Understanding the Role of Gerunds in Armenian Grammar

In the rich and complex world of Armenian grammar, gerunds hold a pivotal position as they facilitate the creation of more nuanced and expressive sentences. The Armenian language, belonging to the Indo-European language family, has its own unique characteristics which set it apart from other languages. Among these distinguishing features, gerunds provide the means for speakers to convey actions or states in a more concise and precise manner.

Defining Gerunds and Their Functions in Armenian

Gerunds in Armenian, similar to their English counterparts, function as verbal nouns. They typically end with the suffix -լ (-l) and convey the idea of an action without specifying its subject, tense, mood, or voice. This versatility gives gerunds a wide range of applications in Armenian, such as:

Expressing an Ongoing Action

One of the primary uses of gerunds in Armenian is to convey the idea of an action that is currently taking place. This is achieved by combining the gerund form of the verb with the appropriate noun or pronoun, as seen in the following example:

գրել (grel) – to write
Գրելովը (grel․və) – while writing

In the sentence “նա գրելովը երգ է երգում” (na grelovə yerg ē yergum), which translates to “he is singing while writing”, the gerund form of “to write” is used to express the ongoing action.

Indicating Cause and Reason

Another use for gerunds in Armenian is to indicate the cause or reason behind an event or action. In this context, gerunds can take on a function similar to conjunctions like “because” or “since”. The following example demonstrates this usage:

անցկացնել (antskatsnel) – to run out
Անցկացնելով (antskatsnelov) – because of running out

The sentence “նա անցկացնելով գաղտնիք չկա” (na antskatsnelov gagh․tnik chka) means “there is no secret because of running out”.

Expressing Purpose or Intent

Gerunds in Armenian can also be employed to express the purpose or intent behind an action. This function allows for more concise and direct expressions of intent compared to using separate clauses or conjunctions, as demonstrated in this example:

գործել (gor․tsel) – to work
գործելու համար (gor․tselu hamar) – in order to work

A common way to express purpose or intent is to place the gerund after the noun or pronoun, as in the sentence “նա դպրոց գնալով սովորելու է” (na dprots gnalov sovorelu ē), which means “he goes to school in order to learn”.

Gerund Formation in Armenian

The formation of gerunds in Armenian generally follows a specific set of rules, with the suffix -լ added to the verb stem. However, some exceptions and irregularities exist, and they can be categorized as follows:

Regular Gerund Formation

For most Armenian verbs, gerunds are formed by simply adding the -լ suffix to the verb stem. Examples of regular gerund formation include:

– բարել (barel) – to do well → բարելով (barel․və) – while doing well
– գործել (gor․tsel) – to work → գործելով (gor․tsel․və) – while working

Irregular Gerund Formation

In some cases, Armenian verbs may undergo spelling or phonetic changes when forming gerunds, requiring the memorization of these exceptions. Examples of irregular gerund formation include:

– բերել (berel) – to bring → բերելություն (berelutiun) – while bringing
– մեծանալ (me․tsanal) – to grow up → մեծանում (me․tsanum) – while growing up

In conclusion, the importance of gerunds in Armenian grammar cannot be understated, as they play a crucial role in conveying ongoing actions, indicating cause and reason, and expressing purpose or intent. With a firm grasp of gerund formation rules and exceptions, learners of the Armenian language can greatly enhance their expressive capabilities and elevate their linguistic proficiency.