The Faculty of Philology of Yerevan State University, in cooperation with the Armenian Language Research Laboratory, is pleased to announce an international conference dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the birth of Hrachya Acharyan (1876-1953), one of the founding figures of modern Armenian linguistics and Armenian studies.
The conference will be held at Yerevan State University on 8-10 October 2026.
Hrachya Acharyan’s scholarly legacy is exceptionally broad and continues to shape numerous fields of Armenian studies. His contributions extend far beyond Armenian linguistics and encompass historical-comparative linguistics, etymology, lexicography, dialectology, onomastics, manuscript studies, folklore, the history of Armenian diasporic communities, literary history, and Oriental studies. A comprehensive reassessment of Acharyan’s scholarship, its achievements, limitations, and continuing relevance remains one of the important tasks of contemporary Armenian studies.
The conference welcomes papers addressing Acharyan’s scholarly heritage and its significance for various branches of Armenian studies. Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:
Hrachya Acharyan: life, scholarship, and intellectual legacy
History of the Armenian language
Historical-comparative linguistics and etymology
Lexicography and source studies
Armenian dialectology
Onomastics and historical toponymy
Classical and modern Armenian literature and philology
Manuscript studies, paleography, and epigraphy
Western Armenian: history, grammar, and textual traditions
Non-Armenian literature written in the Armenian script
Oriental studies and Acharyan’s contribution to related disciplines
Folklore, cultural heritage, and Armenian diasporic communities
A substantial part of the conference programme has already been formed through sixteen invited lectures by leading specialists. In addition, a series of papers will be presented by members of the Armenian Language Research Laboratory (Director: Hrach Martirosyan). The remaining presentations will be selected from proposals submitted in response to this call.
Submission Guidelines
Applicants are invited to submit an abstract of 300-400 words, accompanied by 4-5 keywords. The abstract should include:
title of the paper;
author’s name;
academic degree and/or position;
institutional affiliation;
email address.
Abstracts should be submitted in Armenian and English.
Abstract submission deadline: 10 August 2026
Notification of acceptance: 31 August 2026
Practical Information
The organizers will provide accommodation for invited participants from abroad. Unfortunately, travel expenses cannot be guaranteed.
The results of this conference, together with those of the 13th International Conference on Armenian Linguistics (ICAL13, Paris, INALCO, 18-20 November 2026) and the UCLA workshop (At the Intersection of Language and Culture: 4th Armenian Language Workshop, UCLA, 22-23 May) likewise dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Hrachya Acharyan, are expected to be brought together in a collective English-language volume to be published in 2027. The volume will offer a broad reassessment of Acharyan’s scholarly legacy and its continuing significance for Armenian studies, while presenting new research, fresh insights, and methodological perspectives across the fields to which he made fundamental contributions. Bringing together the work of Armenologists from Armenia, Europe, and North America, it aims to highlight both the enduring value of Acharyan’s achievements and promising directions for future research.
Dr. Hrach Martirosyan
Contact Please send abstracts and inquiries to: hrch.martirosyan@gmail.com cc: arshaluys.galstyan@ysu.am cc: badalyan.varduhi@gmail.com
