Armenisch

Armenisch, in German usage, refers to the Armenian language. It is an independent branch of the Indo-European language family and is spoken by Armenians and Armenian communities around the world. The language has two major standard varieties: Eastern Armenian, used mainly in Armenia and much of the former Soviet Union, and Western Armenian, spoken by the Armenian diaspora in the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas. The two varieties share a common origin and much of basic grammar, but differ in pronunciation, vocabulary, and some grammatical features, so mutual intelligibility is partial.

The Armenian alphabet was created in the early 5th century by Mesrop Mashtots to provide a literary form for the language. It was designed to accompany a growing body of religious and secular literature. The original script had 36 letters; the modern Armenian alphabet contains 39 letters and is written from left to right. While it is used for both Eastern and Western Armenian, certain letters are more common in one variety than the other, and spelling conventions reflect the standard used.

Armenian literature has a long medieval tradition, with Classical Armenian (Grabar) used in liturgical and scholarly works. Over time, vernacular forms evolved into the modern standard varieties. The language exhibits regional dialects and sociolinguistic variation shaped by history and contact with neighboring languages.

Today Armenian is the official language of Armenia and is widely taught in schools there. It remains a central element of cultural identity for Armenians in the diaspora, with Western Armenian maintaining strong cultural and historical significance in communities across the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas, while Eastern Armenian plays a key role in Armenia and related regions.