Ermənbası (Երմէնբասը)

Ermənbası is a way to write Azerbaijani with the Armenian alphabet devised by Lily Desputeaux. She was inspired by the usage of the Armenian script to write Turkish in the Ottoman times (Armeno-Turkish) - this script used the spelling customs of Western Armenian (the dominant variant spoken in modern-day Turkey), especially when it came to writing stops and vowels, while still keeping the need for special letters and diagraphs low.

As Azerbaijani is an Oghuz Turkic language very closely related to Turkish, the Armenian alphabet can also be adapted to write it. Since Eastern Armenian was the dominant variant of Armenian used in Azerbaijan, she based the Ermənbası on the Eastern alphabet. The alphabet can also be used to write Turkish.

Notable features

Type of writing system: alphabet
Direction of writing: left-to-right in horizontal lines
Used to write: Azerbaijani (also compatible with Turkish)

Ermənbasıalphabet

Ermənbası alphabet

Notes

Ք is pronounced [k] in loanwords and foreign names.
Ք can be softened to [ç] or even [j] at the end of syllables and words.
Syllable-final and word-final Կ is pronounced [x~χ], but is voiced to [ɣ] if between vowels or voiced consonants.
Վ is pronounced [w] after vowels.
In line with Armeno-Turkish, ç, ć, k, p and t are represented by their aspirated versions (չ, ց, ք, փ, թ).
Instead of using the Armeno-Turkish and Karabakhi versions of ö and ü (էօ, իւ), the Eastern Armenian spellings (յ + vowel) are used - յո, յու․
Instead of using the Karabakhi version of ə (եա) or modified letters, the letter է is used as it is not occupied by any other letter in Ermənbası.

Download an alphabet chart for Ermənbası (Excel)

Sample text

Բյություն ինսանլար լէյակաթ վէ հյուկուկլարընա գյորէ ազադ բէրաբէր դողուլուրլար։ Ոնարըն շյուուրալրը վէ վիջդանլարը վար վէ բիր֊բիրլէրինէ մյունասիբէթդէ կարդաշլիկ րուհունդա դավրանմալըդըրլար։

Transliteration

Bütün insanlar ləyaqət və hüquqlarına görə azad bərabər doğulurlar. Onarın şüuralrı və vicdanları var və bir-birlərinə münasibətdə qardaşlıq runhunda davranmalıdırlar.

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Information about Azerbaijani | Phrases | Numbers | Tower of Babel | Azerbaijani courses on: Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk [affilate links]

Learn Azerbaijani with uTalk | Learn Azerbaijani with Glossika (affiliate links)

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