Stepan Malkhasyants
Encyclopedia
Stepanos Sargsi Malkhasyants was a notable Armenian
academician
, philologist, linguist, and lexicographer. As an expert in classical Armenian literature, Malkhasyants wrote the critical editions and translated the works of many classical Armenian historians into modern Armenian and contributed 70 years of his life to the advancement of the study of the Armenian language
.
Georgia
, in 1857. He received his primary education at the Karapetyan Parochial school in Akhaltsikh. From 1874 to 1878, he attended the Gevorkyan Seminary
at Vagharshapat (current-day Echmiadzin
). In the final year of his studies at Vagharshapat, Malkhasyants was admitted to the department of Oriental studies
at Saint Petersburg State University
. In 1889, he graduated from the university with an emphasis in Armenian
-Sanskrit
and Armenian-Georgian
studies.
Following the completion of his studies, Malkhasyants taught Armenian at schools and become a regular contributor in periodicals and academic journals. Returning to the Transcaucasus, he took up a teaching position at the Karapetyan Parochial school and later the Yeghiazaryan Gymnasium
(also in Akhaltsikh), the Nersisyan
, Hovnanyan and Gayanyan Seminaries in Tiflis and at the Gevorkyan Seminary at Vagharshapat. After Yerevan State University
was founded in February 1920, Malkhasyants became a part of the faculty of the department of History and Linguistics and was the first instructor to deliver a lecture there. In 1940, Malkhasyants was awarded with his doktor nauk
in philology honoris causa. In 1943 he helped found the Armenian Academy of Sciences
and was formally elected into its body.
prior to his graduation from Saint Petersburg State University. In 1885, Malkhasyants published the first critical edition of the Universal History, written by the eleventh century historian Stepanos Taronetsi
. He later published several other critical texts by Armenian historians, including the primary histories written by Pavstos Buzand
(1896), Sebeos
(1899), Ghazar Parpetsi
(1904) and Movses Khorenatsi
(1940). Malkhasyants took a particular interest in Movses and he published over 50 works on the "Father of Armenian history" in the form of books, articles, and monographs. Subsequent works also focused on the grammar
of classical Armenian and ashkharabar (modern Armenian). His Russian translation of the 18th century Catholicos Simeon Yerevantsi's history work, Jambr, was published in 1958.
In 1944-1945, Malkhasyants finally completed a monumental four volume Armenian language dictionary
, Armenian Explanatory Dictionary (Hayeren Batsadrakan Barraran), which went on to win the
Stalin Prize in 1946. The dictionary, which Malkhasyants had begun writing for in 1922, provides an exhaustive vocabulary list of classical Armenian, middle Armenian
, and modern Armenian words, as well as an exploration of the numerous dialect
s spoken by Armenians.
Malkhasyants also translated some foreign works into Armenian. In addition to William Shakespeare
's plays, including King Lear
and Macbeth
, he also translated the writings of Georg Ebers
. He died at age 89 in 1947 in Yerevan.
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
academician
Academician
The title Academician denotes a Full Member of an art, literary, or scientific academy.In many countries, it is an honorary title. There also exists a lower-rank title, variously translated Corresponding Member or Associate Member, .-Eastern Europe and China:"Academician" may also be a functional...
, philologist, linguist, and lexicographer. As an expert in classical Armenian literature, Malkhasyants wrote the critical editions and translated the works of many classical Armenian historians into modern Armenian and contributed 70 years of his life to the advancement of the study of the Armenian language
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
.
Early life and education
Malkhasyants was born in Akhaltsikh, in what was then RussianRussian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
Georgia
Georgia within the Russian Empire
Between 1801 and 1918 the country of Georgia was part of the Russian Empire. For centuries, the Muslim Ottoman and Persian empires had fought over various fragmented Georgian kingdoms and principalities but by the 18th century, a third imperial power, Russia, had emerged in the region. Since Russia...
, in 1857. He received his primary education at the Karapetyan Parochial school in Akhaltsikh. From 1874 to 1878, he attended the Gevorkyan Seminary
Gevorkian Theological Seminary
Gevorkian Theological Seminary is a theological school-college of the Armenian Apostolic Church founded by Catholicos Gevork IV in 1874. It is located in the city of Vagharshapat within the complex of the Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin, Republic of Armenia.-History:During the tenure of Catholicos...
at Vagharshapat (current-day Echmiadzin
Echmiadzin
Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin is a 4th century Armenian church in the town of Ejmiatsin, Armenia. It is also the central cathedral of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin of the Armenian Apostolic Church....
). In the final year of his studies at Vagharshapat, Malkhasyants was admitted to the department of Oriental studies
Oriental studies
Oriental studies is the academic field of study that embraces Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, peoples, history and archaeology; in recent years the subject has often been turned into the newer terms of Asian studies and Middle Eastern studies...
at Saint Petersburg State University
Saint Petersburg State University
Saint Petersburg State University is a Russian federal state-owned higher education institution based in Saint Petersburg and one of the oldest and largest universities in Russia....
. In 1889, he graduated from the university with an emphasis in Armenian
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
-Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and Armenian-Georgian
Georgian language
Georgian is the native language of the Georgians and the official language of Georgia, a country in the Caucasus.Georgian is the primary language of about 4 million people in Georgia itself, and of another 500,000 abroad...
studies.
