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”.
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
Author and Text Interpretation: F. Scott Fitzgerald and the Great Gatsby
To fully understand a literary work, we must explore its origins – who wrote it, when and why it was created, and the meanings the author intended to convey. In The Great Gatsby (1925), F. Scott Fitzgerald's personal views, emotions, and thoughts are deeply embedded in the novel's structure and themes. Therefore, to interpret the novel more effectively, we need to consider these influences and how they shape Fitzgerald's stylistic and linguistic choices. This analysis will examine Fitzgerald's narrative techniques, including first-person and retrospective narration, as well as his use of language to establish tone and meaning. Through the linguo-stylistic method of analysis, we will explore his figurative language such as metaphors, similes and other literary tools to uncover deeper layers of expression. Additionally, a cognitive-stylistic approach will help us understand how Fitzgerald's language choices evoke emotions in characters and influence the reader's perception of the novel's themes.
Copyright (c) 2025 Gaiane Muradian, Zaruhi Antonyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Naira Hambardzumyan, Elpis Kesaratsyan. Essays, Poems, Letters
In 2025, the "Edit Print" publishing house published the collection "Elpis Kesaratsyan. Essays, Poems, Letters", compiled and edited by writer, literary critic, candidate of philological sciences, associate professor Naira Hambardzumyan, which was published under the patronage of literary critic, bibliographer Yovsep Nalbandian, within the framework of the "Research in the Fields of Social Sciences, Armenology and Humanities-2024" competition (24SSAH-6B006) of the RA State Committee for the Promotion of Armenian Literature. The book is an important contribution to the restoration, illumination and popularization of the literary heritage of Armenian intellectual women.
Copyright (c) 2025 Albert Makaryan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Language template. The joint functioning of transmitting and influencing language elements in mass media language
The formation of language templates is characteristic of mass communication means. Their usage in mass media language is conditioned by the need to optimize communication and intensify influence. They participate in the simultaneous activation of transmitting and influencing elements. The combination of these elements not only ensures the transfer of information but also aims to shape clear attitudes and exert influence. The linguistic template is primarily a communicative component, while the influencing element is one of persuasion. The analysis shows that the combination of transmitting and influencing elements is a systemic feature of mass media language, most noticeable in genres where information is accompanied by commentary, evaluation, or exhortation. The template, as a linguistic unit, in this context becomes not only a formal component but also a carrier of influence, ensuring the structural and semantic integrity of media communication.
transmitting and influencing language elements
Copyright (c) 2025 Yuri Avetisyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The Concept of “Dance” and Its Word-forming Features in the Literary Armenian Language
This paper is an in-depth and detailed study covering the etymological and semantic features of the root “dance” in different periods of the Armenian language development, as well as the expression of its word-formation possibilities in the literary language. The study is conducted in two directions: diachronic analysis, which examines the semantic evolution of the notion of “dance”; and synchronic analysis of the parsing of compound words with this root. Special attention is paid to the nuances of the meaning of the root “dance”, its polysemy and semantic changes. Also neologisms containing the root “dance” are highlighted, which is important from the point of view of studying the lexical composition of the Armenian language. As research shows, the root of "dance" has not only preserved its ancient meanings, but has also been enriched with new ones, due to cultural and social changes. From the perspective of the genre, it exhibits great diversity, being the basis of many familiar, complex and expressive genres. Some of them have retained their function, while others have become rare or obsolete.
Copyright (c) 2025 Lusine Ghamoyan-Ph.D, Senior Researcher https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The article presents Isahakyan's profound interest in Oriental culture. Already in his native Ghazarapat, Isahakyan had heard the conversations, tales, and songs of the ashughs (folk minstrels), which left a great impact on the young man and contributed to the development of his imagination. On one hand, the romantic impressions received from childhood, and on the other hand, the enthusiasm for the literature of Oriental peoples during his years in Europe, influenced by European philosophers (Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Kant, and others) and writers (Goethe, Béranger, Dumas...), drive Isahakyan toward the cultivation of Oriental folklore. However, the Orient is a universal concept that encompasses within itself the national amalgamation of different nations and peoples (Indian, Chinese, Persian, Japanese, Egyptian, Hebrew...), their language, religion, and philosophy. In the legends, traditions, and tales belonging to these peoples, Isahakyan emphasizes each people's worldview, customs, and traditions. Isahakyan succeeds in highlighting the mentality and behavior of individual peoples and making visible the enduring significance of wise ideas coming from the ancient world.
