Bulletin of Yerevan University B: Philology
The "Bulletin of Yerevan University. Philology" publishes scientific articles and studies related to the problems of armenian studies, philology, linguistics and journalism. The journal accepts original articles and comprehensive studies not previously published. Specialists from YSU and other institutions of RA, as well as Diaspora and abroad, are published in “Banber”.
Etymological Study of Some Words in CaucasianPersian
The article discusses some terms of Iranian origin in Caucasian Persian (prev. North-Tati), which aren’t included in Iranian dialectological researches, in particular on the Caucasian Persian language. An attempt was made to track the process of formal changes of these lexemes through phonological rules of Caucasian Persian, as well as through studying the causes of both formal and semantic changes of these lexical units based on detection of their internal laws in the process of language development and in comparison with other Iranian languages.
Copyright (c) 2015 Artyom Tonoyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The Phenomenology of Verbal Negation: The Nomination of Non-Being in Language
This paper reinterprets the traditional understanding of verbal negation by approaching it not as a logical denial, but as a nominative function of linguistic units. It is argued that in natural languages verbal negation is not confined to the framework of bivalent logic; rather, it functions as a multi-layered, pragmatic, and meaning-generating mechanism capable of expressing not only absence but also a range of semantic domains. The paper proposes that negative units do not eliminate or reject reality, but instead name its absence, thereby rendering “non-being” cognitively accessible and communicable. From a phenomenological perspective, it is demonstrated that “non-being” cannot be reduced to mere absence, but constitutes a specific structure of experience given in consciousness. Thus, language does not annihilate reality; rather, it organizes and names all its possible states, including absence.
Copyright (c) 2026 Siranush Hovhannisyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Observations on Some Exoticisms of the Semantic Group "Form of Address - Rank - Title" of Borrowed Iranian languages
Little attention has been paid to the study of specific borrowings in Armenian linguistics. They are also called foreign words, loanwords, or exoticisms. Exoticisms are usually used when referring to phenomena (realia) characteristic of a particular people, relating to its history, geography, and customs. They are found mainly in translated literature, the press, or in works dedicated to that nation - historical works, textbooks, etc. These borrowings can be classified according to various characteristics – origin, semantic groups, frequency, time, etc. Among the exoticisms that have penetrated the Armenian language, a significant number are words from the semantic group "form of address - rank - title" borrowed from various languages ​​- Russian, Turkish, Iranian, Arabic and European. The article examines for the first time the borrowed words of the semantic group "form of address - rank - title" that passed from Iranian languages into Armenian and have a certain frequency of use.
Copyright (c) 2026 Silva Papikyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Semiotic Multilayering in the Armenian Digital Environment: Language, Image, and Public Communication
This article analyzes the semiotic landscape of digital media in Armenia as an independent object of research. Armenian digital media is considered a key environment for identity construction, the digital assimilation of collective societal trauma, and interaction with global media flows in the context of a transitional society. The study focuses on communicative and content practices emerging on digital platforms, which synthesize traditional pictorial codes (Armenian script, khachkar motifs, historical figures) with the linguistic and visual forms of digital culture (memes, success stories, short video clips). The analysis demonstrates that the semiotic system of Armenian digital media is characterized by politicized multimodality, the combinatory use of historical indices, and the rapid development of locally grounded communicative practices. The study is methodologically based on the principles of semiotics and digital humanities research. The data corpus includes qualitative analyses of widely circulated social media content, online media projects, and materials of governmental digital communication.
Copyright (c) 2026 Astghik Avetisyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
On Some Fundamental Differences between Western Armenian and Eastern Armenian Metrics
The article examines a number of fundamental differences between Eastern Armenian and Western Armenian poetry, which became particularly evident in the mid-19th century. This was the period when the first steps were taken toward the artistic development of the spoken (New Armenian) language, and the phonetic, accentual, and pronunciation differences between the two branches of language were also clearly reflected in the forms of poetic speech. Syllabic verse, which was formed in the 10th-12th centuries, developed a number of principles that passed into the poetry of subsequent eras and were substantiated in the theoretical works of the Mkhitarists (Bagratuni, Hyurmuzian, Tiroyan, Khazikyan, and others). The main question that arose during that period was the meaning of stable stresses (constants) in the poetic line and their rhythm-forming function. The Mkhitarists considered it essential to emphasize articulation with stress, while Eastern Armenian poetry of the late 19th century had already abandoned this principle and attached greater importance to the equality of syllables and the syntactic independence of parts. These differences in the rhythmic structure of the two languages ​​did not go unnoticed and even have provided a pretext for unwarranted criticism by Western Armenians. One such example is A. Khazikyan's review (Bazmavep, 1899, No. 4), written on the occasion of a new collection of poems by Al. Tsaturyan. A comprehensive study of the two branches of Armenian poetry reveals that Western Armenian syllabic verse is, in a sense, an intermediate form, combining stress and syllabic principles. This is precisely why Western Armenian poetry is predominantly built on tetra- and trisyllabic parts, since the requirement for stable stress forces poets to use shorter parts, while Eastern Armenian poetry is more inclined to use pentasyllables.
