Western Armenian

Western Armenian

Language family	Indo-European
This language related article is a stub.

Western Armenian (արևմտահայերէն) is one of the two standardized forms of the Armenian language, the other being Eastern Armenian. Originally the language of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, today it is widely spoken in the Armenian diaspora around the world, particularly in countries such as the United States, France, and Lebanon.

History

Western Armenian developed in the Western regions of the historical Armenian Highlands, particularly in what is now Turkey. After the Armenian Genocide of 1915, survivors spread across the world, establishing vibrant communities where Western Armenian was maintained as a community language.

Characteristics

Western Armenian differs from Eastern Armenian in phonology, morphology, and vocabulary. One of the key phonetic differences is the preservation of the classical Armenian voiceless aspirated stops, whereas in Eastern Armenian, these have often merged with voiced stops.

Usage

While Eastern Armenian is the official language of the Republic of Armenia, Western Armenian has been recognized as a "definitely endangered" language by UNESCO. It is used primarily in the diaspora in education, media, and social settings.

Education and Media

Western Armenian is taught in schools and used in media targeting the Armenian diaspora. There are also numerous publications and radio stations that use Western Armenian, helping to maintain its usage among the diaspora communities.

Challenges

The main challenge facing Western Armenian is language preservation amidst assimilation pressures in diaspora communities. Efforts are being made to revitalize the language through education and media, but the aging population of native speakers and the dominance of the languages of host countries pose significant challenges.

See also

• Armenian language
• Armenian alphabet
• Armenian diaspora
• Language preservation