EA Lesson 3

Eastern Armenian Parallel for Lesson 3

PHONETICS

Letters Introduced in Lessons 1 and 2with pronunciation and/or speeling differences in EA

Identical phonetically:
same pronunciation in WA & EA / Identical orthographically: same spelling in WA & EA / Differences in Pronunciation / Differences in Orthography
² ³ [a] / Î Ï / Î Ï:EA—[k]. WA—[g] / ô õ is omitted in RO; instead, the letter ì í is use(see Lesson8).
Æ Ç [i] / î ï / î ï:EA—[t].WA—[d]
º » [ye, e] / º » is excluded from final positions in CO.
¾ ¿ [e] / ¾ ¿ occurs only in initial positions in RO
Ø Ù [m] / Ø Ù / àô áõ:EA—[u].WA—[u, v] / àô áõ in CO sounds [v] before vowels in closed syllables
Ü Ý [n] / Ü Ý
ê ë [s] / ê ë / See details on pronunciation and
ð ñ [r] / ð ñ / orthography in appendices 1, 2, 4, 11, 12, 13.

Reduction of áõandÇ toə

The vowel reduction in EA is regular; the only recommended forms are ïəÝ³Ï ïáõÝ + ³Ï ëəñïÇ ëÇñï + Ç,etc. For the diminutive form of ÙáõÏÙÏÝÇÏ,a parallel form from child language, ÙáõÏÇÏ is acceptable too. Also, this reduction may totoally eliminate the vowel leaving no scwha, e.g., »ñÏÇñ + Ç »ñÏøñÇ, ϳñÙÇñ ϳñÙøñáñ³Ï;thus, the word »ñÏñÇ has two syllables in EA, opposite to three syllables in WA, and ϳñÙñáñ³Ïhas three syllables, opposite to four in WA.Historically, the vowel shift is far advanced in WA compared to EA. Not only the vowels áõ,Ç,and¿(recall,ë¿ñ ëÇñáÛ, ï¿ñ ïÇñ³Ï³Ý), but also ³shifts regularly, for example:

EA / WA [³ ø]
ѳñë³ÝÇù / ѳñëÝÇù
Ù³ï³ÝÇ / Ù³ïÝÇù coll., standard—Ù³ï³ÝÇ

Compare also the three common verbs introduced above: say, do, and be.

EA / WA [³Á][1]
³ë»Ù / Áë»Ù
³Ý»Ù / ÁÝ»Ù
ÉÇݻ٠/ ÁÉɳÙ

On the other hand, WA is characterized with a current trend to eliminate the vowel shift in such common words as ëÇñï, »ñÏÇñ, ëáõï, etc. which is indicative of two different processes. First, it is attrition, a symptom of a language headed for demise. In phonetics, attrition includes the elimination of the aforementioned shift, that is, »ñÏÇñÇ instead of the standard »ñÏñÇ, etc. In declension and conjugation, attrition appears aselimination of irregular forms and their substitution with generalized inflections; e.g., ë»ñÇinstead of ëÇñáÛ.Attrition contributes also to the confusion and/or elimination of the preposition government of noun forms, e.g., ³é³Ýó ëÇñáí instead of the standard ³é³Ýó ëÇñáÛ,etc.

Secondly,WA is moving forward toward a morphologically analytical structure which is evident in subtle changes.[2]There are also some instances when these two trends unite and it is hard to differentiate them, for example, the WA ÉáõÛëݳÉcompared to Grabar and EAÉáõë³Ý³É,has an advanced shift of the thematic vowel in the verbal affix -³Ý, and also eliminates the regular shift ofáÛáõ.

One more note about the vowel shift resulting from the loss of the lexical stress: in EA also itshows trends of dying out; all newloan words containing weak vowels no longer shift whenthey lose the stress, e.g., the computer term bithas genitive µÇÃÇ,[3] though new words, built in common models, maintain the shift, e.g., ѳٳϳñ·Çã, computer, genitive ѳٳϳñ·ãÇ versus WAgenitive,ѳٳϳñ·ÇãÇ.