Copyright (c) 2026 Ashkhen Jrbashyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Fabricating Reality and Manufacturing Enmity: Hate Speech and the Construction of War Discourse
The escalation from interpersonal clashes to systemic state violence is a reality skillfully constructed through language. In today's digital world, the line between free expression and deliberate verbal aggression or hate speech has become dangerously blurred, allowing political leaders and media outlets to fuel war-mongering discourse through multimodal means. Therefore, this article explores the complex mechanisms of hate speech and its ability to manipulate public opinion and fabricate consent for hostility. Using discourse analysis (including narrative analysis, critical discourse analysis, and multimodal analysis) as the primary methodology, the study identifies manifestations of hate speech that frame opponents as existential threats through systemic bias and manipulation. The findings suggest that linguistic brainwashing provides moral justification for aggression and emphasize that understanding the nature of provocative language is a vital societal defense. In an era where social media dictates the boundaries of truth, decoding military discourse is essential to countering polarization and preserving a shared objective reality.
Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. of Philology, Professor, PhD student https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Neologisms in Khachatur Abovyan’s Travel Writings
Khachatur Abovyan, bearing the honorary epithet “Great Enlightener,” entered literature not only with works written in Ashkharhabar and the Kanaker dialect, but also in Old Armenian (Grabar). A notable part of his Old Armenian (Grabar) heritage consists of two key works belonging to the genre of travel writing, the first of which describes the history of the ascent to the sacred mountain Masis by the expedition led by Friedrich Parrot, while the second comprises travel notes addressed to his students from Tiflis to Armenia together with Privy Councillor Senator Baron Gan and his wife-from Shulaveri to Lori, Alexandropol, Ani, then to Sardarapat, Armavir, and Ejmiatsin. In these relatively small literary works containing highly important topographical and demographic information, Abovyan employs more than one hundred newly created words by the author, a considerable part of which are neologisms, that is, designations of new concepts—sciences, offices, and realities of state and social life, most of which have become commonly used in modern Eastern Armenian; he introduces into circulation the forgotten native Armenian forms of toponyms renamed by foreign conquerors and provides their etymological explanation. The examined newly created words were formed in accordance with the word-formation and semantic regularities of Grabar. By employing the great potential of word formation in Old Armenian, the writer proves that an important bulwark of preserving linguistic identity is not only the grammatical system but above all the vocabulary, which is capable of reflecting all the changes of the time.
Copyright (c) 2026 Narineh Dilbaryan, Mane Aghajanyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The Mythological Basis of the Character of Ismil in the Epic "Sasna Tsrer"
"Sasna Tsrer" is the only female heroine of the epic, who acts in different functions in both the second and third branches of the novel: in one case as the wife of the Great Melik, in the other as the mother of the Little Melik, which is due to the dual nature of the character. Ismil's character is not rich in terms of motives, but she has a fateful role in the lives of the Sasna heroes. She not only becomes a wife and mother for the Sasna heroes, but also becomes an important counterweight, thanks to which the plot develops with amazing anti-drama harmony. Ismil, like Deghdzun and Khandut, makes a choice for herself as to whom to surrender to, who should give her a son. In the second branch of the novel, Ismil Khatun retains the power characteristic of the queen, the Great Mother. In this regard, in the novel outline of the second branch, Ismil becomes an equal and counterbalancing figure to the image of the wife of the Great Mher or Armaghan. In the third branch of the epic, the image of Ismil in its nature approaches the characteristics of the mother of the twin brothers, which is the second important characteristic of her in the novel.