Following the completion of his studies, Malkhasyants taught Armenian at schools and become a regular contributor in periodicals and academic journals. Returning to the Transcaucasus, he took up a teaching position at the Karapetyan Parochial school and later the Yeghiazaryan Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
(also in Akhaltsikh), the Nersisyan
Nersisyan School
Nersisyan School was an Armenian school in Tiflis, Russian Empire . Nersisyan School existed exactly one century, from 1824 to 1924. It was founded by Nerses Ashtaraketsi.- History :...
, Hovnanyan and Gayanyan Seminaries in Tiflis and at the Gevorkyan Seminary at Vagharshapat. After Yerevan State University
Yerevan State University
Yerevan State University is a university in Yerevan, Armenia. Founded on May 16 1919, it is the largest university in the country with 110 departments. Of its 3,150 employees, 1,190 comprise the teaching staff which includes 25 academicians, 130 professors, 700 docents , and 360 assistant lecturers...
was founded in February 1920, Malkhasyants became a part of the faculty of the department of History and Linguistics and was the first instructor to deliver a lecture there. In 1940, Malkhasyants was awarded with his doktor nauk
Doktor nauk
Doktor nauk is a higher doctoral degree, the second and the highest post-graduate academic degree in the Soviet Union, Russia and in many post-Soviet states. Sometimes referred to as Dr. Hab. The prerequisite is the first degree, Kandidat nauk which is informally regarded equivalent to Ph.D....
in philology honoris causa. In 1943 he helped found the Armenian Academy of Sciences
Armenian Academy of Sciences
The Armenian Academy of Sciences is the primary body that conducts research in and coordinates activities in the fields of science and social sciences in the Republic of Armenia. It was founded on November 29, 1943...
and was formally elected into its body.
Works
Malkhasyants took an active interest in the study of classical and medieval Armenian historiographyHistoriography
Historiography refers either to the study of the history and methodology of history as a discipline, or to a body of historical work on a specialized topic...
prior to his graduation from Saint Petersburg State University. In 1885, Malkhasyants published the first critical edition of the Universal History, written by the eleventh century historian Stepanos Taronetsi
Stepanos Asoghik
Stepanos Asoghik , also known as Stepanos Taronetsi , was an Armenian historian of the 11th century. His dates are unknown but he came from Taron and earned the nickname Asoghik . He wrote a Universal History in three books...
. He later published several other critical texts by Armenian historians, including the primary histories written by Pavstos Buzand
Faustus of Byzantium
Faustus of Byzantium was an Armenian historian of the 5th century. He wrote a six volume history, of which the first two volumes are lost. He described in details the reign of Arshak II and his son Pap of Armenia...
(1896), Sebeos
Sebeos
Sebeos was a 7th century Armenian bishop and historian who participated in the first Council of Dvin in 645.The history of Sebeos contains detailed descriptions from the period of Sassanid supremacy in Armenia up to the Islamic conquest in 661...
(1899), Ghazar Parpetsi
Ghazar Parpetsi
Ghazar Parpetsi was a 5th to 6th century Armenian chronicler and historian. He had close ties with the powerful Mamikonian noble famiily and is most prominent for writing a history of Armenia, History of Armenia, sometime in the early sixth century.-Life:...
(1904) and Movses Khorenatsi
Movses Khorenatsi
Moses of Chorene, also Moses of Khoren, Moses Chorenensis, or Movses Khorenatsi , or a 7th to 9th century date) was an Armenian historian, and author of the History of Armenia....
(1940). Malkhasyants took a particular interest in Movses and he published over 50 works on the "Father of Armenian history" in the form of books, articles, and monographs. Subsequent works also focused on the grammar
Grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...
of classical Armenian and ashkharabar (modern Armenian). His Russian translation of the 18th century Catholicos Simeon Yerevantsi's history work, Jambr, was published in 1958.
In 1944-1945, Malkhasyants finally completed a monumental four volume Armenian language dictionary
Dictionary
A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
, Armenian Explanatory Dictionary (Hayeren Batsadrakan Barraran), which went on to win the
Stalin Prize in 1946. The dictionary, which Malkhasyants had begun writing for in 1922, provides an exhaustive vocabulary list of classical Armenian, middle Armenian
Middle Armenian
Middle Armenian , also called Cilician Armenian, corresponds to the second period in written Armenian with which numerous books were published between the 12th and 18th centuries...
, and modern Armenian words, as well as an exploration of the numerous dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
s spoken by Armenians.
Malkhasyants also translated some foreign works into Armenian. In addition to William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's plays, including King Lear
King Lear
King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...
and Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
, he also translated the writings of Georg Ebers
Georg Ebers
Georg Moritz Ebers , German Egyptologist and novelist, discovered the Egyptian medical papyrus, of ca. 1550 BCE, named for him at Luxor in the winter of 1873–74...
. He died at age 89 in 1947 in Yerevan.
Further reading
Badikyan, Khachik. "Ստեփան Մալխասյանց" ("Stepan Malkhasyants"). Azg. November 1, 2007.- Garibyan A. "Armenia's Greatest Philologist: To the Centennial of S.S. Malkhasyants." Communist. December 26, 1957. Malkhasyants, Stepan. Material for Armenian Intelletuals' Biographies and Bibliographies. Yerevan, 1962.