is written էութիւն.
  5. To write the suffix [tjun], թիւն is used. For example, [kidutjun] ("knowledge") is written գիտութիւն.

/ɑj/ — այ

/ɑj/ can occur at the end of a word only for monosyllabic words. It is written <այ>. For example, [ɑjki] ("field") is written այգի, [mɑjɾ] ("mother") is written մայր and [pʰɑj] ("verb") is written բայ. A polysyllabic word ending in <այ> is pronounced /ɑ/, the <յ> becoming silent (see above for an example).

/ej/ — էյ

/ej/ is written <էյ>. For example, [tej] ("tea") is written թէյ.

/ij/ — իյ

/ij/ is written <իյ>. For example, [ijnɑl] ("to fall") is written իյնալ.

/uj/ — ոյ

/uj/ usually occurs in the middle of a word, and is written <ոյ>. For example, [kujr] ("sister") is written քոյր.

Consonants

The International Phonetic Alphabet shows the consonants, by the corresponding Armenian letter in parentheses. The three-way distinction of stops and affricates in Classical and Eastern Armenian can be compared to the two-way distinction in Western Armenian. Eastern Armenia has ejective stops and affricates. Also, sound shifts of stops and affricates has occurred in Western Armenian.

  Bilabial Labio-
dental 		Alveolar Post-
alveolar 		Palatal Velar Uvular Glottal
CA EA WA CA EA WA CA EA WA CA EA WA
Nasal m   (մ)   n   (ն)          
Plosive VL plain p   (պ)       t   (տ)         k   (կ)        
EJ   pʼ   (պ)       tʼ   (տ)         kʼ   (կ)      
AS pʰ   (փ) pʰ   (բ, փ)   tʰ   (թ) tʰ   (դ, թ)     kʰ   (ք) kʰ   (գ, ք)    
VD b   (բ) b   (պ)   d   (դ) d   (տ)     ɡ   (գ) ɡ   (կ)    
Fricative VL   f   (ֆ) s   (ս) ʃ   (շ)     χ   (խ) h   (հ, յ)[1]
VD   v   (վ,[2] ւ,[3] ու,[4] ո [5]) z   (զ) ʒ   (ժ)     ʁ   (ղ)  
Approximant     ɹ   (ր)[6]     j   (յ,[7] ե,[8] ի[9])      
Flap     ɾ   (ռ)[10] ɾ   (ռ, ր) [11]          
Lateral approximant     l   (լ)          
Affricate VL plain     ts   (ծ)     tʃ   (ճ)            
EJ       tsʼ   (ծ)     tʃʼ   (ճ)          
AS     tsʰ   (ց) tsʰ   (ձ, ց) tʃʰ   (չ) tʃʰ   (չ, ջ)        
VD     dz   (ձ) dz   (ծ) d͡ʒ   (ջ) d͡ʒ   (ճ)        

Notes

  1. ^ i.<յ> at the start of a word represents [h]. For example, յատակ ("bottom") is pronounced [hɑ.dɑɡ].
    ii. Words starting with [həʁ] are written with <յղ>; otherwise, words starting with [hə] and any other consonant are written using <հ>. For example, [həʁ.ɡɛl] ("to polish") is written յղկել, and [həʁɑnɑl] ("to conceive") is written յղանալ; but [hərɛʃdɑɡ] ("angel") is written հրեշտակ, and [həsɡɑ] ("huge") is written հսկայ. An exception is [həsdɑɡ] ("clear"), which is written յստակ.
  2. ^ At the beginning of a word, [v] is written <վ>. For example, [vɑɾuŋk] ("cucumber") is written վարունգ.
  3. ^ i. There is no word starting with the letter <ւ>.
    ii. The letter <ւ> is written in the middle or the end of a word. For example, [ɑvɑz] ("sand") is written աւազ, and [ɡɑv] ("clay") is written կաւ. In the following exceptions, <վ> is written instead of <ւ> to represent the [v] sound:
       a. after the letter <ո>. For example, որովհետեւ ("because") and ապահով ("safe").
       b. When the word is a derivative or a compound word and its second part starts with the letter <վ>. For example, the derivative անվախ (ան-վախ) and the compound word նաւավար (նաւ-ա-վար).
  4. ^ <ու> represents [v] when it is preceded by a consonant and followed by a vowel. For example, նուէր ("gift") is pronounced [nəvɛɾ].
  5. ^ At the start of a word, the sound [vɔ] is written with <ո>, and not <վո>. For example, [vod.k] ("foot") is written ոտք. An exception is the word վոհմակ ("pack" of animals).
  6. ^ In practice, only Armenians in Iran say [ɹ]; Eastern Armenians have shifted the Classical Armenian [ɹ] (ր) to [ɾ].
  7. ^ <յ>, in the middle of a word, represents a palatal approximant. For example, այս ("this") is pronounced [ɑjs].
  8. ^ <ե> represents a palatal approximant at the start of a word or if followed by <ա>; otherwise, it denotes the vowel [e].
  9. ^ i. The letter <ի> represents [j] when followed by <ա>, denoting [i.jɑ], a disyllabic sequence of a monophthong ([i]) and a diphthong ([jɑ]). (See above above for examples.)
    ii. When preceded by the letter <է>, <ի> represents [ji]. (See above for examples.)
  10. ^ Eastern Armenians also use <ր> for the sound because of a sound shift from Classical Armenian [ɹ] (ր) to [ɾ].
  11. ^ Although Western Armenians are taught to pronounce two different rhotics (represented by <ր> and <ռ>), the two have merged in many dialects to a flap consonant.

See also

References

  • Melkonian, Zareh (1990). Գործնական Քերականութիւն - Արդի Հայերէն Լեզուի (Միջին եւ Բարձրագոյն Դասընթացք) (in Armenian) (Fourth ed.). Los Angeles.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

Armenian Orthography converters

  • Nayiri.com (integrated orthography converter: reformed to traditional)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Classical_Armenian_orthography&oldid=796079682"