# Armenian dialects

The Armenian language has two standardized forms: Western Armenian and Eastern Armenian. Before the Armenian genocide and other significant demographic changes that affected the Armenians, several dozen Armenian dialects existed in the areas historically populated by them.

## Classification by Hrachia Acharian

Classification des dialectes arméniens (Classification of Armenian dialects) is a 1909 book by the Armenian linguist Hrachia Acharian, published in Paris. It is Acharian's translation into French of his original work Hay Barbaṙagitutʿiwn ("Armenian Dialectology") that was later published as a book in 1911 in Moscow and New Nakhichevan. The French translation lacks dialectal examples. An English translation was published in 2024.
Acharian surveyed the Armenian dialects in what is now Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Iran, Azerbaijan and other countries settled by Armenians.
Unlike the traditional division of Armenian into two dialect groups (Western Armenian and Eastern Armenian), he divided Armenian into three main dialect groups based on the present and imperfect indicative particles that were used. He called as the -owm (-ում) dialects, -gë (-կը) dialects, and -el (-ել) dialects.
After the Armenian genocide, linguists Gevorg Jahukyan, Jos Weitenberg, Bert Vaux and Hrach Martirosyan have extended the understanding of Armenian dialects.

### -owm dialects

| | Dialect | Areas spoken (country and city names as of 1909) |
| 1 | Yerevan | Russian Empire: Erivan, Novo-Bayazet, Ordubad, Shamshadin, Shulaver, Havlabar quarter (Tbilisi) Ottoman Empire: Bayazid, Kulp |
| 2 | Tbilisi | Russian Empire: Tbilisi (except Havlabar quarter) |
| 3 | Artsakh | Russian Empire: Shusha, Elisabethpol, Nukha, Baku, Derbent, Ağstafa, Dilijan, Karakilis, Kazak, Lori, Jebrayil, Goris Qajar Persia: Karadagh, Mujumbar; Lilava quarter of Tabriz Ottoman Empire: Burdur, Ödemiş villages near Izmir |
| 4 | Shamakha | Russian Empire: Shamakhi, Kuba and nearby villages |
| 5 | Astrakhan | Russian Empire: Astrakhan, North Caucasus Qajar Persia: Tabriz |
| 6 | Julfa | Russian Empire: Julfa Qajar Persia: Isfahan (New Julfa quarter), Shiraz, Hamadan, Bushehr, Tehran, Qazvin, Rasht, Bandar-e Anzali |
| 7 | Agulis | Russian Empire: Agulis, Tsghna, Handamej, Tanakert, Ramis, Dasht, Kaghaki |

### -el dialects

-el dialects :
| | Dialect | Areas spoken (country and city names as of 1909) |
| 1 | Maragha | Qajar Persia: Maragha and surrounding villages |
| 2 | Khoy | Qajar Persia: Khoy, Salmas, Maku, Urmia Russian Empire: Igdir, Nakhichevan; Zangezur settlements: Kori, Alighuli, Mughanjugh, Karashen, Alilu, Angeghakot, Ghushchi-Tazakend, Tazakend, Uz, Mazra, Balak, Shaghat, Ltsen, Sisian, Nerkin Kilisa |
| 3 | Artvin | Russian Empire: Artvin, Ardahan, Artanuj, Olti |

