Mush dialect ( hy, Մշոյ բարբառ, Mšo barbař) is a

Western Armenian Western Armenian (Classical Armenian orthography, Classical spelling: , ) is one of the two standard language, standardized forms of Armenian language, Modern Armenian, the other being Eastern Armenian. It is based mainly on the Istanbul Arme ...

dialect formerly spoken in the city of Mush (Muş) and the historic region of Taron, in present-day eastern

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

. As a result of the extermination of the native Armenian population during the genocide of 1915, the dialect is almost completely extinct today with only several thousand native speakers in a number of villages in

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ...

and three Armenian-populated villages in the Samtskhe-Javakheti province of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to t ...

Area spoken

According to

Hrachia Adjarian Hrachia Acharian ( hy, Հրաչեայ Աճառեան, reformed spelling: Հրաչյա Աճառյան ; 8 March 1876 – 16 April 1953) was an Armenian linguist, lexicographer, etymologist, and philologist. An Istanbul Armenian, Acharian stud ...

in the early 20th century, the Mush dialect was spoken in the cities of

Bitlis Bitlis ( hy, Բաղեշ '; ku, Bidlîs; ota, بتليس) is a city in southeastern Turkey and the capital of Bitlis Province. The city is located at an elevation of 1,545 metres, 15 km from Lake Van, in the steep-sided valley of the Bitlis ...

, Xizan (Hizan), Khlat (Xlat), Arjesh, Bulanikh,

Manazkert Malazgirt or Malâzgird ( ku, Melezgir; hy, Մանազկերտ, Manazkert; grc-x-medieval, Ματζιέρτη, Matziértē), historically known as Manzikert ( grc-x-medieval, Μαντζικέρτ, links=no), is a town in Muş Province in eastern ...

, Khnus (Xnus), and Alashkert. The dialect was spread to the west of

Lake Van Lake Van ( tr, Van Gölü; hy, Վանա լիճ, translit=Vana lič̣; ku, Gola Wanê) is the largest lake in Turkey. It lies in the far east of Turkey, in the provinces of Van and Bitlis in the Armenian highlands. It is a saline soda lake, ...

. During the Russo-Turkish War of (1877–78), Armenians from Mush and Alashkert established villages in the

Erivan Governorate The Erivan Governorate was a province ('' guberniya'') of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, with its centеr in Erivan (present-day Yerevan). Its area was 27,830 sq. kilometеrs, roughly corresponding to what is now most of central A ...

: in

Aparan Aparan ( Armenian: ), is a town and urban municipal community in Armenia, located in the Aragatsotn Province, about 50 kilometers northwest of the capital Yerevan. As of the 2011 census, the population of the town was 6,451. As per the 2016 offi ...

and south of Novo-Bayazit (present-day Gavar). According to Adjarian there were 21 Armenian villages in the Erivan Governorate where the Mush dialect was spoken. Another group of Armenians from Khnus settled near

Akhalkalaki Akhalkalaki ( ka, ახალქალაქი, tr; hy, Ախալքալաք / Նոր-Քաղաք, translit=Axalk’alak’ / Nor-K’aġak’) is a town in Georgia's southern region of Samtskhe–Javakheti and the administrative centre of the Akh ...

, particularly in three villages: Heshtia, Toria and Ujmana. According to a 1955 article the Mush dialect was spoken in villages located in the following districts (''

raion A raion (also spelt rayon) is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet states. The term is used for both a type of subnational entity and a division of a city. The word is from the French (meaning 'honeycomb, department'), and is co ...

'') of Soviet Armenia: Talin,

Artik Artik ( Armenian: ), is a town and urban municipal community in the Shirak Province of Armenia. As of the 2011 census, the town had a population of 19,534. As per the 2016 official estimate, the population of Artik is around 18,800. Artik is fa ...

Aghin Aghin ( hy, Աղին) is a village in the Ani Municipality of the Shirak Province of Armenia. The community of Aghin consists of the villages of Aghin and Aghin kayaran. The Statistical Committee of Armenia The Statistical Committee of Armenia ...

Ejmiatsin Vagharshapat ( hy, Վաղարշապատ ) is the 4th-largest city in Armenia and the most populous municipal community of Armavir Province, located about west of the capital Yerevan, and north of the closed Turkish-Armenian border. It is comm ...

, and Martuni. One notable village in Armenia where the dialect is still spoken is Kamo in the northwestern

Shirak Province Shirak ( hy, Շիրակ, ) is a province (''marz'') of Armenia. It is located in the north-west of the country, bordering Turkey to the west and Georgia to the north. Its capital and largest city is Gyumri, which is the second largest city in ...

