Publisher's Synopsis
From the Preface.
Facilities for the acquisition of the Ancient Armenian exist both in English and in other European tongues, and an abundance of excellent Grammars and Lexicons await the scholar, who is prepared to avail himself of them, in the language itself. But, so far as I am aware, the present is the first attempt to exhibit the grammar of the Modern Armenian. The Armenians themselves have, as yet, published no grammar of their spoken language. This fact will no doubt be deemed a sufficient apology for any defects which may be discovered in the present work.
My principal object has been to exhibit the language of conversation. Hence the remarks on pronunciation, pp. 7, 58, on the reduplication of adjectives, p. 19, on particles appended to verbs, p. 49, &c. The style of books varies considerably, some approximating more and others less to the ancient language. It would be presumptuous to attempt to say what, after a few years of progress, will be the style of good writers.
It will be observed that the dialect here treated is the Western, viz. that spoken in Constantinople and Asia Minor. The Oriental dialect, spoken in Tartary, Persia and India, varies considerably from this, and in some respects approximates more nearly to the ancient language. A specimen of it will be given in the Appendix.
The student of Modern Armenian will very often meet in conversation, and sometimes even in books, with words and forms derived from the Turkish. Although the use of such words and forms is avoided by good writers, still a knowledge of them is essential to a familiar acquaintance with the spoken Armenian. Where it has been thought proper to notice them in the present work, they are distinguished by an asterisk prefixed.
In general, where two synonymous forms are given, the one more approved in modern usage is placed first.
"The first edition of this work was published in 1847. In 1853 a grammatical treatise in Modern Armenian appeared at Constantinople, entitled "Correct Method of speaking the Modern Armenian language." It is however not so much a grammar of the spoken language, as an exhibition of the author's ideas of what that language should be, departing in many instances very far from existing usage. It has met with very little favor.
