numerals and dates
NUMERALS*
The letters of the Armenian alphabet are used to represent numbers; their numerical values are shown in the table below:
Note that the final two letters of the Armenian alphabet, "o" (Օ) and "fe" (Ֆ) were added to the Armenian alphabet only after Arabic numerals were already in use, to facilitate transliteration of other languages. Thus, they do not have a numerical value assigned to them.
*a printable version of this section.
COMPOSITE NUMBERS
Numbers in the Armenian numeral system are obtained by simple addition. Armenian numerals are written left-to-right (as in the Armenian language). Although the order of the numerals is irrelevant since only addition is performed, the convention is to write them in decreasing order of value.
Examples:
ՌՋՀԵ = 1975 = 1000 + 900 + 70 + 5
ՍՄԻԲ = 2222 = 2000 + 200 + 20 + 2
ՍԴ = 2004 = 2000 + 4
ՃԻ = 120 = 100 + 20
Ծ = 50
For numbers greater than 9000, a line is drawn over a corresponding letter, multiplying it by 10,000; i.e., 10,000 would be Ա with a line over it, 20,000 would be Բ with a line over it, etc.
DATES*
The Armenian calendar is the traditional calendar of Armenia. It is a solar calendar which began on 11 July AD 552 (Julian). The ancient Armenian year consisted of 12 months of 30 days each, plus a 13th month called epagomenê containing 5 days in a regular year, or 6 days in a leap year.
Years are given in the Armenian alphabet by the letters ԹՎ, a siglum for t’vin "in the year" followed by the year in Armenian letter-numerals. For example, "in the year 1455" would be written ԹՎ ՌՆԾԵ.
When recording dates in Armenian manuscripts or early printed books, catalogers may need to add 552 to the date stated on the item. Hence, if in the manuscript is dated 1265 the date according to the Gregorian calendar will be 1817.
*adapted from Wikipedia.
Last updated: May 2021