On November 14–15, the Armenian Studies Department of Pázmány Péter Catholic University (PPCU) in Budapest hosted its first linguistic conference, “Armenian Dialects: Archaisms and Innovations.” This significant event was initiated through the collaborative efforts of PhD student Inessa Arustamyan and her academic supervisor, Professor Hrach Martirosyan, marking a notable stage in the study of Armenian linguistics.

The conference opened with a warm welcoming speech from the head of the Armenian Studies Department, Professor Bálint Kovács. He highlighted the establishment and achievements of the Armenian Studies Program at PPCU and expressed heartfelt gratitude to the organizers for their dedication. Professor Kovács wished the participants a productive and engaging conference, setting a tone of academic collaboration.

The first session began with an introductory presentation by Professor Balázs Surányi, head of PPCU’s Doctoral School of Linguistics and Department of Theoretical Linguistics. Professor Surányi shared his comparative insights into the grammatical and phonological parallels between the Armenian and Hungarian languages, challenging the traditional view of these languages as entirely isolative. Professor Balázs’s discussion set the stage for the diverse linguistic topics that followed.

Next, Professor James Clackson of Cambridge University shared his research about ancient Armenian dialects. In his speech, Dr. Clackson particularly focused on the variations in the early Armenian inscriptions and provided vivid examples of Armenian authors who used dialectal variants in their manuscripts.

The focus then turned to Professor Andrea Scala from the University of Milan, who explored the rarely studied Kʻabusie dialect of Western Armenia. Dr. Scala’s detailed analysis explored the grammatical and morphological structures unique to this dialect, offering a fresh perspective on its origin and development.

Continuing the theme of preservation, Victoria Khurshudyan from INALCO Paris, a key member of the DALiH project, shared her work on digitizing Armenian linguistic heritage. Her presentation outlined the process of collecting and cataloging dialectal data, emphasizing the importance of the Digital Linguistic Platform in protecting and making these dialects accessible to researchers and the wider public.

Professor Hrach Martirosyan, head of the Academy of Armenian Studies research project and a co-organizer of the conference, addressed the historical evolution of Armenian dialects. He elaborated on their literary attestations and etymological patterns, providing a rich historical framework for understanding the linguistic shifts over time.

PhD student and conference organizer Inessa Arustamyan presented her comparative research on numerals in Armenian dialects, with a particular focus on the Artsakh and Aṙtial dialects. Inessa highlighted their etymological and grammatical parallels, drawing fascinating connections between these geographically distant dialects.

Adding a colorful dimension to the discussions, Arpine Andreasyan, a member of the “Zangak” publishing house in Yerevan, explored Armenian color designations. She examined the roots of terms for “green,” “yellow,” and “blue” across various dialects, exploring their linguistic interrelations and cultural significance.

In a seamless continuation, Nelli Yesayan, a PhD student from Yerevan State University delved into the archaisms and innovations found in the dialects of Artsakh and Syunik, particularly within the context of the Armenian carpet-weaving terminology. Her presentation provided an in-depth look at the linguistic evolution of terms such as “to weave,” “loom,” and “mallet,” thus observing the intersection of language and traditional crafts.

Throughout the conference, PPCU professors and students actively participated in the topic discussions, thus enhancing the conversations and promoting a collaborative learning environment. The event concluded with final remarks from Professor Hrach Martirosyan, who summarized the key themes and contributions of the conference. He expressed his appreciation to all participants and organizers emphasizing the importance of continued research and collaboration for the further development of Armenian Studies and Linguistics at PPCU.

Article by Anna Galstyan

MA1 Armenian Studies Student at PPCU