Armenian dialects


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

Classification des dialectes arméniens is a 1909 book by the Armenian linguist Hrachia Acharian, published in Paris. It is Acharian's translation into French of his original work 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.
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, he divided Armenian into three main dialect groups based on the present and imperfect indicative particles that were used. He called as the -owm dialects, -gë dialects, and -el dialects.
After the Armenian genocide, linguists Gevorg Jahukyan, Jos Weitenberg, Bert Vaux and Hrach Martirosyan have extended the understanding of Armenian dialects.

Map

List

''-owm'' dialects

''-el'' dialects

''-gë'' dialects

Tree

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