Hayastan, Armenia’s real name

In Armenian, the country is not called “Armenia”.

Armenians call themselves “hay”. So their country is Hayastan, “the land of the Hay”, and their language is hayeren.

Tradition traces the name back to Hayk, the legendary forefather of the Armenians. Hayk is still a very common first name.

Did you know? “Armenia” is the name other peoples have used for the country since antiquity.

Words to listen to

Romanization	Armenian	Meaning
Hayastan	Հայաստան	Armenia
hay	հայ	Armenian (person)
hayeren	հայերեն	the Armenian language

Tap a row’s button to hear the word. Romanization and audio come from the app (Eastern Armenian).