Copyright (c) 2025 Zhenya Kalantaryan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Figurative expressive means as a subject of comparative study (based on L. Durrell’s “Balthazar” and its French translation)
In this article, the study is carried out within the framework of hermeneutics understood as a comprehensive method of philological analysis of a work of verbal creativity. As the art of interpretation, philological hermeneutics aims to uncover both the content and the expressive layers of a literary work. The goal of the article is to explore the aesthetic impact of figurative expressive means present in a work of literature by conducting a comparative analysis of the original and its translation. In this framework, the translation is treated as a parallel text, whose comparison with the original enables to identify expressive and aesthetic elements that might otherwise go unnoticed if examined within the framework of a single linguistic context. The study focuses on the English original of Lawrence Durrell’s “Balthazar” and its French translation. Through detailed analysis of examples, the article demonstrates that the full potential of figurative expressive means is most effectively revealed through comparative analysis. Moreover, comparing the translation with the original not only highlights the figurative richness of expressive means in the source text but also enhances their aesthetic impact upon the reader. It stands to reason to believe that the effective realization of the goal set in the present article will contribute to the solution of the all important linguistic problem of understanding and interpreting a work of Verbal art.
interpretation of a work of verbal creativity
Copyright (c) 2025 Anoush Ayunts https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Writer’s Intention and Reader’s Interpretation from an Integrative-Methodological Standpoint
The present article targets the methodologies of literary text analysis with an emphasis on the exploration of writer’s intention and the way it is interpreted by readers. The main approaches covered in the present study are cognitive-stylistic analysis of texts with the objective of evaluating the aesthetics and disclosing the authorial intention of the text, hermeneutic interpretation with the purpose of studying the reader’s understanding of the text under discussion. The study of metaphors coined in J. London’s novel “White Fang” and the comparative analysis of their Armenian equivalents distinguished in the respective translation revealed that the integration of cognitive-stylistic, semantic and hermeneutic methods into the examination of literary texts contributes to the revelation of the author’s intention and determination of its interpretation. It can also be a possible solution for defining the criteria to assess and determine the aesthetic value of texts in the domain of verbal art.
author, reader, cognition, aesthetics, hermeneutics, stylistics.
Copyright (c) 2025 Seda Gasparyan, Nelli Sargsyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Neomyth and Deconstruction: the Courtly Narrative and its Transformation in John Updike’s «Brazil»
This article examines John Updike’s «Brazil» (1994) as a postmodern transformation of the Tristan and Isolde myth within the framework of magical realism and postcolonial discourse. The study hypothesizes that Updike does not reproduce the canonical narrative, but deconstructs it, presenting courtly love as resistance to societal norms, racial hierarchy, and gender constraints. The aim is to analyze how the novel reconfigures key mythopoetic elements–archetypes, sacred objects, ritual, and liminal space–through narrative inversion and symbolic reinterpretation. Particular attention is given to onomastic symbolism, the theme of embodiment and initiation, and the replacement of medieval ethics with contemporary identity politics. The methodological approach combines hermeneutics, structuralism, and postcolonial theory, alongside tools from comparative mythology and literary semiotics. The article argues that «Brazil» functions as a neomyth – a syncretic philosophical parable where the miraculous emerges not from divine intervention but from the human capacity to transgress. In reimagining the legend through a poetic of hybridity and transformation, Updike’s novel challenges traditional conceptions of love, fate, and the heroic, revealing how myth adapts to modern cultural and historical contexts.
Copyright (c) 2025 Natalie Gonchar-Khanjyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Ecolinguistic Spirits in the Language Environment of the Republic of Armenia
In the article, we have used the international achievements of ecolinguistics (also linguistic futurology) and have tried to comprehensively and in accordance with international standards present the language environments of the Republic of Armenia and the Diaspora as a component of the human - nature - language ecosystem․ We aimed to present the peculiarities and “concerns” of the Armenian language to the civilized world in the context of “problems of the Armenian language or Armenianness?”․ During the writing of the article, as a starting point, we chose problematic linguistic realities with functional difficulties, analyzed the external and internal factors negatively affecting the national environment, the process of culturalization of speech, political and social dangerous layers, and recorded eco-end results. As a result of our study, we came to the conclusion that the functional scope of Armenian in the language environment of the Republic of Armenia has expanded, and today the degree of purity and preservation of Armenian is determined by the “eco” complex. The final motto is that one of the main tools for regulating the relations of the Republic of Armenia with the outside world and numerous countries with Armenian communities is the linguistic-cultural component.