Sound Frequency and Letter Frequency: The reduction of áõ and Çto ə is expressed in writing in case of hyphenation. The letter ÀÁ is used for the schwa; for example: ëÁñ-ïÇ, »ñ-ÏÁñÝ»ñ, ïÁ-ݳÏ.The letter Á represents one of the most frequent sounds in Armenian, perhaps the most frequent vowel in connected speech. However, as a letter it has a limited use.

The Diphthongs Çõ/Ûáõand»³/ Û³: The CO diphthong Çõ [yu] is spelled Ûáõopposite to economy principles of RO; e.g., ³ñÛáõÝblood; ÙÛáõëthe other, next. The free sound combination Çõ [iv] is spelled with —í(see Lesson 8), e.g.,³ÝÇíwheel; Æí³Ý.

The CO diphthong »³[ya] is spelled Û³—e.g.: ë»ÝÛ³Ïroom;Ù³ïÛ³Ýancient manuscript, journal. Still, they are the same diphthongs. The official transliteration of the letter ÚÛ (Lesson 5) is [y] and consequently, Armenian last names in and from the Republic of Armenia reflects this spelling: гÏáµÛ³Ý Hakobyan, ²ñ³ÙÛ³Ý Aramyan, etc.[4]

GRAMMAR

Noun Number: With the same basic rules for plural, for monosyllabic and for polysyllabic words, EA shows more conservative traits in the following:

  1. Monosyllabic words with the weak vowelsáõandÇshift regularly, e.g., ïáõÝ-ïÝ»ñ, ëáõñ-ëñ»ñ, ëÇñï-ëñï»ñ,whereas in WA ïáõÝ»ñ, ëáõñ»ñ, ëÇñï»ñare all right.
  2. Grabar monosyllabic words with a final -Ýregularly restore it in plural, e.g.: ÙÏÝ»ñ, Ù³ïÝ»ñwhereas in WA ÙáõÏ»ñ, Ù³ï»ñare all right.
  3. Both WA and EA have irregular nouns which follow older rules. There are some differences in irregularities (e.g., WA ÏÇÝwoman follows the regular pattern ÏÇÝ»ñ,versus EA the GrabarϳݳÛù). The irregular nouns are presented in detail in Lesson 12.

Conjunctionsáõ, »õ, ÇëÏ: Practically identical in function and use, áõ and ÇëÏ are more frequent in EA, than in WA. In RO, »õ is spelled ¢ After 1991, the new standard of writing restored the letter õ in the alphabet, and the spelling »õfor this conjunction turned into a new norm. In this book, we use both.

Punctuation: The separation mark[ ª ] µáõÃin WA is often separates subordinate clauses, when in EA comma is used. The exclamation mark [ ~] functions the same way though terms differ: »ñϳñ in WA and µ³ó³Ï³Ýã³Ï³Ý Ýß³Ý in EA.

Interrogative Sentences: Questions with or without question words follow the same patterns in WA and EA. Differences arise from other grammatical and lexical categories. The auxiliary verb ¿, as well as the general word order is more flexible in EA, as mentioned above. Examples:

EA / WA / Translation
ê³ ïáõ±Ý ¿: / ²ë(Çϳ) ïáõ±Ý ¿: / Is this a house?
γïáõÝ ÙáõÏ Ï°áõïDZ: / γïáõÝ ÙáõÏ Ï°áõï»±: / Does the cat eat mice?

The Interrogative wordsáõ±ñwhere to?and áñï»±Õwhere?EA differentiates the question word áõ±ñ for directions, and áñï»±Õ(see the letter Õ in Lesson 8) for locations: e.g.

Question Words / EA / WA / Translation
Direction / ê³ áõ±ñ ï³Ý»Ù: / ²ëÇ áõ±ñ ï³ÝÇÙ£ / Where should I take this?
Location / àñï»±Õ »ë ³åñáõÙ£ / àõ±ñ Ï°³åñÇë£ / Where do you live?