Copyright (c) 2026 Alina Gharibyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Avetik Isahakyan's “Agha Nazar” Tale and its Western Armenian Reception
In the context of the Brothers Grimm's Brave Tailor, the Greek Mr. Lazarus, the Russian Foma Berennikov and other literary adaptations of the eternal and famous hero type that is widely spread in world literature, the Armenian versions of Brave Nazar, too, have long had their rightful place. Literary developments of this theme are diverse in terms of genre: prose or verse fairy tales, comedy, novels, etc. In Armenian literature it was developed by the classics such as Hovhannes Tumanyan, Avetik Isahakyan, Derenik Demirchyan, Stepan Zoryan, Hamastegh, and among the modern ones are Mkrtich Sargsyan, Hovhannes Grigoryan and Norayr Adalyan... Many valuable studies have been written about these developments by examining them from different perspectives. This paper, however, is dedicated to a work that is still unknown to our reader: it is the fairy tale in verse "Hanum Nazar" by one of the prominent Western Armenian woman of letters Sipil. Up to now only some hints have been made about it but no reference was done to the original source. "Hanum Nazar", by the way, is noteworthy in several aspects . First of all, it was written under the direct influence of Avetik Isahakyan's "Agha Nazar" and is dedicated to Isahakyan himself. Beside, to some extent, it has become its literary parody. Let us note that such a tradition already existed in Armenian literature: it is worth mentioning, for example, the novel-parody "From the Memoirs of an Executive" written by Shirvanzadeh on the occasion of Raffi's "The Golden Rooster" that is dedicated to Raffi's literary anniversary. The primary objectives of our study were to examine, using a comparative method, the plot and compositional similarities and differences between "Agha Nazar" and "Hanum Nazar", and Sipil's deliberate alternation of male/female heroes, which gives the work a completely new tone, making it more intriguing and fascinating. Our important conclusion here is that both authors, albeit in different ways but by their own means have managed to reveal the universal and eternal nature of the vicious phenomenon. Besides, by enthroning the heroine for the first time in "Hanum Nazar", the author also responds to the issue of the so-called "emancipation" of women, ironically presenting the fate of a lazy and undeserving woman who, by a stroke of luck, achieved fame.
Copyright (c) 2026 Albert Makaryan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Classification Of Old Armenian Verb Structures In The Works Of Manuk Abeghyan
Manuk Abeghyan's linguistic research has always been based on the principle of diachronic description. Therefore, he began his study of the grammatical system of the Armenian language with Old Armenian, identifying the common features and systemic differences between Old Armenian and Modern Armenian, including grabar and ashkharabar. Of particular value is his study of the verb systems of Old Armenian and Modern Armenian, characterized by approaches that were innovative for their time. Manuk Abeghyan examined the characteristics of Old Armenian verbs, drawing on the rich linguistic material of classical manuscript sources from the 5th century, particularly the Bible, considered the "queen of translations" of Old Armenian. The renowned linguist provides a detailed description of the impersonal and personal forms of Old Armenian verbs. He reveals that the infinitive and past participle of Grabar often perform the role and function of conjugated verbs. They express predication, are distinguished by rich semantic diversity, become predicates, and their subjects are expressed in oblique cases; genitive, dative, or accusative. This is an important characteristic of the Old Armenian language. Abeghian made fundamental, still relevant, observations on the manifestations of verb aspect in Old Armenian and on the construction of intransitive passive structures. The famous linguist always supported his theoretical grammatical conclusions and classifications with numerous practical examples from ancient literary sources.
Copyright (c) 2026 Narine Dilbaryan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Sociocultural Pragmatic Differences of Complaining in English Shushanik Paronyan
Being a sociocultural phenomenon, language enables people to communicate to other members of the society as well as to one’s inner self. By analyzing verbal behavior, or the communicative aspect of language, Pragmatics highlighted the necessity to reckon certain extralinguistic factors when creating meaning, such as the speakers’ intents, communicative goals, personal attitudes and feeling, as well as their sociocultural characteristics. The aim of this paper is to investigate the communicative-pragmatic peculiarities of complaint in English. Complaint is placed among Expressives, a class of speech acts that state what the speaker feels. On the illocutionary level, complaints express negative emotional message, the complainers’ disapproval about a certain situation or dissatisfaction with some state of affairs. The research of the practical material carried out in this paper shows that complaints, like other speech acts, can be phrased with the help of direct and indirect speech acts. Having an adversative illocutionary content, complaint depends heavily on the principles of politeness that govern the process of communication. The research attempts to illustrate how certain social factors affect the language choice by the speakers in the process of complaining.
