Armenian Writing System

Armenian Writing System 

a phonetic writing system created circa A.D. 405–406 by the Armenian bishop Mesrop Mashtots.

The system was based on the Greek (Byzantine) and northern Aramaic writing systems; it was supplemented in the 12th century by the addition of two new letters and has been utilized by the Armenians ever since then. The modern Armenian writing system consists of 39 letters. The characters of the Armenian writing system have undergone considerable changes during their history—from angular shapes to more rounded and cursive forms.

Table 1. Armenian writing system
Armenian letter		Latin translit-eration	Cyrillic transliteration	Armenian letter		Latin transliteration	Cyrillic transliteration
1 b = I instead of e in Armenian names ending in h m h or h m Ɛh
2 Library of Congress transliteration system modified to eliminate diacritical marks
3 transliterated as n in initial position
4 letters in brackets indicate Armenian letters or combinations shown in Soviet sources but not Included in Library of Congress system
Ų	ա	а	а	ɞ	ɩ	y3	Й
ƭ		b	ɓ	ζ	ζ	n	H
Ж	ч	g	r	ζ	ζ	sh	ш
Ж	ч	d	ш	//	”	O	BO, O
t	h	e1	e	Ж	Ж	ch	ч
Ж	ч	Z	э	ф	m	p	Π
է	է	e2	э	Ж	Ж	j	ДЖ
L̕	L̕	e2	b	ṇ	”	rh	pp
թ	թ	t	th	U	”	s	c
Ժ	Ժ	Zh	ж	վ	վ	v	B
ի	ի	i	и	S	m	t	T
L	L	l	л	Ր	Ր	r	p
W	խ	kh	X	8	9	ts	ц
Ծ	∂	ts	Tc	∩L	∩L	[’u]4	y
4	4	k	k	Ф	Ф	p1	Πh
Չ	Ϛ	h	h			k2	kh
Ж	d	dz	ш3	td	h	[ev]4	eB
Ր̣	4	gh	rx	0	o	O2	O
8	6	ch	Tш	$	$	f	ϕ
Ʋ	d	m	M