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. However, Eastern and Western Armenian are assigned braille letters based on different criteria.Unesco (2013), World Braille Usage, 3rd ed. The conventions for Western Armenian were developed in Lebanon.
Eastern Armenian Braille
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.
Linear 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 UNESCO (1990/2013) mistakenly copies this as r. It was corrected from the chart in the box at right. The chart in the box at right mistakenly copies this as y. It was corrected from UNESCO (1990/2013).
+ Punctuation Linear , ՞ Braille
Western Armenian Braille
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.
Linear 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
+ Punctuation Linear , ՞ ’ 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 This is the same as the comma in Eastern Armenian, according to UNESCO 2013. This may be an error.
See also
Moon type is a simplification of the Latin alphabet for embossing. An adaptation for Armenian-reading blind people has been proposed.
References