Notable speakers

Gegham Ter-Karapetian Gegham Ter-Karapetian ( hy, Գեղամ Տեր-Կարապետեան) (1865-1918), better known by his pen name Msho Gegham (Մշոյ Գեղամ), is a renowned Armenian writer and politician. Biography Ter-Karapetian was born in 1865 in the vill ...

(Msho Gegham) (1856–1918), writer, poet *

Arabo Arabo ( hy, Արաբօ, 1863–1893), born Arakel Mkhitarian, was an Armenian fedayi of the late 19th century. Arabo was born in the village of Kurter or Korter ( or ) in the region of Sasun in the Bitlis vilayet. Arabo studied at the Arake ...

(1863–1893), '' fedayi'' * Aghbiur Serob (1864–1899), ''fedayi'' *

Hrayr Dzhoghk Hrayr Dzhoghk (, ''Hrayr The Hell''; 1864–13 April 1904), born (Armenak Ghazarian hy, Արմենակ Ղազարյան), also known as Hrair, Hrayr, Tjokhk, Djohkh, Dzhokhk, was an Armenian military leader and strategist, fedayee, statesman ...

(1864–1904), ''fedayi'' *

Kevork Chavush Kevork Ghazarian ( hy, Գէորգ Ղազարեան; 1870 – 28 May 1907), commonly known as Kevork Chavush or Gevorg Chaush ( hy, Գէորգ Չաւուշ or Գևորգ Չաուշ), was an Armenian '' fedayee'' leader in the Ottoman Empire and a ...

(1870–1907), ''fedayi'' *

Makhluto Makhluto ( hy, Մախլուտո; 1875–1956), born Smbat Boroyan (), also known as General Smbat, was an Armenian fedayee commander during the Armenian national movement. He was known for his battles alongside General Andranik Ozanian. Earl ...

(1872–1956), ''fedayi'' * Armenak Shahmuradyan (1878–1939), singer *

William Saroyan William Saroyan (; August 31, 1908 – May 18, 1981) was an Armenian-American novelist, playwright, and short story writer. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1940, and in 1943 won the Academy Award for Best Story for the film ''Th ...

(1908–1981), US-born writerYouTube video
of William Saroyan's visit to Soviet Armenia in the 1970s. He clearly speaks the Mush dialect. *

Khachik Dashtents Khachik Dashtents ( hy, Խաչիկ Դաշտենց; ''Khachik Tonoyi Tonoyan'', May 25, 1910 – March 9, 1974) was an ethnic Armenian Soviet writer, poet and translator.

(1910–1981), writer

Songs in Mush dialect

Zartir lao "Zartir lao" ( hy, Զարթի՛ր, լաօ) is a popular Armenian revolutionary folk song. Composed in the 1890s, it praises the prominent '' fedayi'' leader Arabo and is a wake up call for struggle against the Turks. Origin The song was original ...

" - ''

ashugh An ashik ( az, aşıq, ; tr, âşık; fa, عاشیق) or ashugh ( hy, աշուղ; ka, აშუღი) is traditionally a singer-poet and bard who accompanies his song—be it a dastan (traditional epic story, also known as '' hika ...

'' Fahrat (1890s) *"Dle yaman" - written down by

Komitas Vardapet Soghomon Soghomonian, ordained and commonly known as Komitas, ( hy, Կոմիտաս; 22 October 1935) was an Armenian priest, musicologist, composer, arranger, singer, and choirmaster, who is considered the founder of the Armenian national sc ...

in early 20th century, performed by

Lusine Zakaryan Lusine Zakaryan ( hy, Լուսինե Զաքարյան), born Svetlana Zakaryan ( hy, Սվետլանա Զաքարյան; June 1, 1937 – December 30, 1992), was an Armenian soprano. Zakaryan was born in Akhaltsikhe, Georgian SSR, and grew up in ...

, Flora Martirosian,

Isabel Bayrakdarian Isabel Bayrakdarian ( arm, Իզապէլ Պայրագտարեան; born February 1, 1974) is a Lebanese-born Canadian operatic soprano of Armenian descent who now resides and works in the United States. Early life Born in Zahlé, Lebanon, into a ...

,
Lily
- Armenoids (2007)
Gulo
- Hasmik Harutyunyan

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * * ;Further reading * — includes folklore genres in Mush dialect * * * — a wide study on the dialect, includes 15 stories, 710 proverbs, sayings, blessings {{Armenian language, state=expanded Armenian dialects Muş