Title: Semantic and Morphological Analysis of Persian Decrees of Matenadaran during the Qajar Era Compared to Modern Persian (1798-1829 CE)
Authors: Abbas Eghbal Mehran, Umarjonov Sokhibjon Soyibjon ugli, Saham Naami
Volume: 10
Issue: 4
Pages: 12-25
Publication Date: 2026/04/28
Abstract:
The decrees preserved in the Matenadaran archives were issued by Qajar kings to manage the affairs of Armenians in Iran, encompassing various aspects of their lives and illustrating the Qajar government's orientation towards the Armenian community. The types of responses by the Catholicoi of Echmiadzin to these decrees reveal the depth of the interactions between the two parties. Undoubtedly, a semantic analysis of these decrees and documents-written in the administrative language of the Qajar era-is essential for providing a more accurate and complete understanding of the literature and societal relations governing the Qajar era regarding Armenians. Additionally, the semantic shifts in the decree texts compared to modern Persian will be clarified .This study seeks to perform a semantic analysis of 96 Persian decrees from the Matenadaran archives of the Qajar period compared to modern Persian. Therefore, it aims to address the following questions: 1. What were the semantic characteristics of the Persian decrees of the Matenadaran during the Qajar era? 2. How have the semantics of the Persian decrees of the Matenadaran changed compared to modern Persian? The research findings indicate that the Persian decrees of the Matenadaran were written in the administrative language of the Qajar period, adhering to the orthographic conventions of that era. These decrees have undergone semantic changes compared to modern Persian, with the meanings of certain words having shifted. Furthermore, the visual form of some words has transformed. In essence, the Persian decrees of the Matenadaran represent the administrative writing culture of the Qajar period, many elements of which are no longer used in modern Persian. The administrative language of today has evolved both in form and semantics due to linguistic changes.