Copyright (c) 2025 Candidate of Philology, Associate Proffessor at YSU Chair of Armenian Languager, Zarik Aghajanyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
While re-analysing the pronouns of Modern Armenian in a new way, S. Abrahamyan classified and categorized them. According to the scholar, the classification of pronouns should be based on how the object or quality is expressed within them and what kind of relationship they indicate. Based on this principle, the Armenologist introduced modifications to the system of Modern Armenian pronouns by merging certain types and renaming others. As a result, he differentiated six types of pronouns: personal (subject), demonstrative, reciprocal, definite (general), indefinite (partial), and interrogative-relative (absolutely indefinite). He revised the definitions of personal and demonstrative pronouns and unified the definite and negative categories. He identified the morphological and syntactic features of pronouns and, as an entirely new contribution to the Armenian grammar, examined their structure, word-formation significance, and stylistic usages.
Copyright (c) 2025 Anna Abajyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Demotivational meaning of words in the Armenian language
During the historical development of a language, the semantic structure of a compound word can change, which can lead to a blurring of the word's complex structure, even to its loss. This phenomenon is called demotivation. The formation of the meaning of a compound word is based on its internal form and its motivation. The internal form of a compound word can be very clear and easily understood by native speakers of a given language. This is true for the vast majority of compound words. However, under certain conditions, language tends to obscure and lose both the word-formation and semantic connections within a compound word. Sometimes, the internal form is virtually lost, resulting in a loss of understanding of the compound nature of the word. This article examines the main reasons and stages of demotivation of the meaning of words in the Armenian language.
Copyright (c) 2025 Manuk Felekyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Articulations of the Karabakh Issue in Vano Siradeghyan’s Publicist Writings
This article is dedicated to a systematic analysis of the reflection of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in Vano Siradeghyan's journalistic writings. For Siradeghyan, the Karabakh issue was not merely a topic but served as a starting point for his publicist work and a central axis of his political biography. The article demonstrates how Siradeghyan approached the issue, simultaneously examining its historical, political, geopolitical, and domestic dimensions. The analysis focuses on Siradeghyan's journalistic articles and speeches, in which he criticizes both the strategic shortcomings of the Armenian authorities and the manipulations of international powers. Special emphasis is placed on Siradeghyan's view of the conflict not only as a military or political matter but also as a decisive issue of national psychology and statehood. As a result of the study, it is concluded that Siradeghyan’s journalistic work on the Karabakh conflict stands out for its historical realism, in-depth analysis, and strategic thinking—maintaining its relevance to this day.
Copyright (c) 2025 Hovhannes Hovakimyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Synchronic Descriptions of Old Armenian Sonorants ռ (ṙ) and ր (r).
Old Armenian sonorants ռ (ṙ) and ր (r) served the function of a phoneme (= a meaningful unit) not only in middle, but also at the end of words. This view was supported by previous investigators, as well (E. Aghayan; E. Toumanyan; H. Muradyan). They excluded the possibility that the beginning of a word could be a phonological position for the sonorants ռ (ṙ) and ր (r) on the grounds that native Armenian words and old borrowings could not have started with ռ (ṙ) and ր (r). They, as a rule, acquired an augment. Native IE word ռունգ (< *srungh-) and certain Iranian borrowings (comp. ռազմ, ռահվիրայ, ռամիկ, ռոճիկ, ռոտաստակ) were exceptions to the rule. To begin with, in the synchronic approach the classification of the phonemes does not attach any significance to the fact of whether the given phoneme appears in native or borrowed words. Moreover, the presence of a certain phoneme with a distinctive function in even several words is sufficient to recognize its status as a phoneme. In this regard, there are all grounds to say that the sonorants ռ (ṙ) and ր (r) fully served the function of a phoneme at the beginning of a word, too. As a matter of fact, no allophonic relations could exist between them in any position. The order of the ռ (ṙ) and ր (r) sonorants in the positional forms (= morphs) of certain word roots (= main morphemes) is an indication of morphonological relations between them, hence of the existence of the <Ռ/Ր> (<Ṙ/R>) morphoneme. There are also cases of free variation relation between ռ (ṙ) and ր (r).
