Mulleres na Lexicografía / Women in Lexicography

Rubina Nazaryan (In Armenian: Ռուբինա Նազարյան)

Armenian, Russian, and English

Rubina was born on November 23, 1944, in Beirut, Lebanon. In 1946, her family moved to Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, to establish a permanent residence.

Rubina studied at School No. 80 and at the age of 16, with excellent grades, was accepted into the Philology Department of Yerevan State University, where she was taught by academics Gevorg Jahukyan and Edward Jrbashyan. Through the latter's mediation, Rubina Nazaryan was accepted as a tour guide at Hovhannes Tumanyan's house museum at 18. Rubina Nazaryan graduated from the university in 1966. From September 1968 Rubina Nazaryan started working at the French School No. 119 in Yerevan, where she taught Armenian language and literature, and later the history of the Armenian Church. Her career in the school lasted 33 years. She received job offers from various educational institutions as well as an offer for the position of director of the 68th school in Yerevan but turned it down. In the next years, she had to move to the USA, where her family was living. From 2003 until she moved to Armenia from the USA, she worked at the educational complex “Narek” in Glendale as a teacher of Armenian language and literature. Also, she edited the school magazine “Narek”, which is still written and edited by Rubina Nazaryan.

Rubina Nazaryan is the author of about 30 works, but it is no secret that the dictionary «Մայրենին բոլորի համար» [“Armenian for All”] (Yerevan, 1994) gave the author great recognition and fame. The dictionary «Մայրենին բոլորի համար» [“Armenian for All”] written by her, is called Yellow Book (it is not known by whom and when the book was so called, it is always reprinted by the printing house “Oskan Yerevantsi” in yellow). This dictionary contains hundreds of word pictures of orthographic value and teaching materials for dictation and has many new editions, which are always reformed and enriched and have served for thirty years as the table book of Armenian schools. Of great value are many dictionaries written by Rubina Nazaryan. The following was written in the USA and published in her native Armenia: «Հայերեն դպրոցական բացատրական բառարան» [“Dictionary for Students”] (Yerevan, 2016) and «Հայերեն բառապատկերների դպրոցական բառարան» ["Picture Dictionary for Students"] (Yerevan, 2019). The latter aims to develop students' thinking and logic, as well as their ability to see and understand the word. In 2016 Rubina Nazaryan together with her 14 years old granddaughter Rubina Nazaryan printed the Bible «Հիսուս Քրիստոսի Ավետարանը դպրոցականների համար» [“The Gospel of Jesus Christ for School Children”] (Yerevan, 2016). This was a gift for Armenian school children, so it was not for sale. She had as well cooperation with pedagogue A. Gyodakyan, these are, for example, «Հայերեն ուղղագրական դպրոցական բառարան» [“Spelling Dictionary of Armenian for Schoolchildren”] (Yerevan, 2004), «Հայերեն բառապատկերների դպրոցական բառարան» [“Dictionary of word pictures for Schoolchildren”] (Yerevan, 2019), «Հայերեն անձնանունների դպրոցական բառարան» [“Dictionary of personal names for schoolchildren”] (Yerevan, 2004).

Excerpt from work: https://online.fliphtml5.com/fruqf/zxdt/#p=1 The dictionary «Մայրենին բոլորի համար» [“Armenian for All”], which has already been discussed above, is an ideal book for those who need help on the way of learning Armenian. Many Armenian young people who want to be accepted into Armenian universities must have had this dictionary in their hands at least once. Below you can find an exercise on lexicography in Armenian in that dictionary.

Rubina is naturally endowed with the rare ability to spontaneously create something new and extraordinary in the classroom, automatically turning class time into fun time..., depending on the mood and the occasion… "Play has always been a staple of my classroom - in the book «Կյանքիս հուշերից» “Memories of My Life” (Los Angeles, 2016), the teacher told. "It's an extremely effective way to teach, educate, psychologically, love the teacher, and connect with the class." «Կյանքիս հուշերիցը» [“Memories of My Life”] is neither a self-observation of the author, nor is it a descriptive-evaluative yearbook. It is, first, the story of several generations, the document of the path of development, and the culmination of the glory of the Armenian school. Long called “The Queen of Armenian School” Rubina Nazaryan is still doing creative research and continues making an invaluable contribution to the continued life of Armenian schools. She was awarded the title of “Distinguished Teacher of the Republic of Armenia”. She received in the field of science the highest award of the Republic of Armenia, the “Movses Khorenatsi” medal, as well as the gold medal of the Ministry of Education and Science, many honors, and certificates about which there are documentary films.

1. Photo: private source Hovhannisyan, S. (2023): Interview with the lexicographer R. Nazaryan. Makaryan, A. (2022): “Rubina Nazaryan: from the students' table book- "Armenian for all" to the history of two homelands (USSR and RA), Aravot. https://www.aravot.am/2022/02/24/1249545/ Nazaryan, R. (2016): “Memories of My Life”, Los Angeles.

Seda Hovhannisyan

Iván Arias Arias