Armenian Alphabet Introduction¶
In this preliminary unit, you will be introduced to the alphabet and corresponding sounds of Modern Western Armenian.
After completing the activities in this unit, you will be able to:
- identify the names of the 38 letters in the Modern Western Armenian alphabet.
- learn basic orthographic rules of Modern Western Armenian.
- read simple words in Modern Western Armenian.
- type simple words in Modern Western Armenian.
The Armenian alphabet was developed in 405 CE by Մեսրոպ Մաշտոց (Mesrob Mashdots). Legend has it that Mashdots, a monk in the Armenian Church, was sent the alphabet in a vision wherein Christ etched the 36 original letters of the Armenian alphabet on a stone tablet. Barring the addition of two letters (the last two of the alphabet, օ and ֆ) in the twelfth century due to interactions with the Franks in the Cilician Empire, the alphabet of today’s Modern Western Armenian is a dearly-regarded memento from a saint of the fifth century.
Modern Western Armenian’s 38 letters may feel daunting, especially since the alphabet is unique and does not use the Latin letters we are used to seeing in our daily lives conducted in English. Take heart in the fact, however, that the 38 letters correspond to fewer than 38 sounds and that Modern Western Armenian is a mostly phonetic language (as in, it is a language where the written form closely emulates its spoken form, unlike English that includes homophones such as cot and caught). Because Modern Western Armenian’s alphabet includes doubled sounds—the same pronounced sound can be marked by two different letters—we will also be learning the names for each letter so that we can distinguish between letters that mark the same sound when we begin writing.
Mesrobian or Classical Orthography
Western Armenian users still write using all 38 letters of the Armenian alphabet (the 36 letters invented by Mashdots, along with the two latter additions). This writing system is called "Mesrobian or Classical Orthography." Armenians in Armenia use a reformed orthography (known as "Apeghyan Orthography" after the Soviet Armenian philogist who developed it) that was meant to simplify spelling.
As you encounter written Armenian in your life, you may notice two different spellings of the same word! Just know that they are both correct, depending on who you ask...
In this unit, you will be introduced to the Western Armenian alphabet in stages. Please note that you are not being introduced to the letters in alphabetical order, but will instead encounter groups of letters that share certain properties. Let’s begin!