The Lord’s Prayer, also known as Our Father, in Armenian word-by-word, transliterated, translated, and with etymological notes, as originally published on Arak-29.
The Lord’s Prayer is:
- written as Տէրունական աղօթք in the classical orthography and Տերունական աղոթք in the reformed orthography.
- pronounced Terunakan aghotk in Eastern Armenian.
- pronounced Derunakan aghotk in Western Armenian.
- also known as Հայր Մեր (Hayr Mer), or Our Father.
- the pronunciation is the same in Eastern and Western Armenian.
| Հայերեն/Armenian | Transliteration | Translation | Etymology |
|---|---|---|---|
| Հայր | Hayr | Father | Eng. father/Arm h = Eng f = Lat. p, as in paternal |
| մեր | mer | our | Eng. our/Ger. unser/Lat. noster (pater noster = hayr mer = father our) |
| որ | vor | who | =Eng. who/Lat. quo |
| յերկինս | hergins | in heaven | h=in, ergin=heaven, s=in, h-prefix from i before vowels, i+yergins = hergins, i+yergri = hergri |
| ես | es | are-thou | Lat. es, Fr. es, Span. estas/ -s ending means you (singular), thou |
| սուրբ | surp | hallowed | holy; see Sanskrit çubhra clean |
| եղիցի | yeghitsi | be | Eng. colony, wheel, cycle/Arm. yeghi=be, become, -tsi =may it, -tsin= may they/Arm. gh = Eng. l, Boghos=Paul, agh=salt |
| անուն | anun | name | Eng. name, noun |
| քո | ko | thy | Eng. thy, Lat. tuo (tuo=>kuo=>ko) |
| եկեսցէ | yegestse | come | Eng. come, Lat. convene, yeg– come, estse = may it (as in Arm. gyank– ‘life’ Eng. quick, Lat. vivacious) |
| արքայութիւն | arkayutyun | kingdom | Eng. arch as in monarch (Gk.) utyun=tion |
| քո | ko | thy | see above; related kez, zkez, zken=you, kum=your |
| եղիցին | yeghitsin | be | see above; -n=they, Sp. estan, Lat. exeunt, Fr. sont |
| կամք | gamk | will | Eng. care, charity, God’s caring wish for us/Arm. pare-gam (pari=good): well-wisher or friend |
| քո | ko | thy | see above |
| որպէս | vorbes | as | how from vor= which + -bes=way, as in inchbes es = how are you? |
| յերկինս | hergins | in heaven | s=plural as in heavens (note: base word is yergink) |
| եւ | yev | and | Eng. epi, epidermis, epitaph, meaning, on top of (p>v) |
| յերկրի | hergri | earth | Eng. earth, h=on + yergir=earth, Arm. yergink ‘heaven’ derives from Arm. yergir |
| զհաց | z-hats | bread | z=direct object (of dur, give) hats= Eng. food=Latin pasture, Fr. pain, as in companion, someone who breaks bread (pan) with (com) you, as in, Arm. unt=with + ger=eat =>unger; hov-iv = someone who pastures the ewes, i.e., shepherd, pastor |
| մեր | mer | our | see above; related forms: mek=we, mez=to us, zmez=us, merots=our |
| հանապազորդ | hanabazort | daily | hanabaz=continual; ort=ly |
| տուր | dur | give-thou | du=Eng. donate, -r = you sg., thou, see danir lead |
| մեզ | mez | us | see above |
| այսօր | aysor | this day | ays=Eng. this; -or=day |
| եւ | yev | and | see above |
| թող | togh | forgive | Eng. tolerate, Lat. tollis =take away, see toghu-mk |
| մեզ | mez | us | see above |
| զպարտիս | z-bardis | debts | z- =direct object (of togh) -s =pl. direct object, see bard-a-ban =debt-keeper |
| մեր | mer | our | see above |
| որպէս | vorbes | as | see above |
| եւ | yev | and | see above |
| մեք | mek | we | see above, mek becomes menk in Mod. Arm. |
| թողումք | toghumk | forgive | see above, -mk = we, as in havadamk=we believe |
| մերոց | merots | our | ee above, -ots/-ats=to pl. |
| պարտապանաց | bardabanats | debtors | see above, -ats=to pl., indirect object (of toghumk), give pardon to debtors |
| եւ | yev | and | see above |
| մի՛ | mi | not | mi = don’t, not to be confused with miayn, mimyants = one, one another |
| տանիր | danir | lead | Eng. donate, give over to, -r=thou, you singular |
| զմեզ | zmez | us | z- direct object (of danir) |
| ի | i | into | Eng. in, means at, into, on, from depending on context and suffix of following word |
| փորձութիւն | portsutyun | temptation | Eng. peril -utyun = -tion |
| այլ | ayl | but | Eng. else |
| փրկեա | prg-ya | deliver | rescue, save, as in Prg-ich, Savior, –ya=thou, you singular, command |
| ի | i | from | Eng. in=from due to suffix char-e |
| չարէ | char-e | evil | ch=not, ar=create, as in ar-ar-ich=Creator, constructive – creative vs. destructive – evil, -e=from |
I am born in Southern California and did not learn to read Armenian and can barely speak. I have looked all my life for a verbatim translation of our “Hyar Mer” into English so I could better understand our most precious prayer. I am so pleased to have found it here, today. I thank you with all my heart and will sing in with new proudness in Church now.
I wanted to buy coffee. However, you don’t have PayPal to charge to. I worry about posting my credit card number.