Armenian Language

Historical Dialects

In 1909, linguist Herachyah Adjarian surveyed many of the Armenian dialects in what is now present day Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Iran, and other surrounding countries settled by Armenians. Unlike the traditional dialect division of Armenian into western and eastern dialects, Adjarian divided Armenian into three main dialects based on which indicative particles are used. He labeled them as the -owm dialects, gë dialects, and -el dialects. These three major dialects were further divided in sub-dialects.

-owm Dialects:

• 1. Yerevan, Doğubeyazit, Tabriz (Kala and Lilava quarters), Gavar, Kamo
• 2. Tbilisi (Havlabar quarter)
• 3. Shusha, Ganja, Shaki, Baku, Derbent, Agstafa, Dilijan, Vanadzor, Qazakh, Lori, Karadagh, Mujumbar, Tabriz (Lilava quarter), Burdur, Ödemiş
• 4. Shamaki, Quba
• 5. Astrakhan
• 6. Julfa, Isfahan (New Julfa quarter), Shiraz, Hamadan, Bushehr, Tehran, Qazvin, Rasht, Bandar-e Anzali
• 7. Aşağı Əylis, Çǝnǝnǝb, Yuxarı Əylis, Yuxarı Əndǝli, Danagyrt, Urmis, Dasta, Kyalaki

gë Dialects:

• 1. Erzerum, Kars, Gyumri, Akhalkalaki, Akhaltsikhe
• 2. Muş, Sason, Bitlis, Hizan, Ahlat, Erciş, Bulanık, Malazgirt, Hinis, Eleşkirt, Aparan, Eshtia, Ujmana, Toria, Martuni
• 3. Van, Diadin, Mukus, Buşkale, Çatak, Basargecher
• 4. Diyarbakır, Lice, Hazro, Kozluk, Hizan, Siverek, Şanlıurfa
• 5. Elazığ, Erzincan, Palu, Bingöl, Çemişgezek, Akpazar, Kigi, Tunceli, Kemah
• 6. Şebinkarahisar, Akıncılar
• 7. Trabzon, Bayburt, Gümüşhane, Giresun
• 8. Hemşin, Trabzon, Ünye, Fatsa, Terme, Çarşamba, Samsun, Sukhumi, Sochi, Mtsara, Tsebelda, Adler, Shapsugskaya
• 9. Malatya, Adıyaman
• 10. Saimbeyli, Süleymanlı, Kahramanmaraş, Kilis, İskenderun, Yakacik, Samandağ
• 11. Aramo
• 12. Arapgir, Divriği, Gürün, Darende, Kayseri, Yozgat
• 13. Kemaliye
• 14. Sivas
• 15. Tokat, Amasya, Merzifon, Ordu, Samsun, Sinop
• 16. İzmir
• 17. İzmit, Adapazarı, Yalova, Bahçecik, Geyve, İznik, Pazarköy, Karamürsel, Aslanbey, Ortaköy, Sölöz, Benli
• 18. Istanbul
• 19. Tekirdağ, Malkara
• 20. Nor Nakhichevan, Rostov-on-Don, Stavropol, Krasnodar, Dnipropetrovsk, Anapa, Maykop, Taganrog, Prymorsk, Novocherkassk, Dneprovskaya
• 21. Poland, Bukovina, Transylvania, Hungary
• 22. Jerusalem (K'aġak'ac'i dialect), not in Adjarian but mentioned by Vaux as likely coming from Cilicia

-el Dialects:

• 1. Maragheh
• 2. Khoy, Maku, Iğdir, Kori, Alighuli, Mughanjugh, Karashen, Alilu, Angeghakot, Ghushchi, Tazakend, Uz, Mazra, Balak, Shaghat, Ltsen, Sisian, Nerkin Kilisa
• 3. Artvin, Ardahan, Ardanuç, Oltu