To Speak Western Armenian is to Speak Armenian

Living in Los Angeles, a prime spot for culture fusion, a common question I would come across is “Where are you from?” Joyfully, I would answer this question. I grew up identifying myself as Armenian and speaking Armenian. This was a standard conversation topic in a country made up of immigrants. However, what I did not expect was to be asked the same question in Armenia. This question was to be addressed in a certain context from locals: “What type of Armenian are you?”

What Type of Armenian Are You?

It is common for people to tell me that I am speaking an old type of Armenian, that I pronounce my letters differently, and ultimately, that they cannot understand me. When I first arrived in Yerevan, I was intimidated to speak Western Armenian. Admittedly, I would avoid ordering at cafes and speak to locals in the Eastern Armenian dialect in fear of judgment. This initial wall of protection I created for myself would not be a lasting one: locals would understand me and hold a conversation.

While volunteering at Transparent Charity for the day, I met a 70-something-year-old local, Smbad, who had a long discussion about identity, diaspora, and language. As we were moving and organizing donated clothing, Smbad began his series of inquisitive questions into my life. He asked where I was from, where my parents were from, and why I knew how to speak Armenian fluently. “I am Armenian-American, my parents are from Lebanon, and I speak Armenian well because of my parents.” Or some form of this response. Throughout this entire compelling interaction, I realized that Smbad has been speaking Eastern Armenian and I have been speaking Western Armenian. Not only was this fact surprising to me, but I, myself, did not realize we were speaking in two different dialects. For this brief time, there was no separation of the language and no physical act of classifying me as another type of Armenian due to my language. We were simply two Armenians speaking in Armenian.

Understanding Takes Two

Working with the Center for Truth and Justice to translate Artsakh-Armenian testimonies from Eastern Armenian to English made me question my own relationship with the two dialects. Translation work is challenging in that it needs to be handled with precision while accurately portraying the witnesses’ thoughts. Speaking Western-Armenian, there are many differences between words and phrases that are foreign to me. Yet, my exposure to Eastern Armenian has allowed me to understand the different dialects.

Adaptation

In the last decade, the country has experienced a lot of change in regard to politics, wars, and population demographics. There are multifaceted problems to be addressed and solved. Yet, the issue of judgment based on dialect has taken a positive turn toward adaptation. With more Western Armenians repatriating, a cultural fusion is taking place in Armenia. A mixture of dialects and of different Armenians from the diaspora have created an opportunity for tolerance and adaptation among the greater Armenian nation.

At Birthright, I am able to meet people from all sorts of backgrounds and people with varying exposure to Armenian culture and language. Havaks and forums are a fundamental part of the Birthright experience and allow us to delve into differing topics of culture, history, and language. In my first, yet most eye-opening forum, Repatriates were asked to speak about their experience moving back to Armenia. Raising my hand, I asked a question regarding the preservation of Western Armenian in Armenia. The repatriate said, “Armenia’s official language is Armenian, not Western-Armenian or Eastern-Armenian.”