Akn dialect

Akn dialect
Akn
Ակնա բարբառ
Native to	Turkey
Region	Akn (now known as Kemaliye) and surrounding villages
Ethnicity	Armenians
Native speakers	(undated figure of 0~^[citation needed])
Language family	Indo-European Armenian Western Akn dialect
Writing system	Armenian alphabet
Language codes
ISO 639-3	(included in Western Armenian [hyw])
Glottolog	aknn1239

The Akn dialect (Armenian: Ակնա բարբառ, transliterated: Aknay barpar) is a regional variety of the Armenian language historically spoken in and around the town of Akn (modern-day Kemaliye, Turkey) and its neighboring Armenian villages. It is part of the Western Armenian dialectal group, but it is distinguished by unique phonetic, grammatical, and lexical features that set it apart from other Western Armenian dialects.

Cultural significance

The Akn dialect is a vital part of Armenian linguistic and cultural heritage. It reflects the historical experiences of Armenians in the region, including their interactions with neighboring communities and adaptation to local influences. The dialect's unique features offer insights into the linguistic diversity of pre-genocide Western Armenia.

Notably, fragments of the Akn dialect have been preserved in ethnographic collections, such as the works of Chanikyan (Hnutiunkʻ Aknay, Tiflis, 1895) and M. S. Garrielyan (Aknay Gavarabarbar, 1908–1911). These studies document the dialect's phonetics, grammar, and vocabulary, as well as its usage in folklore and oral traditions.

The Akn dialect, like many other Western Armenian dialects, is considered endangered. Following the Armenian Genocide of 1915, the Armenian population of Akn was largely displaced or destroyed, leading to the near-extinction of the dialect. Today, it survives only in written records and, to a limited extent, in the speech of descendants of Akn Armenians scattered across the diaspora.

Comparison to related dialects

The Akn dialect shares similarities with other dialects of the region, such as those of Sebastia and Arabkir, but maintains distinct features, particularly in phonetics and verb conjugations. Its use of "դի" as a future tense marker, the transformation of vowels, and the addition of semi-vowels are hallmarks of the dialect.

Grammatical Features

The Akn dialect shows innovations in its grammar while retaining elements of Classical Armenian.

Verb Endings:

The plural endings of verbs in the aorist and imperfect tenses are -անք (-ank) rather than the -ինք (-ink) found in many Western Armenian dialects. Example: Classical Armenian ուտէաք (utēak, "we ate") → Aknay զիւղէանք (zyughēank). Future Tense:

The future tense is marked by the prefix դի (di), which can contract to դ (d) before vowels: Example: դի բէրէս (di beres, "you will bring"). Inflectional Modifications:

The genitive/possessive endings show distinct features. For instance, the Classical Armenian suffix -իւ (-iw) is preserved: Example: Աստուծոյ (Astuts’oy, "of God") → Ասդիւճիւ (Asdyujyu). Simplified Sentence Structure:

The Akn dialect often employs more compact and colloquial forms than Classical Armenian or other dialects.

Phonetic features

The Aknay dialect is characterized by distinct phonological shifts that differentiate it from Classical Armenian and other dialects:

Vowel Modifications:

The Classical Armenian vowel ա (a) becomes օ (o) when it precedes a nasal consonant, similar to the Hamshen dialect. Example: Classical Armenian ճանճ (chanj, "fly") → Aknay ջոնջ (jonj). The vowel ու (u) often becomes իւ (yu), while օ (o) becomes էօ (eo): Example: ունիս (unis, "you have") → իւնիս (yunis), չորս (chors, "four") → չէօրս (cheors). Consonantal Adaptations:

The dialect frequently adds a semi-vowel before vowels preceded by the հ (h) sound: Example: մահ (mah, "death") → մայն (mayn). Consonant changes often align with patterns seen in other dialects, such as Sebastia and Arabkir. Diphthong Simplification:

Diphthongs are frequently simplified: այ (ay) → ա (a): հայ (hay, "Armenian") → հար (har). ոյ (oy) → ու (u): լոյս (loys, "light") → լուս (lus).

Story written in Akn dialect

Nəsdə nayim, yegen Toros, inde or es? Dzara im agha, Asvads genk da. Ish da ish chi ga, yegen? Baghvagan gendanutyantsnd duvajin ink’. Hramanked irijaye mi im eger. Əmma chi gidim ki khabul ganes. Əse nayim, khabillu gorts e ise, pek agheg. Ver Asvads, var hramanked. Gleokhs negi d’a n’ur dertam. Telet heos di g’am. Tajizutyun chi danə, agha. Khəntirks as e t’ə: aryutyə mi ga, di anim. Hazar grush tagas e. Kerem are dyur, faizovə gyudam.[1]

References

1. Հրաչեայ Աճառեան։ Լազարեան Ճեմարան Արեւելեան Լեզուաց, Մոսկուա―Նոր-Նախիջեւան, 1911։