1868.] Authors of Armenian Grammars. 135 



their inventor Daniel, they were altogether incomplete, and all the 

 vowels were wanting. The invention or perfection of the Arme- 

 nian alphabet was soon followed by the establishment of schools, the 

 formation of literary and scientific societies, the translation of the 

 holy scriptures into Armenian from the original Greek and Syriac, 

 and by the production of original works, such as history, biography, 

 grammar, theology, geography, &c. Daring these clays the Armenians 

 generally used the grammar of Dionysius of Thrace, which was 

 originally written in Greek and translated into Armenian by David, 

 surnamed the invincible philosopher. The Armenian grammar has 

 only two numbers, singular and plural, but David attempted to 

 introduce into it the dual number 1 , in imitation of the Greek. The 

 idiom of the Armenian language, however, did not admit of this 

 extraordinary innovation. 



Subsequent to this, the grammar of Moses ^pP-n^ the gramma- 

 rian was prepared and introduced into all the Armenian schools, 

 which was, in the course of a sbort time, generally studied, and 

 became a popular class-book. Moses Khorenensis \yni[u^u \ l3 nplA,u.jli 

 is supposed by contemporary historians to be the author of this 

 grammar. 



Gregorius Magistratus, who flourished in~ the eleventh century, 

 compiled another grammar from those that were already extant. 

 This was also introduced into the schools of that period. 



Johannes of Ezinka, of the thirteenth century, wi'ote a new 

 grammar by the help of a dictionary compiled by Dr. Aristakes. In 

 this new work, the author bas compiled and mentioned all that was 

 worthy of note and useful from the preceding grammars. Gregor 

 Tathevensis §uiftLu,jl, of the thirteenth century, produced a commen- 

 tary on the grammar of Aristakes and his coadjutor George. 



Jacob of Ghrim Q^np ?/'/"%/> is the author of a grammar, in 

 which he has taken a great deal of pains in dilating upon punctuation 

 and accentuation. A grammar is also extant without date, supposed 

 to be a compilation by the jj^^^i.^^ Deacon Johannes. In like 

 manner, another grammar is in existence, the authorship of which 

 is ascribed to Priest Cachatiir. The foregoing arc the authors of 

 Armenian grammars, who flourished n Armenia prior to the four- 



