For millennia, Armenians have lived in the provinces of Syunik and Artsakh. This enduring presence is documented in Classical Armenian sources, in Greek and Roman authors such as Strabo and Ptolemy, and confirmed by countless forms of evidence—from inscriptions and manuscripts to cross-stones and architectural monuments. These regions were recognized as integral parts of Greater Armenia, both geographically and linguistically, with their own distinctive dialects already noted in the early medieval period.

Today, this deep history is challenged by political narratives that deny or seek to rebrand the Armenian presence in these lands. Such claims not only distort historical fact but also serve contemporary agendas of war, displacement, and cultural erasure.

This lecture will explore the millennia-long linguistic and cultural continuity of Armenians in Syunik and Artsakh. By examining dialects, place names, and traditions tied to specific locations, we will see how language and heritage testify to the uninterrupted Armenian presence in these provinces—and why that continuity remains vital in the face of efforts to deny it.

Dr. Hrach Martirosyan, one of the leading Armenian linguists of today, is the inaugural Seminal Scholar-in-Residence at the USC Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies. Dr. Martirosyan is internationally recognized for his pioneering research on the Armenian language within the Indo-European family. His Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon (Brill, c. 1000 pp.) is a landmark reference in the field. Over his distinguished career, he has taught and conducted research at institutions including UCLA, Leiden University, and the Austrian Academy of Sciences, and has lectured widely in Europe, Asia, and the United States.

This lecture will be conducted in Armenian.