Copyright (c) 2025 Vardan Petrosyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Ways to Adapt Foreign Fitness Terms in Armenian Language
This article explores various methods of full Armenianization and positioning of the terms related to the modern fitness industry within the Armenian language. In this context, we aim to create Armenian equivalents for certain terms based on the general development trends of the language. We hope that through consistent and long-term usage, the most effective variants of these terms will become more recognizable. When developing Armenian equivalents for foreign fitness terms, we relied on the Armenian translation of terms related to the muscular system and parts of the human body, as these serve as the foundation of modern fitness vocabulary. In other words, the Armenian equivalents of contemporary fitness terms are primarily based on the precise translation of English terms related to the human muscular system. Many modern fitness terms originate from English descriptions of various movements, postures, and body positions. Therefore, we paid special attention to accurately translating these words into Armenian. In adapting these terms, we employed both calques and semi-calques. We considered another approach to Armenianization of fitness vocabulary – semantic expansion, as hundreds of colloquial expressions commonly used in fitness have evolved into the specialized terms over time. We also studied the experience of the Russian language, where, unlike in Armenian, fitness terminology is already well-established.
Copyright (c) 2025 Rita Saghatelyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Enan­tio­semy is a linguistic phenomenon when one meaning of the same word contradicts another. This phenomenon is present in almost all languages to varying degrees, although there is no clear record of its emergence and development. Studies on enantiosemy have been conducted using the material of the same language family, one language, or comparative analyses have been carried out on the material of different languages. In linguistics, there is no unified approach to understanding, describing, and classifying enantiosemy. The manifestations of enantiosemy have not yet been studied based on the material of the Armenian language, and this article is a unique attempt to fill this gap. The article begins by defining the phenomenon of “enantiosemy” in linguistic literature and then uses the descriptive method to classify words with enantiosemy from Ed. Aghayan’s “Explanatory Dictionary of Modern Armenian” into different groups. The article is significant not only in the sense that, for the first time, words with internal antonyms are identified using Armenian material but also because the material in the article can be used in the future in the teaching of Armenian, lexicography, and comparative studies of Armenian and other languages
Copyright (c) 2025 Mkrtich Mkrtchyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Autobiographical Genre and Autobiography as a Form of Revealing the Theme of Childhood and Adolescence
This article explores the principle of autobiographical writing in Russian literature during the transition from Romanticism to Realism, focusing on key works by Alexander Pushkin and Mikhail Lermontov, as well as later examples from Charles Dickens, Leo Tolstoy, Mark Twain, and J.D. Salinger. It argues that the construction of autobiographical narratives not only reflects the authors' personal experiences but also serves as a lens through which broader societal attitudes—particularly regarding childhood—are examined and critiqued. The novelty of this study lies in its comparative analysis of how different literary traditions grapple with the theme of childhood as both a source of innocence and a site of conflict. By investigating the evolution of autobiographical elements, the article highlights the complexities of character construction and narrative form across cultures. Key problems addressed include the persistent societal attitudes towards children and the moral implications of these views as reflected in literature. The study aims to elucidate how the autobiographical genre serves as a vehicle for exploring identity, innocence, and the tensions between individual experience and societal norms. Ultimately, this research seeks to contribute to the understanding of the interplay between autobiographical writing and thematic development in literature, revealing how the personal is intricately linked to the collective consciousness of a given era.
Copyright (c) 2025 Ruzan Ghazaryan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The Linguocultural and Linguocognitive-pragmatic Approaches to Studying Proverbs and Sayings
The article explores academic approaches to linguoculture, focusing on the interrelations among thought, cognition, and discourse. Specifically, proverbs and sayings are unique expressions of linguoculture, grounded in social cognition. They encompass the distinctive features of linguoculture and function as a means of preserving linguocultural memory. From the perspective of the pragmatic properties of proverbs, the importance of cognitive processes is emphasized. In this context, the significant role of the communicative function of proverbs in discourse should be noted, along with the manifestations of the general and the individual. In light of these considerations, the study of proverbs and sayings at the intersection of linguocultural and linguocognitive-pragmatic perspectives is highly relevant within the framework of contemporary linguistics. Proverbs and sayings are thus studied at the crossroads of categories such as language, culture, cognition and discourse.