### -gë dialects

| | Dialect | Areas spoken (country and city names as of 1909) |
| 1 | Erzurum | Ottoman Empire: Erzurum, Ispir, Kaghzvan Russian Empire: Kars, Alexandropol, Akhalkalak, Akhaltskha |
| 2 | Mush | Ottoman Empire: Mush, Sasun, Bitlis, Khizan, Khlat, Arjesh, Bulanikh, Manazkert, Khnus, Alashkert Russian Empire: Aparan; Mets Kznut and surrounding villages; 4 villages in Javakhk: Eshtia, Ujmana, Toria, Martuni |
| 3 | Van | Ottoman Empire: Van, Diadin, Moks, Bashkale, Shatakh Russian Empire: Basargechar and surrounding villages |
| 4 | Diarbekir | Ottoman Empire: Diarbekir, Lice, Hazro, Hazzo, Khizan, Severek, Urfa (Edesia) |
| 5 | Kharberd-Yerznka | Ottoman Empire: Kharpert, Yerznka, Balu, Tchapaghjur, Chmshkatsag, Charsanjak, Kghi, Dersim, Kamakh |
| 6 | Shabin-Karahisar | Ottoman Empire: Shabin-Karahisar, Akıncılar |
| 7 | Trebizond | Ottoman Empire: Trebizond, Bayburt, Gyumushkhane, Kirasun |
| 8 | Hamshen | Ottoman Empire: Hamshen, Ünye, Fatsa, Terme, Çarşamba Russian Empire: Sukhumi, Sochi, Poti, |
| 9 | Malatia | Ottoman Empire: Malatia, Adıyaman |
| 10 | Cilicia | Ottoman Empire: Hadjin, Zeytun, Marash, Kilis, Alexandretta, Payas, Svedia |
| 11 | Syria | Ottoman Empire: Aramo |
| 12 | Arabkir | Ottoman Empire: Arabkir, Divrig, Gürün, Darende, villages of Kesaria |
| 13 | Akn | Ottoman Empire: Akn and surrounding villages |
| 14 | Sivas | Ottoman Empire: Sivas and 45 surrounding villages |
| 15 | Tokat | Ottoman Empire: Tokat, Amasia, Marsivan, Ordu, Samsun, Sinop |
| 16 | Smyrna | Ottoman Empire: Smyrna, Manisa, Menemen and surrounding villages |
| 17 | Izmit | Ottoman Empire: Nicomedia, Adapazar and the following villages: Yalova, Partizak, Geyve, Ortaköy, Sölöz, Benli, İznik, etc., |
| 18 | Constantinople | Ottoman Empire: Constantinople |
| 19 | Rodosto | Ottoman Empire: Rodosto, Malgara |
| 20 | Nakhichevan-on-Don | Russian Empire: Nakhichevan-on-Don, Rostov-on-Don, Stavropol, Yekaterinodar, Yekaterinoslav, Anapa, Maykop, Taganrog, Dneprovskaya, Nogaysk, Novocherkassk, Theodosia, Simferopol, Karasubazar, Bakhchysarai, Eupatoria |
| 21 | Austria-Hungary | Poland Bukovina, Transylvania, Hungary |

## Tree

* Proto-Armenian (extinct)
** Classical Armenian (Old Armenian)
*** Liturgical Armenian
*** Middle Armenian
**** Judeo-Armenian
**** Armenian (Modern Armenian)
***** Western Armenian
****** -gë Dialects
******* Karin
******* Turuberan
******** Mush / Taron
********* Gavar
******* Van / Vaspurakan
******** Torfavan
******* Tigranakert / Aghdznik (Arzanene) (nearly extinct)
******* Kharpert-Yerznka (nearly extinct)
******* Shabin–Karahisar
******* Trapizon (nearly extinct)
******* Homshetsi
******* Malatia (extinct)
******** Adiyaman
******* Cilician (nearly extinct)
******* Sueidia / Syrian
******** Vakıflı
******** Kessab
******** Latakia
******** Jisr al-Shughur
******** Anjar
******* Arabkir (almost extinct)
******* Akn (almost extinct)
******* Sebastia (nearly extinct)
******* Tokat (almost extinct)
******* Western Armenian dialects in the diaspora
******** Smyrna
******** Nicomedia
******** Constantinople (nearly extinct)
******** Rodosto (extinct)
******** Crimea / Nakhichevan-on-Don / New Nakhichevan
******** Austria-Hungary (extinct)
***** Eastern Armenian
****** -owm Dialects
******* Araratian
******** Astrakhan (extinct)
******** Tiflis
******** Yerevan
******* Jugha
******** New Jugha
******* Zok
******** Agulis
******** Meghri
******* Artsakh
******* Shamakha (nearly extinct)
******* Eastern Armenian dialects in the diaspora
****** -el Dialects
******* Ardvin / Tayk
******* Nor Shirakan
******** Khoy
******** Maragha