Languages of the Caucasus II (Armenian, Georgian) [ LGLOR2652 ]

The iCampus server  enables the student to obtain documentation on the chosen texts.

LGLOR 1651 and LGLOR 1652 or a course deemed equivalent by the lecturer.

Alternating with LGLOR 2651, this course deals with Armenian and Georgian texts which were either produced in one of these two languages, or were translated from Greek into Armenian and/or Georgian. Particular attention is also paid to the study of manuscripts, to palaeography and the techniques of edition of critical texts. Through the study and commentary of the selected texts, the language and culture of Armenia are also studied.

To this course are added 30 hours of exercises, which correspond to the personal preparation by the student of Armenian and Georgian texts analysed during the lectures.

According to the the interest expressed by the students, this course can either be organised in parts, the first term being devoted to Armenian, and the second term to Georgian, or organised as one whole course, studying the same text which exists both in Armenian and Georgian (for example translations from Greek texts) throughout the year.

Mastery of Armenian and Georgian languages, and an introduction to the history of these two nations.

At the end of this course, the student will be capable to read, translate and analyse ancient and medieval Armenian and Georgian texts of advanced difficulty. He will have mastered the various working tools, and will also be able to carry out a personal research on the texts and languages concerned.

Continuous evaluation with an oral exam at the end of the year: reading and translating a text already seen in the lectures with justification of grammar points and commentaries.

The lectures take the form of seminars: the texts that the student will have prepared are analysed during the course and grammatical, linguistic historical and cultural commentaries are added. The lecturer will on occasions, supply additional explanations on special points of history and literature. A recommended reading list is supplied.

The Armenian and Georgian languages belong to different linguistic families, but to cultural and religious words which are partially similar. The course aims to train the students in the linguistic specialities of these two languages and in their cultural universe by means of the study of original texts. Notions of grammar (morphology, syntax vocabulary and etymology) and the history of the language are studied in depth, and are comparisons established  with other languages.

This course is conceived as an introduction to research, and requires  a certain amount of preparation by the student.

Armenian :
- A. Meillet, Altarmenisches Elementarbuch, rééd. anast., Heidelberg, 1980.

Georgian :
- H. Fähnrich, Grammatik der altgeorgischen Sprache, Hambourg, 1994.
- J. Molitor, Glossarium ibericum' (C.S.C.O., 228, 237, 243, 265, 373; Subsidia, 20, 21, 23, 25, 49), Louvain, 1962-1976.

The lecturer will distribute course materials and texts.

The lecturer will meet with the students at the beginning of the year to fix the timetable.