Armenian Braille Explained

Armenian Braille is either of two braille alphabets used for writing the Armenian language. The assignments of the Armenian alphabet to braille patterns is largely consistent with unified international braille, with the same punctuation, except for the comma.^[1] However, Eastern and Western Armenian are assigned braille letters based on different criteria.^[2] The conventions for Western Armenian were developed in Lebanon.

Eastern Armenian Braille

Eastern Armenian Braille
Type:	alphabet
Languages:	Eastern Armenian
Fam1:	Braille
Fam2:	?
Print:	Armenian alphabet
Sample:	Eastern Armenian Braille chart.jpg
Ipa-Note:	no

In Eastern Armenian, braille cells are assigned international values based on the historical correspondences of the Armenian script. For this reason they closely match the Latin transliteration convention used in the table below.

	Ա ա a	Բ բ b	Գ գ g	Դ դ d	Ե ե e	Զ զ z	Է է ē	Ը ը ë	Թ թ t’	Ժ ժ ž	Ի ի i	Լ լ l	Խ խ x
Braille
Linear	Ծ ծ ç	Կ կ k	Հ հ h	Ձ ձ j	Ղ ղ ġ	Ճ ճ č̣	Մ մ m	Յ յ y	Ն ն n	Շ շ s	Ո ո o	Չ չ č	Պ պ p
Braille
Linear	Ջ ջ ǰ	Ռ ռ ṙ	Ս ս s	Վ վ v	Տ տ t	Ր ր r	Ց ց c’	Ւ ւ w	Փ փ p’	Ք ք k’	Եւ և ev	Օ օ ò	Ֆ ֆ f
Braille		^[3]					^[4]

Western Armenian Braille

Western Armenian Braille
Type:	alphabet
Languages:	Western Armenian
Fam1:	Braille
Fam2:	?
Print:	Armenian alphabet
Ipa-Note:	no

In Western Armenian, braille cells are assigned according to a pronunciation which diverges from the historical origin of the letters. Thus what are transliterated b g d in the table below are assigned braille values as p q th, while p t č̣ k are pronounced like English b d j g and have those braille assignments.

	Ա ա a	Բ բ b	Գ գ g	Դ դ d	Ե ե e	Զ զ z	Է է ē	Ը ը ë	Թ թ t’	Ժ ժ ž	Ի ի i	Լ լ l	Խ խ x
Braille
Linear	Ծ ծ ç	Կ կ k	Հ հ h	Ձ ձ j	Ղ ղ ġ	Ճ ճ č̣	Մ մ m	Յ յ y	Ն ն n	Շ շ s	Ո ո o	Չ չ č	Պ պ p
Braille
Linear	Ջ ջ ǰ	Ռ ռ ṙ	Ս ս s	Վ վ v	Տ տ t	Ր ր r	Ց ց c’	Ւ ւ w	Փ փ p’	Ք ք k’	Օ օ ò	Ֆ ֆ f
Braille

Եւ (և) is .

Common punctuation

Apart from the comma and question mark above, Eastern and Western Braille use the same punctuation.

Linear	՝	․	։	՜	« »	֊	(cap)
Braille		^[5]

See also

• Moon type is a simplification of the Latin alphabet for embossing. An adaptation for Armenian-reading blind people has been proposed.

Notes and References

1. Web site: International Meeting on Braille Uniformity. UNESCO. 2012-04-24.
2. Unesco (2013), World Braille Usage, 3rd ed.
3. UNESCO (1990/2013) mistakenly copies this as r. It was corrected from the chart in the box at right.
4. The chart in the box at right mistakenly copies this as y. It was corrected from UNESCO (1990/2013).
5. This is the same as the comma in Eastern Armenian, according to UNESCO 2013. This may be an error.