Introduction To Classical Armenian
Introduction to Classical Armenian
Dumbarton Oaks / HMML Summer School
Introduction to Classical Armenian
In partnership with Dumbarton Oaks and the Zohrab Center of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, HMML will host an intensive four-week course as an introduction to the Armenian language and paleography in the summer of 2025. This course is primarily intended for doctoral students or recent PhDs who can demonstrate a need for Classical Armenian in their research. Students enrolled in Master's level programs may also apply, explaining why learning Classical Armenian at this stage of their graduate career would be helpful for their future plans. Priority is given to students who lack opportunities to study Armenian at their own institutions, or those who can explain why the intensive format of the Summer School is better suited to their needs. The program welcomes international applicants but does not sponsor J visas.
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Funder
Dumbarton Oaks -
Location
The 2025 summer course will be taught on the beautiful campus of Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, USA. -
Course level
Introduction to Classical Armenian -
Course length
Four weeks -
Dates
July 7, 2025 to August 1, 2025 -
Course size
Up to 14 students -
Costs
All course costs are covered by Dumbarton Oaks for the 2025 course.
Participants must pay their own travel costs to and from Collegeville, Minnesota, USA.
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Accommodations
Students will be housed in dormitory apartments on the Saint John’s University campus. Each participant will have an air-conditioned, private bedroom and bathroom, with shared kitchen and laundry facilities.
A meal contract at the college Refectory will be provided.
Course overview
- Sessions are held Monday–Friday in the morning and afternoon.
- Total instruction time equals 110 hours.
- The Dumbarton Oaks/HMML 2025 summer course “Introduction to Classical Armenian” will introduce students to the fundamentals of Classical Armenian grammar at the introductory level.
- The goal of the course is to give students an active command of the language through grammar instruction and reading texts.
- The textbook for the course will be: An Introduction to Classical Armenian, Robert W. Thomson (Delmar, NY: Caravan Books, 1989, 2nd. ed.), now out of print. Students will be provided in advance with a PDF copy of this book — which they are encouraged to print physical copies of — and any other materials needed for the course. Other supplemental materials prepared by the instructors will also be distributed to the students.
- Once a sufficient basis of grammar has been covered, a portion of the daily work will be devoted to reading and translating Classical Armenian texts, which may be chosen based on student interest and will include both published texts as well as manuscript images.
- During the course, students will also be introduced to the primary lexica, manuscript repositories, and print and online resources available to aid them in their subsequent research on pre-modern Armenian texts.
- By the end of the course, students will be able to independently approach Classical Armenian texts with a comprehensive grasp of grammar and syntax and translate from Armenian into English with confidence.
- Following this intensive course, students will be able to continue reading on their own or to enter reading courses at other institutions.
Prerequisites
- Students will be required to learn the Armenian alphabet and practice reading and pronunciation before the course begins.
- Students will be introduced to both Eastern and Western pronunciation and will be encouraged to pick one pronunciation to make their own.
- Materials will be provided to aid in mastering the alphabet and for practicing reading and pronunciation.
- Those with significant prior study of Armenian (e.g., a semester-long class) will not be considered.
Faculty for 2025
- Guest faculty: Dr. Jesse Siragan Arlen, director, Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America; postdoctoral research fellow, Orthodox Christian Studies Center, Fordham University; and Dr. Christopher Sprecher, postdoctoral researcher, Austrian Academy of Sciences/Institute for Medieval Research, Cluster of Excellence “EurAsian Transformations”
- HMML staff: Dr. Columba Stewart, Executive Director, HMML; and Dr. Matthew Z. Heintzelman, Curator of Western European Manuscripts & Special Collections.
Application deadline
March 12, 2025
Application submission
- Letter of no more than two single-spaced pages describing the applicant’s academic background, including language skills, and an explanation for why learning Armenian is important for future research and teaching. Address letter to HMML Executive Director Columba Stewart, Ph.D.
- Updated curriculum vitae
- A transcript of graduate school coursework for those who are currently doing graduate study. This is not required for those who completed a PhD
- Two letters of recommendation
Applicants
- Send all materials as email attachments to scholarlyprograms@hmml.org.
- Add “Armenian 2025 Summer School” in the subject line.
Letter of recommendation authors
- Letters of recommendation should be sent directly from the author of the letter to HMML. Please send the letter as email attachment to scholarlyprograms@hmml.org.
- Add “Armenian 2025 Summer School and the applicant’s name” in the subject line.
Selection criteria
- Applicants will be evaluated on the basis of previous academic achievement, demonstrated need for intensive study of Classical Armenian, and research promise.
Notification of acceptance
- All awards will be announced by March 14, 2025.
- Students accepting a place in the course will need to notify HMML by March 28, 2025.
- Alternates, if space becomes available, will be announced March 31, 2025.
Questions
- Contact: Dr. Audrey Thorstad, Director of Programming, athorstad001@hmml.org.
About Dumbarton Oaks: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection is an institute in Washington, D.C., administered by the Trustees for Harvard University. It supports research and learning internationally in Byzantine, Garden and Landscape, and Pre-Columbian studies through fellowships and internships, meetings, and exhibitions. Located in residential Georgetown, Dumbarton Oaks welcomes researchers at all career stages who come to study its books, objects, images, and documents.
About the Zohrab Center of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America: The Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center at the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America was founded in 1987 through a perpetual endowment by Dolores Zohrab Liebmann, in memory of her parents. Her father, Krikor Zohrab, was a renowned Ottoman-Armenian community leader, parliamentarian, lawyer, and writer, who was murdered in the early days of the genocide of 1915. Today the Zohrab Center functions as a research library and community center that promotes the full range of Armenian studies and assists students, scholars, the Armenian community, and general public in deepening their appreciation for Armenian history, civilization, and culture, especially within their overwhelmingly Christian ambit.