Important Work of Reference
The dictionary of the Armenian language “Baṙgirk’ haykazean lezowi” by Mechitar of Sebaste is a fundamental monument of Armenian philology. It can be compared to a Larousse or Duden in terms of its significance for Armenian. With it, Mechitar succeeded in establishing a codified and standardised Armenian national language.
This two-volume work (1749/1769) is not only an early Armenian print (which includes all Armenian prints up to 1800) and a rarity, but also an important reference work for research and teaching in the field of Armenian philology, comparative linguistics, Indo-European studies, lexicology, lexicography and Oriental studies.
About the Author
Mechithar of Sebaste (1676-1749), founder of the Armenian Catholic Mechitarist Order and a great scholar, wrote and edited more than 50 works. They were first printed by Venetian printers such as Antonio Bortoli, and from 1789 onwards in the printing house of the Mechitarist monastery on San Lazzaro, an island outside Venice. These old prints include the famous Mechitar Bible (1733-1735), the third printing after the first edition in Amsterdam (1666) and the first comprehensive monolingual dictionary of the Armenian language in the early modern period.