LESSON 4B - VOCABULARY (WESTERN ARMENIAN)

As in Lesson 2 (and 2B), each word is written in Armenian, followed by the English transliteration and then the meaning.

- գավաթ * kavat * cup
- թեյ * tey * tea
- մահճակալ * mahjagal * bed
- ննջել * nënchel * to sleep (note the unwritten ը sound between the first two letters)
- ննջասենյակ * nënchasenyag * bedroom
- հայր * hayr * father
- մայր * mayr * mother
- եղբայր * yeghpayr * brother
- քոյր * kouyr * sister
- որդի * vorti * son
- տղա * dgha * boy
- դուստր * dousdër * daughter
- աղջիկ * aghchig * girl
- սիրել * sirel * to like/love
- երթալ * yertal * to go
- նավ * nav * ship
- շոգեկառք * shokegarrk * train
- տեսնել * desnel * to see
- գտնել * kdnel * to find (verb)
- հիւանդ * hivant * ill, sick
- հիւանդանոց * hivantanots * hospital
- մեծ * medz * big
- ցուրտ * tsourd * cold
- սեւ * sev * black
- ճիշդ * jisht * true, correct

With Armenian words, the stress is always on the final syllable. If the definite article is added, this is not stressed, but the stress is still placed on the final syllable of the word, before the article, eg. շոգեկառք (shokegarrk - train), շոգեկառքը (shokegarrkë - the train), հիւանդանոց (hivantanots - hospital) հիւանդանոցը (hivantanotsë - the hospital).

LESSON 3B - WESTERN ARMENIAN PLURAL AND DEFINITE/INDEFINITE ARTICLE

Plural
In Western Armenian, as in Eastern, the plural is formed by adding the suffix եր (er) to the noun if it is a one syllable word or by adding the suffix ներ (ner) to the noun if it has more than one syllable.

Examples:
- տուն * doun * house, տուներ * douner * houses
- գիրք * kirk * book, գիրքեր * kirker * books
- շուն * shoun * dog, շուներ * shouner * dogs
- սենյակ * senyag * room, սենյակներ * senyagner * rooms
- սեղան * seghan * table, սեղաններ * seghanner * tables

Definite Article
The definite article is the letter ը (uh) added to the end of the noun if the last letter of the noun is a consonant. If the last letter of the noun is a vowel, then the definite article is formed by adding the letter ն (n) at the end of the noun. However, if the noun is followed by a word which begins with a vowel then the letter ն is sometimes used for the definite article, even if the noun ends in a consonant. This is always the case if the noun is followed by the verb 'to be', eg. եմ, ես, է, ենք, էք, են or by the word ալ - meaning also.

Indefinite Article
The indefinite article is the word մը (më) which is placed after the noun, for example: գավաթ մը թեյ (kavat më tey - a cup of tea). The indefinite article is not always used, however, but a noun which is not in the definite article is assumed to be indefinite.

LESSON 2B - SOME BASIC WESTERN ARMENIAN WORDS AND PHRASES

Here are some common Western Armenian words and phrases. In each case, the word or phrase has first been written in Armenian, followed by the English transliteration and then the meaning:

- Բարեւ * Parev * Hello
- Ինչպե՞ս ես * Inchbes es? * How are you?
- շատ * shad * many; much; very
- լավ * lav * fine; well
- շատ լավ * shad lav * very good; very well
- շնորհակալութիւն * shnorhagaloutioun * thanks
- շնորհակալ եմ * shnorhagal em * thank-you (literally 'I am grateful')
- Շատ լավ եմ, շնորհակալ եմ * Shad lav em, shnorhagal em * I'm very well, thank-you
- բարի * pari * good; kind
- Բարի իրիկուն * Pari irigoun * good evening
- Բարի լոյս * Pari luys * good morning
- Բարի գալուստ * Pari kalousd * Welcome!
- Գիշեր բարի * Kisher pari * Good night
- Ցտեսութիւն * Tsdesoutioun (In many Armenian words there is an unwritten ը sound between two consonants. In this case, the word Ցտեսութիւն is pronounced as if it were written Ցըտեսութիւն) * Goodbye
- Իմ անունս Անդրեաս է * Im anouns Antreas e * My name is Antreas (Andrew)
- Պարոն * Baron * Sir; Mr.
- Տիկին * Digin * Madame; Mrs.
- Օրիորդ * Oriort * Miss

Pronunciation guide
The combination իւ is pronounced as if it were written իու - for example in շնորհակալութիւն (thanks).
The combination ոյ is pronounced as if it were written ույ - for example in լոյս (morning).
Իմ անունս (my name) is pronounced as if it were written Իմ անունըս

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LESSON 1B - THE WESTERN ARMENIAN ALPHABET

The Armenian alphabet was devised in the 4th century AD by Saint Mesrop Mashtots - or Mesrob Mashdots in Western Armenian - (Մեսրոպ Մաշտոց) in order to translate the Bible into Armenian. It originally consisted of 36 letters but it now has 38. Western Armenian does not use the և (yev) combination of letters that we learned about in lesson 1. Some of the pronunciations of Western Armenian are different as well. The Western Armenian pronunciations are easier for those used to speaking English, as Western Armenian does away with the tricky, unaspirated consonant sounds, pronouncing them voiced consonants instead.
The 38 letters of the Western Armenian alphabet are as follows:

I'M BACK!

Sorry I haven't made any new posts for a while (almost six years in fact!) but I've noticed that quite a few people are still checking out this site, so I've decided to continue with it.
However, as Western Armenian is now classed as an endangered language, I feel I have a duty to do my bit to help preserve it. Consequently, the next five lessons are going to be in Western Armenian - they will be 'mirror' lessons to the ones I have posted so far on the Eastern dialect. From then on I will continue with lessons in both dialects, side by side with each other. So, if you've been following my lessons so far, why not now continue to learn both the Eastern and Western Armenian languages together?