Categories: CultureInteresting

The Mysterious Armenian Alphabet

The Armenian alphabet is one of the most significant accomplishments of the Armenian nation. It was invented in 405 AD by Armenian linguist, theologian, statesman and hymnologist Mesrop Mashtots. Armenians appreciate and respect their alphabet and consider it a cultural miracle.

But the most astonishing thing about the alphabet is its link with the periodic table of chemical elements published by Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869.

That is, the sum of the alphabetical characters’ indexes in the old Armenian name of an element is equal to the atomic number of that element, although this is applicable to 7 elements known at the time of the invention of the Armenian alphabet. Those elements are gold, copper, silver, iron, tin, lead, mercury.

It is unlikely that Mesrop Mashtots was aware of certain atomic numbers of that elements back then. It is unknown what rule Mashtots followed creating the Armenian alphabet. Whether it is just a coincidence, some kind of a “miracle” or Mashtots had some logic on his mind is unknown to this day.

The Armenian alphabet 

* These letters weren’t part of the original alphabet and were added to it in 12th
Vigen Avetisyan

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  • Do not mislead others, Mashtots RECOVERED Armenian Alphabet by some manuscripts abroad, after the elimination of all possible cultural values by christian barbarians at 301-396, after which it was difficult to find even an Armenian letter in Armenia.

  • It is very intersting to have a look at the Ethiopian alphabet, the similarity with that of the Armenian is just jaw dropping.
    However, almost identical letters do not have the same sound.

  • copper=պղինձ
    iron=երկաթ
    tin=անագ
    lead=կապար
    mercury=սնդիկ

    • Arzashkun, you must refer to the original vocabulary. for example tin is կլաէկ just like tin plating metal կլաէկել. And in turkish they use a variation of the armenian word kalaylamak

      Read the original published manuscript for a detailed explanation of the word origins above.

  • Have you seen old Armenian coins from King Tikran of the 1st century to King Levon VI of 14th century?

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