Linguist, literary critic, Ph.D., professor, academician of the Academy of Sciences of the ASSR, an honored figure of science of the ASSR.
Abeghyan was born on May 17, 1865, in Astapat village of Nakhichevan. He graduated from the Gevorgian Seminary of Etchmiadzin, then from 1893-1898, Abeghyan studied at Jena, Leipzig, Berlin, and Paris universities.
In 1898, he received the Ph.D. degree from the University of Jena.
In 1898-1914 Abeghyan worked as a teacher at the Gevorgian Theological Seminary in Etchmiadzin, and in 1914-1919 at the Nersisian and Hovnanian schools in Tbilisi. From the very first days of the YSU foundation, he was invited to work as a lecturer; and from 1923-1925, he served as the dean of the Faculty of History. In 1926, he became a professor.
In 1943, when the Academy of Sciences of the ASSR was founded, M. Abeghyan was confirmed as a founding member of the Academy.
Almost all the fields of the Armenian language are studied in his 200 linguistic works. They refer to the spelling, phonetics, lexicology, morphology, and grammar of the Armenian language. He also presented the grammar of Grabar, studied the language of folk works written in Middle Armenian, compiled dictionaries, etc. The important linguistic monographs are "Grammar of the Modern Armenian Language" (Vagharshapat, 1906), "Syntax of the Modern Armenian Language" (Ejmiatsin, 1912), "Theory of the Armenian Language" (Yerevan, 1931, 1965), "Armenian Language Grammar" (Yerevan, 1933).
M. Abeghyan also dealt with Armenian folklore. He collected, studied, and published many folk works. In 1886 wrote down one of the parts of the epic "David of Sassoon" and continued the work of collecting, studying, and publishing them. The important monographs related to folklore are "Armenian Folk Myths by M. Khorenatsi's "History of Armenia" (Vagharshapat, 1899), "People's Games" (Vagharshapat, 1904), "Armenian Folk Novel" (Vagharshapat, 1908), "Old Gusan Folk Songs" (Yerevan, 1931).
M. Abeghyan was also interested in the history of Armenian literature, especially the issues of ancient and medieval Armenian literature. He wrote a number of studies on spiritual songs, hymns, Grigor Narekatsi, and other writers. His studies on ancient Armenian literature are summarized in the two-volume monumental work "History of Armenian Ancient Literature" (book 1, Yerevan, 1944, book 2, Yerevan, 1946). The latter was also published in Russian in one volume in Moscow.
M. Abeghyan was also engaged in publishing the originals of literary-historical and folk works. Among those publications are Movses Khorenatsi's "History of Armenia" (with the collaboration of Seth Harutyunyan, 1913), "Daredevils of Sassoun" (with the collaboration of Karo Melik-Ohanjanyan, 3 books, Yerevan, 1936, 1944, 1951), "Gusan-Folk Poems" (Yerevan, 1940), Koryun's "Life of Mashtots" books (Yerevan, 1941). They remain the best publications to this day.
Having been engaged in pedagogical activities for many years, he educated and formed many generations of high-quality professionals.
M. Abeghyan passed away on September 25, 1944, in Yerevan.
By the decision of the Government, since 1945, the Institute of Literature of the Academy of Sciences of the ASSR has been named after M. Abeghyan.
M. Abeghyan’s bronze bust in the lobby of YSU's central building symbolizes the role of an outstanding scientist-pedagogue in the development of university science.
