Do you want to know about the spoken languages in Armenia? We got you covered! In this blog, we will walk you through all the important information that you might need so that you can easily connect with the locals and be understood right away. You do not ever want to be stuck in a country where no one understands you, right? So let’s get started!
Armenia is a country located in the Eurasian region (Europe and Asia) in the heart of caucuses. Its capital city is Yerevan. It is rich in its culture and traditions. There are different remnants of various religions which are present within the city. It also has different markets selling traditional Armenian food like sujuk (strings of walnuts marinated by a sweet and delicious paste of dry fruits). The people of Yerevan are hospitable and friendly.
Armenian population constitutes 3.3 Million people. Many of the ethnic Armenians also live outside Armenia, and the approximate percentage of that is 8 Million. The reason behind this is the Armenian genocide of World War I, which compelled the people to leave their homeland in order to save their lives. For this reason, many Armenian-speaking people are scattered all over the world.
97% of the population in Armenia is ethnic Armenians. The other people make up a minority in Armenia, which are Russians, Greeks, Yazidi, and Georgians as well. Armenia is also known as the first country which adopted Christianity as its state religion. It has some of the most ancient pagan temples. The existence of these populations has also affected the culture and even the language used by the locals in day-to-day life.
Foreign Spoken Languages In Armenia
Russian, English, Spanish, German, Persian, and Italian are some of the foreign languages spoken in Armenia. Among all the languages, Russian and English are widely spoken in the country, making it a travel-friendly place for many tourists. Let’s learn more about this in the sections below.
English
English is the standard language for most people who wish to communicate with different people all around the world. In Armenia, English is taught as well. It is not necessarily the regional language of Armenia, but people show advanced knowledge of English.
Most of the people in Armenia from younger generations tend to speak English more as compared to the older generation. They also have better English because it is taught in many public secondary schools in Armenia.
Russian
There is a large portion of Armenian people (approximately 70%) who can understand the Russian language and speak too to some extent. They tend to demonstrate a basic knowledge of the Russian language. The percentage of the people who speak Russian as their first language in Armenia is extremely low. However, almost half of the entire population identifies Russian as their second language.
The individuals who mostly speak Russian in Armenia are Greek people. It is also considered the first language of an entire Russian community currently residing in Armenia. The Russian language had reached its peak of fame in Armenia under the soviet period when Armenia was also referred to as Soviet Armenia. Russian was called the second language/ second mother tongue at that time.
What Are The Minority Languages Spoken In Armenia?
Armenia has several minority languages; Kurmanji (the Kurdish dialect spoken by Yezidis and Kurds), Russian, Assyrian Neo-Aramaic, Ukrainian, Greek, Lomavren, and Udi.
The Main Armenian Language
Armenian is the official language of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. It is an Indo-European language, with its independent and distinct branch. It is also one of the oldest Indo-European languages in the world.
Armenian is mainly spoken in Armenia, but many Armenians living outside the country have also kept this language alive. There are two main types of Armenian: East Armenian language and West Armenia language. Both versions are more or less easy to understand for many beginners.
Other than being the official language of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, it is officially considered a minority language in some other parts of the world as well. Some countries which have provided Armenian as a status of the official language (minority) include; Hungary, Cyprus, Iraq, Romania, Poland, and Ukraine. There are different Armenian dialects, local dialects as well as modern dialects in the country.
Since Armenia was under the rule of the Russian empire for some time, therefore the teaching of Armenian, as well as Russian in the schools and for work, were promoted. There were two main types of schools in Armenia; Russian-medium schools and Armenian-medium schools.
This also explains why most of the people speak Russian in Armenia. This law was removed when Armenia became an independent state. However, later Russian started being taught in the schools again.
Western Armenian Language
Western Armenian language is spoken by all the Armenians who had to go away and migrated to different regions in the world. There are different countries where the Armenian diaspora is present today. The largest town of Armenians is in the US also called “small Armenia”.
There are other regions where the Armenians are residing as well, like France, Syria, Iran, and Lebanon, etc. The Western Armenian language has certain foundations which can be found in the Western dialects.
Armenia has undergone a series of cases in which Armenian was referred to as western Armenian based on their location. All the regions/ things which were present on the west side of the Armenia Republic were easily classified as the Western Armenian.
This word is also used for all the foreign entrance from outside into Armenia. For instance, the Armenians from the Ottoman empire are known to speak Western Armenian and all the people who migrated from elsewhere to Armenia.
Most of the modern western Armenian language speakers are currently in Lebanon, the United States of America, Georgia, Armenia, France, Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine. This sequence of the countries is from the most speakers to the least speakers.
Eastern Armenian Language
The countries besides Armenia which speak Eastern Armenian Language constitute Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Russia, Georgia, and Iran. The people who have had first-hand experience with Armenia and Armenia are known to be speaking the Eastern Armenian language. Modern Eastern Armenian language is the officially recognized form of Armenian in present-day Armenia.
Wrapping Up
By now, you must know all you need about Armenia and the languages which are widely spoken (official language, Foreign languages, and minority languages). If you liked this blog, then feel free to check other blogs of Ling App by Simya Solutions. We also have a blog on learning a language on your own and the best apps to use for learning. So, what are you waiting for? Discover a new and fun way to learn when you take lessons from the Ling App today!
