THE INFLUENCE OF GRABAR ON CONTEMPORARY EASTERN AND WESTERN ARMENIAN LANGUAGES

Abstract

Armenian is a unique and distinctive branch of the Indo-European language family, which has preserved its fundamental structural features over centuries while simultaneously adapting to modern communicative and cultural demands. The development of the Armenian language is reflected in the expansion of its vocabulary, grammatical and syntactic transformations, as well as stylistic and functional diversification. The distinctiveness of Armenian is determined not only by its historical and linguistic foundations, but also by Armenia’s geographical location and its interactions with various peoples, which accounts for certain similarities with the Slavic, Indo-Iranian, Baltic, and Western Indo-European languages. This article examines the influence of Grabar—the classical and liturgical form of the Armenian language—on the development, vocabulary, grammatical structure, and stylistic features of modern Eastern and Western Armenian. It analyzes the historical, linguistic, and cultural factors that have contributed to the continued presence of Grabar in both branches of the modern literary language. The article also explores the mechanisms through which Armenian has maintained its vitality and relevance, demonstrating a unique balance between the preservation of historical heritage and integration into the contemporary cultural environment.