Acharian, Rachiia Akopovich

Born March 8 (20), 1876, in Constantinople; died Apr. 16, 1953, in Yerevan. Soviet linguist and literary scholar; academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR (1943); honored corresponding member of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (1937); studied at the universities of Paris and Strasbourg; professor at the University of Yerevan since 1922.

Acharian initiated historical and comparative methods in the study of the Armenian language. He is the author of research works in Armenian dialectology, lexicography, and lexicology, a history of the Armenian language, a comparative and historical grammar, and general linguistic studies, including problems in Armenian studies. Acharian’s major works are the Complete Grammar of the Armenian Language Compared With 562 Languages (vols. 1–4, 1952–59), History of the Armenian Language (vols. 1–2,1940–51), Root Dictionary of the Armenian Language (vols. 1–7, 1925–35), Dictionary of Armenian Proper Names (vols. 1–4,1942–48), and Armenian Dictionary of Dialects (1913).