Connections between the Middle Armenian and Western Armenian Languages ​​in the System of the Imperative Mode: Imperative (Singular)

2024 vol 1

Connections between the Middle Armenian and Western Armenian Languages ​​in the System of the Imperative Mode: Imperative (Singular)

Nrane Sargsyan

Summary

Key words: language, verb, derivative verb, conjugation, mode, conjuction

The connection between the language systems of Western Armenian and Middle Armenian are at different linguistic levels. Considering the verb conjugation system, it can be noted that it was Middle Armenian that mostly influenced the development of Western Armenian language: so, the connection is systematic.

This article is an attempt to present connection of the Middle Armenian and Western Armenian languages in the system of imperative mode. It has been noted that the imperative was simplified in Middle Armenian from the perspective of composition.

The endings է, իր, ա for ե, ի, ա conjugations in Western Armenian singular mode are formed in the Middle Armenian inbase of Grabar; then they have transferred into Western Armenian. Conjugation Ու in the modern Western Armenian language has already turned into archaisms that are used for providing a tone of antiquity to the speech.

Changes in the verb system began in the early period of Middle Armenian within the spoken language. Thos changes penetrated into the written language from the first sub-period of Middle Armenian. By this time the use of the new forms had begun to spread, although the old forms were being used alongside the new forms. In the second sub-period, the new versions, that the Western Armenian has inherited, were fully established.

The Western Armenian language also inherited the changes in the affixes of the base, in particular, in many verbs there was a decrease in the phoneme, as a result of which the sounds ա and ե of the affixes —ան-, —են— were shortened, for example գտանել— գտնել, մտանել—մտնել, գիտենալ—գիտնալ, վախենալ—վախնալ etc.

The imperative has saved the same semantic features in both Western Armenian and Middle Armenian languages. In Western Armenian, imperative is also expressed by verbs belonging to other modes; this feature is also characteristic of Middle Armenian.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.58726/27382915-2024.1-69

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