Copyright (c) 2026 Shushanik Paronyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Expression of Refutation in Scientific Discourse: A Cross-Linguistic Syntactic Study in English, Russian and Armenian
The article examines the syntactic means by which refutation is expressed in scientific discourse, based on the material from English, Russian, and Armenian professional literature. The relevance of the study is that, despite considerable scholarly attention to lexical and pragmatic devices of academic polemics, the syntactic organization of refutation has so far remained insufficiently explored, particularly from a cross-linguistic perspective, especially with regard to Armenian scientific discourse. The aim of the study is to identify and comparatively analyze stable syntactic patterns through which refutation and counter-argumentation are structured in scientific texts. This is a theoretical, analytical research, grounded by a discourse-functional approach to syntax as well as by the principles of argumentation theory. The empirical material consists of fragments from open-access written academic texts drawn from various disciplines and selected for qualitative analysis. The findings demonstrate that refutation in scientific discourse is predominantly realized through structurally organized syntactic mechanisms, including concessive and contrastive subordinate constructions, subordinate structures with limiting semantics, syntactic distancing, and forms of negation carrying modal-evaluative meaning. Both universal tendencies common to all three languages and stable language-specific differences are identified, reflecting distinctive national traditions of scientific argumentation. The results confirm the view that syntax constitutes one of the key instruments in the realization of scientific refutation and plays an important role in ensuring argumentative rigor and discursive cooperativity in academic texts
Copyright (c) 2026 Ruzanna Karapetyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The Perception of the Pronoun by M. Abeghyan
The article examines M. Abeghyan’s classification of parts of speech, his use of the term խոսք (“word/speech”), and issues related to the part-of-speech status of pronouns, as well as their semantic characteristics. In traditional grammar, it is generally accepted that Manouk Abeghyan’s classification of parts of speech is based primarily on syntactic principles. However, an analysis of pronouns reveals that, alongside syntactic criteria, Abeghyan also takes into account a distinctive semantic-functional feature of these words—namely, that they do not name objects or qualities directly but substitute for entities or features that have already been named. Rather than adhering to the established part-of-speech classifications of his time, Manuk Abeghyan follows European and Russian linguistic traditions, placing at the core of his system principles that reflect the specific characteristics of the Armenian language and aiming to construct an independent classification. As a result, the pronoun is not recognized by Manouk Abeghyan as an independent part of speech (or type of word). Nevertheless, he acknowledges and describes the existence of personal, demonstrative, interrogative, reciprocal, relative, indefinite, and possessive pronouns in Armenian, treating them as distinct subtypes of nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.
Copyright (c) 2026 Anna Abajyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The Scholarly Study of Abeghyan’s linguistic Heritage
Manuk Abeghyan is one of the most prominent figures in Armenian linguistic scholarship, whose multifaceted work played a decisive role in shaping the theoretical and practical foundations of the modern Eastern Armenian literary language. His studies in phonetics, morphology, semantics, and syntax laid the groundwork for a new stage in the scientific examination of Armenian. Abeghyan’s major works—The Theory of the Armenian Language, Grammar of Ashkharhabar, and Syntax of Ashkharhabar—became classics of Armenology, freeing the linguistic description of Eastern Armenian from Classical Armenian models and affirming its structural independence. His contributions to lexicography, including the creation of military and medical dictionaries, opened a new chapter in Armenian dictionary-making. Abeghyan’s principles of orthographic reform, despite the controversies of the time, remained scientifically justified. His linguistic legacy continues to serve as an inexhaustible source for future scholars and stands as one of the foundational pillars of Armenian linguistic studies.
Copyright (c) 2026 Henrietta Sukiasyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Dialectological Value of the Version of the Armenian Epic “David and Mher”, Written by M. Abeghyan
This article presents the linguistic features of the version of "David and Mher" recorded by M. Abeghyan. This version of the Armenian epic was narrated to the renowned Armenologist by Nahapet of Moksa. Linguistic material from the last quarter of the 19th century has survived naturally, without scholarly processing. This version, which summarizes the rather complex phonetic and grammatical system and rich vocabulary of the Moksa dialect, has been comprehensively studied. The study revealed that the dialect possesses unique idioms, lexical units, and verb-adjective formations not found in other dialects of the region. Based on the accumulated data, it is proposed that the 21st century of Armenology will become a period of scientific analysis of the collected epic tales, evaluation of the work of scribes, the creation of a scientific center for the study of variants of tales, perpetuation of the memory and honoring of storytellers, as well as the publication of unpublished and rewritten versions with dialectal scientific transcription. M. Abeghyan's recorded version of "David and Mher" offers extensive material for study not only by philologists but also by specialists in the history of language, dialectology, national psychophilosophy, and other disciplines. The Vatiant contains reliable and substantiated linguistic facts, particularly in its detailed examination of the phonetic, grammatical, and lexical features of the Moks dialect. Figurative expressions, phraseological units, adverbial structures, verb formations, atypical for the grammatical rules of the modern Armenian language, as well as numerous linguistic testimonies transmitted by Nahapet of Moks, testify to the skill of the scribe, to the scientifically based establishment of a connection between the specialist philologist and the narrator, to the desire to obtain from the speaker as much information as possible and to enrich the treasury of the Armenian language.
