Eastern & Western Armenians

[Mos]

Based on my rather limited interaction with Western Armenians (Diasporans in US more specifically) here are some of the differences from Eastern Armenians (from Armenia including during Soviet Union) I have noticed:

Western Armenians:
-Well of course speak the Western Armenian dialect which I have trouble understanding sometimes (probably since in Eastern Armenian dialect we use borrowed Russian words and our grammar is a little different
-Mix more english into their armenian or just speak english (we mixes Russian into Armenian)
-we speak with "ara" , "kel" , "helnel" (during informal speech with friends though)
-Tend to be more patriotic especially in having countries recognize the Armenian Genocide (e.g. Armenia told Turkey that it is ready to begin relations even if Turkey does not recognize the Genocide)
-Don't see western armenian rabiz
-Being under the Soviet Union has changed our perception and personality
-Western Armenians don't wear pointy shoes, black pants like we do (usually)
-when picking up the phone we say "allo" while westerners don't
-volga, lada, gaz, camaz, mozkvich, niva, are all familiar cars to us
-we find Kargin Kasset hilarious
-sevan & barbeque the ultimate trip
-a perfect lunch: barbeque with onions and greens and cold Kvas in the hot summer day

more to come.....

[ArmSurvival]

Re: Eastern & Western Armenians

Besides the things you wrote down, Mos, a difference between western and eastern Armenians (generally speaking) is that even though they both mix foreign languages into their speech, many eastern Armenians seem to think that many of those foreign words are actually Armenian. My dad said this to me a while ago, and then I slowly started realizing he was right. I can't think of any specific examples, because I don't know eastern Armenian slang too well, but I have noticed it quite a bit..... have you noticed that yourself? (you said eastern Armenians have a lot of "borrowed" Russian words)

And if you glance at Armenian newspapers, you will notice with some consistency that the eastern Armenian columnists generally use an abundance of foreign words, mostly Latin. They will say "Brezident" Kocharian instead of Nakhakah Kocharian, etc. I remember counting over a dozen Latin words in just a paragraph or two, and it was more or less the same ratio for multiple columnists. I was even able to come up with most of the Armenian words to their Latin substitues, and I'm not exactly an Armenian scholar to say the least. The western Armenian columnists on the other hand generally use the proper Armenian words.


And western Armenians like to use Arabic slang, even those that are born in America. Shakhs, agas, yalla, walla, etc.


And both eastern & western Armenians generally use "hech" instead of yerpek.

[KarotheGreat]

Re: Eastern & Western Armenians

Most of the points you made I agree with you, but there are few that are ot true

The are part thats only said in Yerevan and the parts near, in Shirak tzo is used. Don't know about the rest of Armenia what they use but it's not ara.
About the patriotic part thats also not true, there are as much eastern Armenians that are patriotic as there are western.
And those pointy shoes are on of the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn. 've got big feet so narrow shoes hurt my feet but the pointy shoes are just great I can wear it wholle day and not feel a thing. great shoes.

[Lucin]

Re: Eastern & Western Armenians

And those pointy shoes are on of the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn. 've got big feet so narrow shoes hurt my feet but the pointy shoes are just great I can wear it wholle day and not feel a thing. great shoes.

Really?? Ahh, I've never liked those pointy, shiny shoes, which are apparentely popular amongest our men??? They are very very ugly if you ask me =(

Ohh, Karo, I forgot... do you wear a black leather jacket too??

And if you glance at Armenian newspapers, you will notice with some consistency that the eastern Armenian columnists generally use an abundance of foreign words, mostly Latin. They will say "Brezident" Kocharian instead of Nakhakah Kocharian, etc. I remember counting over a dozen Latin words in just a paragraph or two, and it was more or less the same ratio for multiple columnists. I was even able to come up with most of the Armenian words to their Latin substitues, and I'm not exactly an Armenian scholar to say the least. The western Armenian columnists on the other hand generally use the proper Armenian words.

Are you sure? If true, then it's regrettable. Instead check out Iranian-Armenian newspapers.

And western Armenians like to use Arabic slang, even those that are born in America. Shakhs, agas, yalla, walla, etc.

I usually don't understand the slang in the Western dialect. As for slang words in Eastern Armenian, there are words such as 'ara', 'khi' (instead of 'inchu'), 'vapshe', 'karas', etc. which are frequentely being used ( in Armenia) but I don't like them.

[KarotheGreat]

Re: Eastern & Western Armenians

Really?? Ahh, I've never liked those pointy, shiny shoes, which are apparentely popular amongest our men??? They are very very ugly if you ask me =(

Ohh, Karo, I forgot... do you wear a black leather jacket too??

I got a black leather jacket, but I don't wear it togheter with the pointy shoes. The pointy shoes are for the summer not when it's raining and I'm wearing my leather coath.

[ArmSurvival]

Re: Eastern & Western Armenians

As for slang words in Eastern Armenian, there are words such as 'ara', 'khi' (instead of 'inchu'), 'vapshe', 'karas', etc. which are frequentely being used ( in Armenia) but I don't like them.

Here's a very odd thing: Most Ara's are western Armenian, but only Hayastancis say 'ara'. On the flipside, western Armenians say 'gor', but only Hayastancis are named Gor. Isn't that wierd?

I usually don't understand the slang in the Western dialect.

Do you remember any words/phrases?

Western slang is so funny, you can say things in such a humorous and sarcastic tone. "Kak gera pan mu usi", "vras kureh", etc.


Actually my dad was just on the phone, and he said "Ani, toon lav es?", Ani said ayo, then my dad goes "e mnatsadzu jivernous!" (then to hell with everything else!)

