The Armenian alphabet is a unique phonetic writing system created in by the linguist and monk Mesrop Mashtots . It was developed to translate religious texts, specifically the Bible, into Armenian and to preserve the nation's cultural and Christian identity. Key Historical & Cultural Facts
: The script is visually independent, not resembling Latin, Cyrillic, or Arabic scripts, though its left-to-right direction was influenced by Greek.
: Armenian is highly phonetic; once the letters are learned, pronunciation is very predictable as each letter generally corresponds to one sound. armenian alphabet
: Շնորհակալություն ( Shnorhakalutyun )—though many colloquially use "merci".
: While the alphabet is identical, Eastern and Western Armenian dialects vary in how certain letters are pronounced. Essential Phrases for Beginners The Armenian alphabet is a unique phonetic writing
How a 1,600-year-old alphabet shaped Armenian identity - BBC
If you are interested in trying the script, here are some common Armenian greetings : : Բարեւ ( Barev ) Good morning : Բարի լույս ( Bari luys ) : Armenian is highly phonetic; once the letters
: St. Mesrop Mashtots, with the support of King Vramshapuh and Catholicos Sahak Partev, designed the script to perfectly match the sounds of the Armenian language. The first sentence written was from the Book of Proverbs: "To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding" .