Semiotics and semantics of Armenian concepts of nation and nationalism: a historical and linguistic examination

The Armenian concept of azg ‘nation’ has framed Armenian collective identity. Although its lexical form remained stable, its semantic content changed across political, religious, and ideological contexts. Combining comparative historical linguistics, ethnosymbolism, and sociolinguistic analysis, this article traces azg and its derivatives from Late Antiquity to the post-Soviet period. Borrowed from Pahlavi azg ‘branch’, Armenian azg developed meanings comparable to Greek ethnos and Latin natio. Christianization and fifth-century resistance to Sasanian coercion transformed azg into the foundation of an Armenian Christian pre-nation. The article examines the terms azgaynutʿyun ‘nationality’ and azgaynakanutʿyun ‘nationalism’, tracing their distinct origins and subsequent semantic interaction.