Copyright (c) 2025 Nare Shalunts https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Composer, musicologist, musician and collector of folklore, teacher, founder of the Armenian composer school Soghomon Soghomonyan, i.e., Komitas, is one of the national symbols, whose fate is perceived as the fate of the Armenian people. Many studies are devoted to him, but the mysterious image of Komitas continues to be in the center of attention of the Armenian and foreign researchers. The present article briefly analyzes the individual ideological and psychological aspects of Komitas’s letters, presents the deep philosophy reflected in them, where the vardapet appears as a son of his environment and country, as an exceptional musician, who has achieved worldwide recognition, and a highly educated personality with his inner movements and dramatic experiences. The purpose of the article is: a) to examine the multi-layered letters of Komitas as an exceptional tool for revealing the worldview and inner world of a person, b) to comprehend the key messages presented in the letters from the viewpoint of modern artistic consciousness, c) to reveal the process of intercultural communication on the example of Komitas’s letters, revealing the national and universal ideas embedded in them. The objectives of the study are the following: a) to study and comment on the encrypted signs concerning the coincidence of universal and national ideas in the letters of Komitas, b) to examine the phenomenon of the originality of the Armenian culture and musical art in the field of world cultural studies. The study of the material was conducted with the use of comparative-historical, descriptive and analytical methods. The pages of the letters do not fully reveal the secret of Komitas, but the following truth can be formulated: Komitas purified, transcribed to musical notes and created the majestic homeland of our song, whose impeccable and pure existence is undoubtedly a part of the Armenian history and philosophy of being.
the living encyclopedia of Armenian song
Copyright (c) 2025 Yeva Mnatsakanyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Transformations of Publicism in the New Media and Digital Communication Environment
The article explores the transformations of journalism as a unique form of creative activity in the context of new media and digital communication, against the background of the historical functional role of traditional media practice. It argues that the technological advancements of new media have fundamentally altered the forms and methods of communication, impacting the mechanisms of shaping public discourse and influencing public opinion. The article analyzes how social media and digital technologies affect the social and public role of journalism, focusing on phenomena such as the dehumanization of media, audience segmentation, content fragmentation, and the crisis of authority in the digital com­munication environment. It discusses both the opportunities provided by new media for modernizing journalism and the challenges encountered along this path, offering solutions to preserve the ethical and value-based content and meaning of journalism in the digital environment
Copyright (c) 2025 Gor Abrahamyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The Semantic-Pragmatic Characteristics of the Speech Act of Self-praise.
The purpose of the article is to present the semantic and pragmatic features of speech acts expressing self-praise. Unlike praise, self-praise has a negative connotation. It can be expressed through different perlocutionary acts. The purpose of this act is to gain attention and admiration, trying to please the listener and gain his approval with his verbal and non-verbal behaviour, pleasing the addressee. While performing this act, the speaker highlights his merits, successes, skills and qualities in order to present them in a positive light. Self-praise is a type of praise when the speaker addresses a positive assessment to himself, that is, in this case, the recipient of the self-praise acts as the recipient of the praise at the same time. He tries to strengthen his self-esteem, impress others, and establish authority. If self- praise is modest and consistent with the context, it can strengthen the person&#39;s authority, while excessive self-praise can be perceived as arrogance. The intention of a self-praising person is to achieve his goal by trying to gain the approval of the interlocutor, as a result of which his verbal and non-verbal behavior can be expressed even in self-deprecation by using self-humiliating expressions. The implementation of this act is conditioned by the different status and role characteristics of the communicators. The present paper is an attempt to outline the semantic and pragmatic peculiarities of these speech acts.