However, in conversational EA áõ±ñ can be used for both direction and location, e.g., àõ±ñ ³ ϳïáõÝ: Where is the cat?The standard is: ²ñÇëÁ áñï»±Õ ¿:Note the colloquial change of the auxiliary verb ¿ into ³. Likewise, áñï»Õ is used in some WA dialects, e.g., þáõñï»Õ Ï°³åñÇë ûñ³ Where do you live? (Giumri-Karin dialect).

Text: Üìºð

ºë ²ñï³ÏÝ »Ù: ÆÙ ³ÝáõÝÝ ²ñï³Ï îÇñ³ïáõñÛ³Ý ¿£ ºë »ñÏáõ ³ÝáõÝ áõÝ»Ù: ÆÙ ÙÇ ³ÝáõÝÝ ¿ ²ñï³Ï, ÇëÏ ÙÛáõëݪ ²ñÙ³Ý: ºí ²ñÇëÝ áõÝÇ Ù»Ï ³Ýáõݪ ²ñÇë: ²ñÇëÝ ÇÙÝ ¿, Ç٠ϳïáõÝ ¿, ÇëÏ »ë ²ñÇëÇ ï»ñÝ »Ùª ²ñÇëÇ ²ñï³ÏÁ: ê³ Ü³ñ»Ý ¿: ºë ï³ëÝÙ»Ï ï³ñ»Ï³Ý »Ù, ÇëÏ Ü³ñ»Ýª ï³ëÝ»ñÏáõ: ܳñ»Ý ëÇñáõ¯Ý ¿: ºë Ù³ïÇï áõÝ»Ù: àõ±ñ »Ý ÇÙ Ù³ïÇïÝ»ñÁ: ܳñ»ÇÝ Ýí»ñ ï³Ù: ÆÙ ÝϳñÁ ﳱ٠ܳñ»ÇÝ: ÆÙ ÝϳñÁ Ïï³Ù:

- ê³ ëÇñáõ±Ý Ýϳñ ¿, ܳñ»°:

- êÇñáõÝ ¿:

- ê³ ÇÙÝ ¿, ÇÙ ÝϳñÝ ¿` ÝíÇñáõÙ »Ù ܳñ»ÇÝ:

- ÆëÏ ²ñÇëÝ áõÝDZ Ýϳñ: ²ñÇëÇ ÝϳñÁ ïáõ°ñ:

Vocabulary Differences

EA / WA
(ųٳݳÏ) / time / ³ï»Ý / time
³½·³ÝáõÝ / last name / ٳϳÝáõÝ / last name
ٳϳÝáõÝ / ³õ»ÉÇ ³ÝáõÝ / nickname
(¹ñ³Ù) / money / ëï³Ï / money

Gayané Hagopian1Armenian for Everyone

[1] The initial sound in these WA verbs derives from the ³ Á historical shift, that is, Áë»Éis from Grabar³ë»Ùto say, Áݻ٠< ³éÝ»Ùto do,ÁÉɳ٠< ÉÇÝÇÙto be. Due of this shift, the letter Á is more frequently spelled in WA. For example, it follows the letteráõ indicating that it sounds [v], e.g., ï³ñáõÁÝ¿Ýfrom the year. In this case too Á replaces the reduced vowel ³; details see in Lesson 13.

[2] For instance, WA has a more stable word order compared to EA, WA makes a wider use of functional words, such as verbal particles and prepositions versus declined and conjugated forms, and in word building, WA has less compounding versus analytical descriptives, etc.

[3] The same is true about words which EA (and WA) has directly borrowed from Grabar versus words which entered the modern standard from vernaculars, e.g., µáõà as stupid does not shift for the genitive—µáõÃÇ, whereas its homonym, meaning the big finger, has genitive as µÃÇ.

[4]Save for common conventions, such as Martiros Sarian, Vahan Terian. I spell my last name Hagopian as it is pronounced in my hometown, Giumri, speaking a WA dialect and as it was written in English by my first teacher of English, Sebuh Dzaghigian, a WA speaking repatriate.