The category of number and its expression in Hamshen Armenian

This article examines the paradigmatic and syntagmatic distribution of suffixal plural markers in the Hamshen dialect of Armenian. Alongside the markers -ēr (-ir), -ni (-nēr/-nir), and -kh/-čh, which have counterparts in Modern Standard Eastern and Western Armenian, Hamshen also exhibits suffixes -däkh, -ōn, -ōnkh, -unkh, and -vi that are associated with the expression of plurality. These markers mostly originate in Classical Armenian or Middle Armenian and are also partially attested in other dialects. The original semantics of some suggest collectivity, and in the case of -vi, duality or pairedness. Of particular interest is the phenomenon of the layering of multiple markers within a single word form, accompanied by their possible reinterpretation and recategorization, a feature also found in other dialects and paralleled in Standard Armenian. Using published dialect texts and questionnaire data from native speakers, and placing the analysis in a diachronic and dialectological context, this study describes the distribution and functions of plural markers in Hamshen Armenian and assess their morphological status and the extent to which their distribution is determined by semantic or lexical factors.