ON THE FORMATION OF THE IMPERATIVE IN THE DIALECT OF AṘTIAL

Based on an analysis of corresponding sample texts, it is argued that although the Old Armenian e- and i-conjugations have coalesced into a single conjugation type in the dialect of Aṙtial, the original contrast between the two conjugations — namely, the ending -ē versus the ending -i — has been maintained, contrary to H. Ačaṙyan’s description, in the 3rd singular subjunctive (which goes back to the 3rd singular present indicative in Old Armenian).

However, verbs from both the previous e- and i-conjugations form the imperative identically, taking the ending -ē in the singular and the ending -ec‘ēk‘ in the plural. As for the imperative singular ending -iәr (< -ir), it is not attested with simple verbs of the former i-conjugation (again, contrary to H. Ačaṙyan’s description); only suffixed verbs in the previous e- and i-conjugations, as well as verbs in the a-conjugation in general, exhibit the ending -iәr in the imperative singular in the dialect of Aṙtial.