Are you sure? If true, then it's regrettable. Instead check out Iranian-Armenian newspapers.

Yea its true, my dad reads like 3 or 4 different newspapers (all the major ones), and his pet peeve is the eastern Armenian columnists' love for using foreign words instead of Armenian.

[vasbourakan1]

Re: Eastern & Western Armenians

considering the pointy shoes, yes indeed they are very ugly.
there are not western armenian rabiz, since westerners are very dogmatic in this field and my parents tell that the first time adis, manuel, j. kodjian and others emerged, they had to face critics of the whole armenian press of that time altough now after all this years songs like dzaghikner or yertchangutyan artsounkner seem so childish, but at that time they were scandaleous, but
personnally I do listen to rabiz music. now the principal problem if we can call
it problem comes from ignorance. I laughed at the above post concerning
ara and gor, but that's true. allow me to give some other examples, like
varkyan in eastern means second but for a western armenian means minute
which is robe for the eastern and second is yerkvarkyan for the second. or
british pound or other currencies are called voski, which for eastern has two
meanings -currency and gold- while for an eastern it means gold, so imagine
the attitude of an eastern armenian hearing a western 'this costs 10 golds'
or I will be there in 10 varkyans -which he will understand 10 seconds, beleive
me I experinced all this and a lot of things more, but in the overall western
armenians understand easterns better than the contrary

[Lucin]

Re: Eastern & Western Armenians

Here's a very odd thing: Most Ara's are western Armenian, but only Hayastancis say 'ara'. On the flipside, western Armenians say 'gor', but only Hayastancis are named Gor. Isn't that wierd?

LOL, yea, I hadn't noticed that.

Do you remember any words/phrases?

Western slang is so funny, you can say things in such a humorous and sarcastic tone. "Kak gera pan mu usi", "vras kureh", etc.

LOL, I don't understand either of them. I have a guess for the first one though; LOL, "kak kera, ban mi asa" like ''I did something wrong, don't say a word''??

Actually my dad was just on the phone, and he said "Ani, toon lav es?", Ani said ayo, then my dad goes "e mnatsadzu jivernous!" (then to hell with everything else!)

Wow, I can't believe, if you guys speak the Western slang all the time, I can't understand you...

But I speak Persian so I understand some Arabic words you throw every once in a while, like 'Yalla', 'walla', other than that I may only be able to guess in the context of the converation.

Yea its true, my dad reads like 3 or 4 different newspapers (all the major ones), and his pet peeve is the eastern Armenian columnists' love for using foreign words instead of Armenian.

Foreign words are used but I really don't know why they change the pronunciation.Take the word 'president' for instance. They pronounce it 'Պռէզիդենտ' and not 'փրէզիդէնթ' .We have the letters for 'p' (փ ) and 't' (թ ) so why use (պ ) and (տ) instead?? or Coca Cola is pronounced as 'կոկա կոլա' while we have the letter 'ք'. It's weird... Perhaps Hayastantsis, here can answer why.

... two meanings -currency and gold- while for an eastern it means gold, so imagine
the attitude of an eastern armenian hearing a western 'this costs 10 golds'
or I will be there in 10 varkyans -which he will understand 10 seconds,

Very interesting. I didn't know that.

[ArmSurvival]

Re: Eastern & Western Armenians

LOL, I don't understand either of them. I have a guess for the first one though; LOL, "kak kera, ban mi asa" like ''I did something wrong, don't say a word''??

lol kind of, it basically means "I said something and got sh*t for it" -- Քաք կէրա բան մը ըսի։ So its basically said in reverse order. You can say this when you give someone an opinion or advice out of pressure to be nice or helpful, and then they turn around and get pissed at you, lol.


As for vras kure (Վրաս գրէ), you basically say it when someone stresses something that is unimportant for you. Its kind of like saying 'write it on me, since I don't care'.


Theres also Kak gerank hos yegank (Քաք կէրանք հոս եկանք), which is when you go somewhere and things aren't turning out well, usually contrary to your expectations.

Wow, I can't believe, if you guys speak the Western slang all the time, I can't understand you...

lol don't worry, we don't speak like that while conversing with eastern Armenians.

Foreign words are used but I really don't know why they change the pronunciation.Take the word 'president' for instance. They pronounce it 'Պռէզիդենտ' and not 'փրէզիդէնթ' .We have the letters for 'p' (փ ) and 't' (թ ) so why use (պ ) and (տ) instead?? or Coca Cola is pronounced as 'կոկա կոլա' while we have the letter 'ք'. It's weird... Perhaps Hayastantsis, here can answer why.

Good point, I've also wondered about that.

like
varkyan in eastern means second but for a western armenian means minute
which is robe for the eastern and second is yerkvarkyan for the second.

Haha ya there can be some confusion there.

[Armenian]

Re: Eastern & Western Armenians

Foreign words are used but I really don't know why they change the pronunciation.Take the word 'president' for instance. They pronounce it 'Պռէզիդենտ' and not 'փրէզիդէն' .We have the letters for 'p' (փ ) and 't' (թ ) so why use (պ ) and (տ) instead?? or Coca Cola is pronounced as 'կոկա կոլա' while we have the letter 'ք'. It's weird... Perhaps Hayastantsis, here can answer why.

Lucin jan, "foreign" words in Armenia come almost exclusively via Russia, and Russians have a different way of pronouncing words than westerners. The փ and the թ are used for hard 'P' and 'T' sounds. In Armenian and Russian speech the P and the T in the word "president" are soft. As a result, they use the Պ for the soft p and the տ for the soft t. Also, in Armenia, the letter ք is reserved exclusive for the q sound, which is more-or-less a hard k sound.