18G8.] Authors of Armenian Grammars. 137 



Deacon Balthasar published an Armenian grammar at Constanti- 

 nople in 1736. 



Daring the close of the eighteenth century, when the cultivation of 

 Armenian literature was appreciated far and wide, not only among 

 the Armenians themselves, but also by several learned European 

 orientalists, Father Michael Chamich's grammar was published in the 

 year 1779, which was hailed with the greatest avidity and enthusiasm 

 by the Armenian literati as the most complete work of its kind. It 

 was introduced into all the schools, superseding the use of all the 

 other grammars previously published. 



In 1815 another grammar appeared, by Gabriel Avietick, member 

 of the Mechitharistic Society of Venice. Although its first part is 

 written in the modern or vernacular Armenian, the another has taken 

 a great deal of pains to throw more light on the ancient literature 

 of Armenia by a careful reference to rare manuscripts of antiquity, 

 which have been discovered, subsequent to the publication of Father 

 Chamich's grammar. 



Jacob Shahan Cirbied published his Armenian grammar in Paris 

 in the year 1823, under the title, " Grrammaire de la lingue Arme- 

 nienne." Its publication elicited a violent correspondence between 

 the author and his critics. 



In 1826 Ter Arratoon Ter Mesrop published an Armenian gram- 

 mar in Constantinople nearly in imitation of Chamich, for the use of 

 Armenian schools of that city. 



Father Paschal Aucher, of the Mechitharistic Society of Venice 

 published an Armenian and English grammar and vice versa, in Venice 

 in 1819 and 1832, by the assistance of Lord Byron and of John 

 Brand, Esq., A. M. of the University of Cambridge, with copious 

 selections from the best Armenian authors in chronological order. 

 Doctor Michael Salanth, of the Armenian College of Moscow, published 

 in 1827, a comprehensive grammar in two volumes. The publication 

 of this work met with a most favorable reception from the Armenian 

 literati of Russia. The author, however, is severely critical on the 

 slight inaccuracies of Father Michael Chamich. 



In 1847, appeared another grammar, short, simple, plain and easy, 

 from the pen of Mackertich Emin, Esq., formerly of Calcutta but 

 now Principal of the Imperial College of Oriental Languages in Moscow. 