Copyright (c) 2025 Narine Gasparyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Philological Issues in the Context of Translations of Tasso’s “Jerusalem Delivered”
The article examines the metrical and translation-related debate surrounding two nearly simultaneous modern Armenian translations of Torquato Tasso’s “Jerusalem Delivered,” published by the Mekhitarists in the early 1910s (translated by Arsen Ghazikyan and Atanas Tiroyan). Initially, the discussion revolved around the choice of metrical form, as Ghazikyan translated the poem using the 11-syllable Armenian syllabic verse, whereas Tiroyan employed the “Armenian meter,” which had been widely used since the mid-19th century. To resolve this dispute between the two Mekhitarist translators and reach a reasonable conclusion, another renowned philologist, Hrant Nazaryants, intervened by sending a letter to Arsen Ghazikyan, requesting him to present his views. After receiving a detailed and extensive response, Nazaryants decided to publish it in full, hoping that Armenian philological thought would find it “valuable and intriguing.” Through this, he sought to draw broader attention to key issues in translation studies, especially since the translation of artistic verse was actively developing not only within the Mekhitarist congregation but also beyond its boundaries. Ghazikyan’s analyses are valuable as a systematic attempt to uncover the specific features of the translation process and the causes of translational errors. From this perspective, his observations align with the approaches of prominent translation theorists of the second half of the 20th century, such as Peter Newmark, John Catford, Jiří Levý, and others.
Copyright (c) 2025 Ashkhen Jrbashyan, Ashot Mkryan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The mythoepic tradition and the further development of literature
The subject of the article is the problem of interpreting the further development and kinship of European epics and literature. As is known, indigenous European peoples (Celts, Germans, etc.) create high culture in the Middle Ages, including archaic epics (Anglo-Saxon "Beowulf", Irish sagas, Icelandic "Elder Edda", etc.). Later, based on the already emerging national identity and their own epic tradition, the French, Spanish and Germans also create classic epics such as "The Song of Roland", "The Song of My Side", "The Song of the Nibelungs". Research shows that these archaic and classical epics, to a certain extent reflecting the traditions of Indo-European, ancient and Christian culture throughout their formation, simultaneously influenced and influence the further course of literary development, that is, there are rich realities of both horizontal and vertical connections. They manifest themselves in the constant updating and transformation of ideas, characters, motifs, genres and other compositional units. This complex and rich history of influences, which literary theorists define as "overflows of literature and folklore," dates back to the early Middle Ages and extends to our time.
Copyright (c) 2025 Bulletin of Yerevan University https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Relationships with Language and National Culture (comparative analysis)
The article is devoted to the comparative analysis of Russian and Armenian somatic phraseological units with the purpose of identifying the correspondences and differences between them. An attempt was made to establish a connection between them. An attempt was made to establish a connection between non-verbal language symbols and the corresponding phraseological units. The mentioned thematic group of phrases was specially chosen for the study, because it has an obvious human-centered orientation and for that reason is widely represented in all languages. The study was completely carried out under linguistic and cultural studies, applying the comparative method. Based on the study of specific material, we come to the conclusion that the observed discrepancies between the analyzed units in the two languages ​​are mainly associated with national identity, cultural traditions and the national mentality of the speakers of the compared languages.
Copyright (c) 2025 Bella Khojumyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The scientific interests of the great Armenian poet and literary critic (Doctor of Philology) Paruyr Sevak, starting from his student years, have encompassed a wide variety of writers from the Armenian Middle Ages to early modern and modern periods to contemporary writers, as well as theoretical issues of interest to modern literary criticism. This article focuses on Sevak's interpretation and appreciation of the poetry of the great Armenian poet Daniel Varoujan, which began in his student years and continued in the later years of his life. The article examines Sevak's consideration of Varoujan's work in different years, in particular Sevak's an extensive study of "Varujan's Poetry" in February of 1945. The aim of the article is to show that this study is truly a serious and well-structured literary research--with problem formulation, arguments and conclusions, and an original and new word of Varoujan studies of its time (why not also future studies).
Tumanyan’s Portrait According to Paruyr Sevak
The article highlights the perceptions and criteria by which the author, Sevak, is guided in his study as a literary scholar. Special attention is drawn to Sevak’s analytical method, in which he first identifies the central directions and thematic preferences in Tumanyan's work. These themes take on a generalizing and, to some extent, symbolic meaning. Sevak's analysis does not follow the widely accepted chronological principle; instead, he presents the generalizing and symbolic titles in Tumanyan's work in a sequential manner along what can be seen as a horizontal line. These titles are "Sigh," "With My Homeland," and "Toward the Infinite." Under these headings, Sevak reveals Tumanyan's philosophy of life. Based on these generalizations, the article draws attention to the evaluations Sevak gives of Tumanyan. It also uncovers the principles of Sevak’s approach: comparing Tumanyan with other great figures of Armenian culture, particularly literary giants like Khorenatsi, Narekatsi, and Abovyan. Thus, the article has two layers: Sevak's approach to placing Tumanyan among the greats, and Sevak’s characterization as a literary scholar based on the principles mentioned above.