Copyright (c) 2026 Haykanush Mesropyan, Dr. Sasun Hambartsumyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Research on Theoretical Isuues of Word Formation in the Works of Manuk Abeghyan and Hrachya Acharyan
Due to the need to carry out work aimed at systematizing the theory of synchronic word formation in Modern Armenian language, it becomes particularly important to refer to the views of various linguists who have worked in this field. This study attempts to fill research gaps in this field: based on descriptive-analytical approach the views of two prominent Armenian linguists, Manuk Abeghyan and Hrachya Acharyan, on issues of word formation are examined in general terms and the main similarities and differences are identified. Overall, it can be summarized that Abeghyan’s objective is not only studying the historical development of the Armenian vocabulary and identifying its patterns (in some cases also through comparison with similar phenomena in other languages, primarily Russian and German), but also their scientifically grounded analysis and systematization. In his works, it is difficult to differentiate between Abeghyan, the scholar and Abeghyan, the educator, since his theoretical analysis is organically combined with a purposeful teaching-methodological task and is accompanied by considerable efforts aimed at the systematic and coherent presentation of scientific material. In the case of Acharyan, the approach is different. He does not undertake the development of theoretical issues in word formation, a task that had already been comprehensively addressed by Abeghyan. His primary goal is identifying the patterns and structural features of word formation, as well as uncovering the relationships between them in various languages, particularly in the Armenian language.
Copyright (c) 2026 Varsik Nersisyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Manuk Abeghian’s Linguistic Conception as a Guarantee of the Renewal of Modern Armenian Studies
Manuk Abeghyan was the first to formulate a scientific theory of Eastern Armenian, basing it on the actual structure of our language. Due to the turmoil of the time, individuals educated in the West were pushed into the background, and as a consequence, the valuable scholarly work they had produced was likewise marginalized. Undoubtedly, in the post-Abeghyan period there were valuable and noteworthy studies devoted to Modern Armenian; however, it must be noted that this period is largely characterized as a Russified school of Armenian linguistics. This is because subsequent linguists abandoned M. Abeghyan’s syntax—so closely aligned with the nature of our language and still competitive today, in its logic and fundamentality, with Western schools—and instead modeled the grammar of Eastern Armenian largely on Russian grammar. There is a need to reconsider numerous phonetical and morphological issues that, for various reasons, received distorted assessments in the post-Abeghyan period. This does not mean that questioning or critiquing the views of the scholar M. Abeghyan is impermissible. By no means. Rather, the value that Abeghyan introduced into Armenian linguistics must be duly acknowledged by restoring those principles derived from the essence of our language that the scholar himself revealed. Abeghyan’s theory is interesting and important in terms of its potential. It is a conceptual framework that enables creative work, and the present study represents such an attempt—to reaffirm several essential principles of the Abeghyan doctrine using the most recent methodologies of modern linguistics, including a semiotic approach.
Copyright (c) 2026 Davit Gyulzatyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The Rapprochement of Literary Armenian Varieties:Manuk Abeghian’s Approach and Contemporary Manifestations
The following article examines both earlier and more recent proposals concerning the rapprochement of the two branches of Modern Armenian, tracing these ideas from the nineteenth century to the present. Particular attention is devoted to the approaches of Nahapet Rusinian and Step‘an Palasanian, while special emphasis is placed on the analysis of Manuk Abeghian’s influential article and the positions articulated therein. The process of standardization and the expansion of general usage of the two branches of Modern Armenian have consistently been accompanied by debates over their regulation and the clarification of their boundaries in relation to Classical Armenian. Publications addressing this issue have repeatedly advanced ideas of rapprochement and, in some cases, even unification of the two branches, both within Western and Eastern Armenian contexts. Manuk Abeghian’s programmatic article is especially significant in this respect, as it proposes a set of clearly formulated measures aimed at bringing the two branches of the language as close as possible to one another, emphasizing not only their linguistic and national importance, but also their broader social and economic implications. Various approaches to the selection of grammatical forms, lexical usage, and syntactic structures are proposed and critically discussed. Abeghian’s contribution to this linguistic and literary movement is further evidenced in his article “The Problem of the Unity of Our Two Literary Languages.” The second part of the article presents concrete examples drawn from the Armenian-American milieu, demonstrating that proposals advanced since the mid-nineteenth century have, to a certain extent, found practical realization in contemporary usage. In the American context, the two branches of Armenian, developing with a degree of autonomy, acquire lexical, syntactic, and phonological features that differ from both Eastern and Western Armenian. These features emerge as a result of mutual interaction between the two branches as well as their relatively equal exposure to the influence of English.
