English

Alternative forms

• vartabed, vartabet, vartabad (from the Western Armenian pronunciation)
• vartapet

Noun

vardapet ‎(plural vardapets)

1. (ecclesiastical) A highly-educated archimandrite in the Armenian Apostolic Church tradition who holds a Doctorate in Theology.
   • 1862, Journal of the American Oriental Society, volume 7:

     Cyriacus of Gandzak, vardapet, a writer of the 13th century.

   • 1991, Thomas F. Mathews, Armenian Gospel Iconography: The Tradition of the Glajor Gospel, page 23:

     The study of these texts reveals that the school of Glajor, unlike other medieval Armenian institutions, had developed an elaborate system, whereby the candidate, having already fulfilled the academic requirements, would deliver his "maiden oration" before an assembly presided over by the rector Esayi Nč'ec'i, and attended by the members of the faulty, the student body, and other clerical and lay dignitaries, following which Esayi would formally and ceremonially confer upon the candidate the title of vardapet.

   • 2010, Christopher MacEvitt, The Crusades and the Christian World of the East: Rough Tolerance, page 167:

     Nerse's negotiations with the Byzantines were in part a show performed for the vardapets; the discussions were held at Hromgla, the patriarchal residence, not in Constantinople or some other neutral city.

Translations