Krapar
Գրաբար

Krapar, the Western Armenian pronunciation of the word Գրա­բար (transliterated as Gra­bar), is the term used to refer to Clas­sical Arme­nian, and represents the earliest written form of the language that was memorialized upon the invention of the Arme­nian alphabet in 405 a.d. by Mes­rop Mash­tots‘ (Մես­րոպ Մաշ­տոց). The word Kra­par itself reflects its origin and use as a literary language, as it is derived from the words գիր (kir), “writing”, and բարք (park‘), “manner”.

The use of Krapar can be divided into three general periods: the so-called “Golden Age” of the fifth century, the post-Clas­sical period of the sixth and seventh century, and the Pre-Middle Arme­nian period of the eighth through eleventh or twelfth century, by the end of which period the spoken vernacular had evolved into dialectal forms known as Mid­dle Arme­nian (Միջին հայե­րէն, Michin hayerēn). Although newly developing genres of literary works, such as poetry, began to be written in Mid­dle Arme­nian, Clas­sical Arme­nian remained the form for scholarly–monastic writings as well as most literary works up to the nineteenth century.

By the nineteenth century, Mid­dle Arme­nian had evolved into Modern Armenian, which is designated by the term Ashkharhapar (Աշխար­հաբար), from the words աշխարհ (ash­kharh), “world”, and բարք (park‘), “manner”. Modern Armenian consists of two main dialects, Western and Eastern, with regional dialectical variations among the main types. Although Clas­sical Arme­nian is no longer used as a spoken or literary language, it remains the liturgical language of the Armenian Church, and is still studied by scholars and theologians, as well as by students and dedicated laypeople.

More to come…