Copyright (c) 2026 Norayr Poghosyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Terminological Shifts: Mass Media or Mass Communication Media?
In the contemporary Armenian media landscape, the replacement of the component լրատվություն (“information”) in the term ԶԼՄ (զանգվածային լրատվության միջոցներ — mass media) with the term հաղորդակցություն (“communication”), that is, the shift to ԶՀՄ (զանգվածային հաղորդակցության միջոցներ — means of mass communication), is caused by structural and functional transformations of the system, as well as by the factors that have triggered these transformations. The term communication implies not merely—or not only—one-way transmission of information, but communicative interaction involving the active participation of the audience and processes of perception and interpretation (a functional shift). The concept of mass communication encompasses not only the classical information media (the print press, radio, television, news agencies), taking into account the changes they have undergone, but also new online communication platforms (electronic press, communication tools in social networks, etc.), thus reflecting structural changes. In contemporary scholarly discourse, the term communication predominates in international practice. From a strictly linguistic perspective, due to the semantic and functional inadequacy of the term information, the communicative role of the media is either ignored or, at the very least, relegated to the background (terminological normalization). Today, the disciplinary study of media is no longer confined to journalism alone: media are also examined within communication theory, sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, cultural studies, and other fields (a methodological argument). In Armenian media linguistics, the term mass media is preferred when referring to traditional media institutions. In all other cases, it is advisable to use means of mass communication. The term media has not yet acquired a standardized equivalent in Armenian and is employed as needed; time will clarify both its status and its sphere of usage.
Copyright (c) 2026 Yuri Avetisyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Typological and Contrastive Study of Models Describing the Noun Declension System of Armenian Language
This article typologically evaluates and compares the five-case and seven-case models of scientific description of the noun declension system of the modern Eastern Armenian literary language. Using facts, arguments, and logical analysis, it demonstrates the obvious advantages of the former and the numerous shortcomings of the latter. These models are also compared with the seven-case model of Grabar (Old Armenian literary language), demonstrating that the seven-case model of Ashkharhabar (New Armenian literary language) is an artificial, forced adaptation of Grabar, as well as Latin and, to some extent, Russian models, whereas the five-case model is independent of other models and adequately reflects the noun declension system of the modern Eastern Armenian literary language. The conclusion is the need to completely abandon the seven-case model in the education system and restore the five-case model. The problem is pressing because the seven-case model is not only unscientific but also violates a number of pedagogical principles and requirements. This problem is not new in Armenian studies. However, this analysis is conducted in a new way, using the modeling method and typological method of scientific analysis, drawing on a number of new arguments.
Copyright (c) 2026 Hovhannes Zakaryan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The Participles in Manuk Abeghyan's «Grammar of Grabar»
The present study is devoted exclusively to Manuk Abeghyan’s interpretation of Classical Armenian (Grabar) participles. The research examines the morphological characteristics of participles and, where necessary, addresses their syntactic functions, since Abeghyan occasionally considered these issues as well. Over a century has passed since the publication of Abeghyan’s Grammar of Grabar, and numerous extensive studies proposing new approaches have appeared in the meantime. For this reason, the present work also takes into account more recent scholarly opinions, offering a comprehensive review of the current academic discourse. In particular, the Grabar future participle with the suffix -ots is dependent in nature and functions exclusively within compound tense forms of the indicative and subjunctive moods, lacking independent usage. This contrasts with the past participle, which is semi-independent. However, Abeghyan’s grammar provides examples in which the -ots future participle appears to function independently; we believe that in such cases it has been confused with the oblique case form of the past participle, requiring further clarification. In Abeghyan’s treatment of the future participle, no mention is made of the -i variant, which is instead discussed under the present-subjunctive participle. Although Grabar texts indeed contain instances where this form is used with a present-subjunctive meaning, it is predominantly a future participle with independent usage. The four Grabar participles—the indefinite, the present (or subjunctive), the future, and the past—have largely preserved their core participial meanings and word-formation characteristics, albeit with certain morphological and semantic modifications across historical periods. Taken as a whole, Manuk Abeghyan’s Grammar of Grabar has not lost its relevance to this day and remains one of the most important foundational sources for the scientific description of Classical Armenian grammar. Its enduring value lies in its detailed analysis and systematic presentation, which continue to inform contemporary linguistic research.
