Speaking Armenian in Armenia - is it THAT difficult?!

[Mushegh]

This is my new blog where I discuss the situation with the Armenian language in Armenia. It appears it is not respected at all!

http://hayastanyerkir.blogspot.com/

Your comments will be welcome!

[Armanen]

Re: Speaking Armenian in Armenia - is it THAT difficult?!

Care to explain what you mean by "not respected"?

[MrHyeSev]

Re: Speaking Armenian in Armenia - is it THAT difficult?!

Umm what do you think the language spoken in Armenia is?

[Mushegh]

Re: Speaking Armenian in Armenia - is it THAT difficult?!

Read the blog and you will see.

Well, Russian is much more respected than Armenian, alas!

[Mos]

Re: Speaking Armenian in Armenia - is it THAT difficult?!

Yes Mushegh, I agree with you. I am frequently in Armenia and yes Armenian spoken on the streets or the Yerevan dialect does not always reflect academic armenian language. Of course, there is a difference between the way people speak armenian and the way they write, a much bigger difference then in english. There is always difference between language in conversation and language in written or formal. In Armenian its a rather big difference, the difference is greater then languages like Russian and English. But you can't have yerevancis start speaking scholarly overnight. It will spread and maybe one day the written form will change as well closer to the conversational form. (Just imagine would a rabiz speak academic armenian?).

[Mushegh]

Re: Speaking Armenian in Armenia - is it THAT difficult?!

Thank you Mos for your comment. However, you got my point TOTALLY WRONG. In my article I do NOT speak about Armenians epaking "academic" Armenian. This is, in fact, absurd, and I myself speak Yerevan slang, and if I hear someone speak "academic" Armenian in the street and at home, I will think he is some freak.

What I really want to stress is that the Armenian language in some instances is substituted by Russian (in some instances - English), because it is considered more "cool" more "civilized". Haven't you seen that in some caffees the menu is exclusively in Russian (or in Russian and English), without a word in Armenian?! Havent you seen ads wroitten in Russian, or radio ads also in Russian? Haven't you heard that some people (who have grown up in ARmenia and atended school or university there) proudly say that they "do not read" Armenian, only Russian? !! This is what I speak about in my article.

[Tres Bien]

Re: Speaking Armenian in Armenia - is it THAT difficult?!

It's wrong that they rather choose to speak Russian than Armenian but however if they speak the way the are speaking Armenian as badly as they are today I rather they did speak Russian. Hearing most hayastantsis speak Armenian today is a disgrace to the language and the culture. They ruin the language.. There is something in that farmer mentality and language of the Armenian people that is spreading rapidly. We dont ask you to speak academic Armenian like they write in a book obviously just try to speak it properly.

[Mos]

Re: Speaking Armenian in Armenia - is it THAT difficult?!

Thank you Mos for your comment. However, you got my point TOTALLY WRONG. In my article I do NOT speak about Armenians epaking "academic" Armenian. This is, in fact, absurd, and I myself speak Yerevan slang, and if I hear someone speak "academic" Armenian in the street and at home, I will think he is some freak.

What I really want to stress is that the Armenian language in some instances is substituted by Russian (in some instances - English), because it is considered more "cool" more "civilized". Haven't you seen that in some caffees the menu is exclusively in Russian (or in Russian and English), without a word in Armenian?! Havent you seen ads wroitten in Russian, or radio ads also in Russian? Haven't you heard that some people (who have grown up in ARmenia and atended school or university there) proudly say that they "do not read" Armenian, only Russian? !! This is what I speak about in my article.

Yes, sorry I hadn't read the blog, but now I know what your point is. You are right it mostly has to do with the fact that under Soviet Union soviets tried to destroy our culture and our language so it would be only russian. Thats why they had the best students go to the Russian schools in Soviet Union Armenia. I know many parents who grew up in Soviet Armenia and talk to their children in russian which is a shame. It also has to do with that many Russian businesses are in Armenia and therefore they will use Russian. For example, what language is the computer when you go to internet cafe? Russian. And many other businesses. Hopefully as the new Armenian generation comes we will lessen the use of Russian language in armenia.

[crusader1492]

Re: Speaking Armenian in Armenia - is it THAT difficult?!

Umm what do you think the language spoken in Armenia is?

Simpletons do not have the right to be sarcastic.

[ara87]

Re: Speaking Armenian in Armenia - is it THAT difficult?!

Russia ruined alot of things i was reading that the word for 100 is supposed to be pronounced hayryur but that during soviet rule it was changed to hayrur because it more closely reflected Russian, but either way i got Armenian tv and hayastansi Armenian is just so weird, Beirut-a-hye Armenian may not be correct but it sure as hell sounds a lot prettier( at least to me anyways) and whats up with that deep talking out of my chest voice thing haystansis have going on? like even the women do it