Yuri Avetisyan, the Modern Armenian Language: Morphology
Signs of closeness and introspection in the poems of Paruyr Sevak's collection "Let there be Light"
The purpose of the research is to define and analyze the sign system of the collection "Let there be Light" by P. Sevak, expressing closeness, formed as a result of Soviet ideological restrictions and conditioned by the introspective aspirations of the author. Consistently solved research tasks involve identifying signs expressing closeness, thematic and ideological separation, clarifying their commonality, and identifying systemic features. Signs of closeness on an introspective basis are also revealed in the cycle "You don’t love anew, you love again", forming self-reflective images of longing for oneself, reconciliation with oneself, self-denial, introspection and self-pity, self-deception, self-love and "suicide" and other artistic manifestations of closeness and stiffness. Among them, images of a closed door of a loved one, woman as a reserve, the inaccessibility of a woman with the features of the Mother of God, the apparent certainty and indefinite infinity of the horizon image, the dilemma between duty and feelings can be considered. Sevak's famous formula " You don’t love anew, you love again " is also seen as an image of a vicious circle. The relevance of the research is due to the modern methodological approach - a combination of structural-semiotic and mythocritical methods, as well as the need to choose a new perspective in the study of the ideological and aesthetic system of Sevak's well-studied collection "Let there be Light" and the formulation of a new interpretative hypothesis.
Paruyr Sevak's novel “Amanej” as a narrative structure
In the article titled "Paruyr Sevak's Novel “Amanej” as a Narrative Structure," we attempted to analyze Sevak's unfinished novel “Amanej” using the main approaches of narratology, which involves the structural analysis of narrative works. The aim of narratology is to study the structure of narrative works and the artistic functions of the story. The aim of this article is to examine P. Sevak's unfinished prose work as a completed narrative structure by analyzing the structural layers of the novel according to R. Barthes' theory. As a result of the research, we reached the following conclusion: By analyzing P. Sevak's novel “Amanej” using the structural theory of narratology and examining the narrative layers identified by R. Barthes, we observed that P. Sevak's unfinished novel, with its preserved sections, can be considered a narrative structure with distinct narratological layers. Through the original variations of its ideological system, it achieves a high aesthetic resonance.
Sevak՚s Interpretation of the Poetic Series (“Let There Be Light”)
The poetic series represents a unique system of textual construction and imagery, expanding the artistic sound-based meaning-speech imagery-thought-formulation system through the juxtaposition of similar structures in diverse forms, thus creating a polyphonic (multi-voiced) domain for presenting the theme. The possibilities for aesthetic perception are much more intrinsic and content-bearing. Paruyr Sevak's "Let There Be Light" collection is the poet's "artistic testament-summary," where he presents his creative system, bringing together all areas of his concerns regarding the world, reality, and people. The textological and comparative analysis of this multi-layered poetic series allows us to conclude that the "Let There Be Light" series, following all the rules of classical perception—unified theme, chronological identical domain, lyrical hero’s personality unity, harmonious imagery, structural rhythmic completeness—attains emphasized individualized layers in the Sevak's interpretative domain. It manifests a unique application of intertextuality, a novel interpretation, the personalization of the lyrical hero across all series, and a pronounced, specialized, concrete poetic rereading of universal themes with the multi-tiered elaboration of the subject. The series is also interesting because each separate series within this "large" series can be and is a complete whole, yet based on the aforementioned main features of the series, it forms part of a broader, comprehensive problematics, thus representing one cohesive idea's artistic presentation. Another characteristic is that each sub-series within the overall series includes other sub-sub-series—series within a series, series within a series within a series—that also appear with their specific and general attributes. In other words, while the poetic series is usually perceived as a unidirectional developing and expanding process, in this case, we encounter an original "woven" structure, where the thematic-ideological, structural linearly predictable flow is periodically interrupted by the introduction of seemingly unexpected new thoughts, images, and the lyrical hero, ultimately presenting a situation that fits within the general logical framework of the series, thus creating a new shade, a new perspective. This article is one of the manifestations of textological research in this field.