Copyright (c) 2026 Tereza Shahverdyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Discourse-Pragmatic Functions of Appositive Relative Clauses as Parenthetical Constructions
This paper examines the discourse functions of appositive relative clauses (ARCs) based on Chafe's (1976) information-packaging theory, which suggests that the information status of the main clause (MC) and that of the ARC differ significantly, inasmuch as the main clause conveys foreground content while ARCs provide background information, with the former playing a decisive role in the interpretation of the overall utterance. While ARCs have so far been thoroughly studied morphological and syntactic points of view, their semantic representation and pragmatic interpretation have received comparatively less attention. Based on Loock's (2010) classification, three main types of ARCs are identified: continuative appositive relative clauses (CARCs), relevance appositive relative clauses (RARCs), and subjectivity appositive relative clauses (SARCs). While RARCs and SARCs generally provide supporting details and background information, CARCs are unique in that they present events on the same informational level as the main clause, effectively placing both parts of the sentence in the foreground. This blurry demarcation line between main and subordinate clauses shows that ARCs are far more than supplementary details; they considerably contribute to the meaning of the utterance through establishing a number of semantic and chronological relations between clauses. These inter-clause connections including, but not limited to, causality, consequence, contrast, or concession shape the semantic weight of ARCs and reveal variability of their illocutionary force across contexts and interlocutors.
Copyright (c) 2026 Astghik Chubaryan, Marine Evoyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The Mythopoetic Image of the World in the Poetry of Avetik Isahakyan
The mythoportic image of the world has a unique manifestation in poetory. Being a secondary elaboration of the world through sign systems, it is mainly anchored on the initial mythological worldview, archaic structures and archetypes (Топоров 1992, 161). Poetic speech is metaphorical, and writers often unwittingly use the universal sign systems of folk thinking, creating new ones on their basis. Isahakyan's lyrics have repeatedly been the subject of analysis in the works of Armenian literary critics, the rich ideological and content layers that receive various artistic manifestations in poetic speech have been examined. Our starting point in this case is the discovery of the mythical notions at their origins through the examination of certain symbolic representations in Isaakyan's mythopoetic picture of the world: in certain expressions of man and the universe, space and time, sound and silence, their interpretation and reformulation in a unique poetic world of Isaakyan.
Copyright (c) 2026 Nvard Vardanyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Folk Genres in the Collection "A Thousand and One Songs," Compiled by Manuk Abeghyan and Komitas
Manuk Abeghyan continued the important work begun by the great educator Khachatur Abovyan during his collaboration with the brilliant Komitas at the Gevorkian Seminary, which greatly contributed to the transmission of folk songs to future generations. Abeghyan was an outstanding folklorist: he was perfectly familiar with significant works of world folklore and skillfully selected the materials that should be recorded and the precise lexical variant in which they should be transmitted to succeeding generations. Thus, Abeghyan promoted the continuity of folk artistic thought, a cause to which were devoted not only the immensely valuable publications of the originals but also the theoretical and scientific justifications. The songbook "A Thousand and One Songs," compiled by M. Abeghyan and Komitas, is one of the monuments of Armenian culture, possessing enduring value.
Copyright (c) 2026 Aelita Dolukhanyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Manuk Abeghyan - the Prototype in Memoirs
Memoir (French: mémoires) is the recollection of past events and personalities of interest. Many memorial pages have been written about Manuk Abeghyan, through the lines of which emerges the portrait of the great scientist, which is a collection of constantly changing states. In this genre, the portrait is completed by several principles, the most essential of which is perhaps the memoirist’s first impression. The authors portray the prototype’s portrait by accounting for external features, sometimes highlighting his eyes, face, cheeks, smile, gaze, voice, and so on. The prototype’s portrait is completed in several ways: by character traits, posture, mannerisms, inner qualities, and manifestations of mental processes, which are woven together with different stylistic-linguistic foundations. The author of the memoir, however, may ultimately have a subjective viewpoint. Often, the narrative of memory is constructed with difficulty due to a lack of clear recollection.
Copyright (c) 2026 Ashot Galstyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Decoding Digital Hostility: Non-Verbal Mechanisms of Hate Speech in Electronic Discourse
The study investigates how non-verbal elements such as emojis function as vehicles of hate speech in digital communication. While hate speech has traditionally been defined through verbal or textual aggression, contemporary online environments reveal a broader, multimodal landscape where hostility is often conveyed implicitly through images, icons, and affective cues. Drawing on qualitative multimodal discourse analysis, this research integrates approaches from critical discourse analysis and social semiotics to examine how the mentioned non-verbal sign contributes to the expression and circulation of hate in electronic discourse. Data are drawn from publicly available media posts and analysed for recurring semiotic patterns, cultural symbolism, and the interplay between textual and visual modes. The study explores how users employ non-verbal cues to reinforce stereotypes, exclude social groups, or express aggression. By illuminating the subtle ways hate operates beyond language, this research emphasizes the need to expand definitions of hate speech to encompass multimodal dimensions of online communication. Ultimately, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of how digital symbols shape affective interaction and ideological meaning in contemporary electronic discourse.
