Grabar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| History of the Armenian language (see also: Armenian alphabet) |
| Proto-Armenian (c. 1000 BC)
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| Classical Armenian (from 405)
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| Post-Classical Armenian (c. 500–800)
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| Pre-Middle Armenian (c. 800–1100)
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| Middle Armenian (c. 1100–1700)
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| Modern Armenian (c. 1820) Eastern Armenian Western Armenian |
Grabar (Armenian: գրաբար, meaning "literary") or Classical Armenian is the oldest attested form of the Armenian language. It was first written down at the beginning of the 5th century, and all Armenian literature from then through the 18th century is in the Grabar Armenian language. Many ancient Greek, Persian, Hebrew, Syrian and Latin manuscripts survive only in their Armenian translation. Classical Armenian continues to be the liturgical language of the Armenian Apostolic Church and is therefore often learned by Biblical, Intertestamental, and Patristic scholars dedicated to textual studies. Classical Armenian is also important for the reconstruction of the Proto-Indo-European language, since it preserves many archaic features.
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[edit] Phonology
[edit] Vowels
Classical Armenian has seven monophthong vowels: /a/, /ɪ/, /ə/ (schwa), /ɛ/ (open e), /e/ (closed e), /o/, and /u/ (transcribed as a, i, ə, e, ē, o, and u respectively).
Of its diphthongs, Classical Armenian is notable for 'ow,' spelled <աւ>.
[edit] Consonants
[edit] Orthography
Classical Armenian uses traditional Armenian orthography.