Copyright (c) 2026 Anna Karapetyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The Imagery of Longing and Withdrawal in Short Stories of Armen Daryan
The short stories of the Lebanese-Armenian writer and translator Armen Daryan that explore the phenomena of longing and estrangement occupy a distinctive place in his literary legacy. Examining the thematic and structural features of the stories, the article notes that the compositional parts and their interconnections in Daryan’s artistic system are created with a specific intention for character formation. The aim of the study is to identify the methods of depicting images of longing and symbols, as well as the mechanisms of withdrawal. The research addresses the following tasks: (a) to analyze the ethnocultural symbolism of longing; (b) to interpret the anthroponyms and the particularities of their use; (c) to examine the issue of withdrawal in the context of the relationships between elderly characters and their adult children. The methodological basis of the study includes analytical and comparative approaches. The symbolic layer of the stories is examined through ethnocultural and anthropological perspectives; the anthroponymic material is interpreted by means of linguopsychological onomastic analysis; and the formation of the characters’ longing is approached through the socio-psychological model of the “stranger complex.” The scientific novelty of the research lies in its interdisciplinary approach to the concepts of longing and withdrawal in Daryan’s prose, as well as in clarifying their role in shaping the author’s artistic system.
Copyright (c) 2026 Նաիրա Բալայան https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The Concept of Time in the Novel ''Charlotte's Web'' by Elwyn Brooks White
Nature is a prevalent theme in American literature, commonly associated with children's literature. One of its common features is the personification of animals, which allows for the re-creation of characters, situations and events reminiscent of the unreal world, yet grounded in elements of real life. Authors often infuse these narratives with fundamental philosophical ideas, interpreting them through storytelling. The created text often carries a most important characteristic feature of a fairy tale: wonder. E. B. White’s work is a unique combination of these features because it condenses their essential elements, and the last of the components has multiple, and even opposite forms of expression which makes the novel more interesting and unique, offering wide possibilities for interpretation.
Copyright (c) 2026 Natella Hovakimyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The article examines the English translations of the poetry of the Western Armenian distinctive and prematurely deceased poet Petros Duryan (1851–1872), produced by both Armenian and American translators, which have not yet been studied by Duryan scholars at all. The study identifies the main difficulties encountered in the translation process and presents the translational value and comparative characteristics of the existing versions. It is well known that Duryan’s poetry is distinguished by its lyrical density, delicate sensitivity, sonority, and vivid imagery. Consequently, it is evident that conveying all these qualities into the target language is by no means an easy task. As a result, the study reveals frequent instances of discrepancy between form and content in the translations. The article encompasses all currently available and most comprehensive English translations of Duryan’s poetry known to readers. The theoretical framework of the research is based on Roman Jakobson’s theory of equivalence, George Steiner’s hermeneutic approach, as well as on the ideas of Susan Bassnett and other contemporary theorists, while the selection of the material is primarily aligned with the translations made by an American journalist and public figure Alice Stone Blackwell. Special attention is devoted to the semantic accuracy of the English versions and the transmission of Duryan’s distinctive lyricism. The study concludes that the most complete and faithful translation of Petros Duryan’s lyric poetry was accomplished by, a distinguished American Armenologist and professor at Harvard University James R. Russell in his voluminous collection Bosphorus Nights (2005).
Copyright (c) 2026 Haykanush Sharuryan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The Notion of Absurdity in Albert Camus's "The Myth of Sisyphus"
The present research is an attempt to analyze "The Myth of Sisyphus" by Albert Camus on the stylistic and literary levels, giving a general notion about Camus' approach to absurdity. The original book is in French but the translation is too close both in style and vocabulary, consequently making it possible to be a subject of analysis. First Camus explains what absurd means, how a person obtains it, and then represents some ways out of absurdity, which are suicide and leap of faith. The author rejects both of the attempts of making life meaningful, thus, giving his own solution to the problem, which is recognition. For Camus, the meaningful life lies in recognizing the following: life itself is meaningless and you are the one who can make it meaningful. At the end of the work Camus puts his theory into practice by representing Sisyphus, an absurd hero, who is the main character of the book.
Copyright (c) 2025 Naira Avagyan, Ita Zakalashvili https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0