Armenian edit

Pronunciation edit

Etymology 1 edit

Learned borrowing from Old Armenian այս (ays). The dialectal forms are inherited. Doublet of աս (as).

Alternative forms edit

Determiner edit

այս (ays)

  1. this
    Այս տունը իմն է։Ays tunə imn ē.This house is mine.
  2. these
Usage notes edit

այս and սա (sa) form a pronoun-determiner pair. In the standard language, այս must modify a noun, whereas սա can never. These apply also to այդ (ayd), այն (ayn) and դա (da), նա (na).

Derived terms edit

See also edit

Etymology 2 edit

Learned borrowing from Old Armenian այս (ays).

Noun edit

այս (ays)

  1. (archaic) evil spirit
Declension edit

Old Armenian edit

Etymology 1 edit

From the demonstrative particle *այ- (*ay-) +‎ *սո- (*so-). For the first see այն (ayn).

Pronoun edit

այս (ays)

  1. (demonstrative) this
    ասացից զայս ինչ եւ զայնasacʻicʻ zays inčʻ ew zaynI shall say this and that, so and so
    այս անգամays angamthis time, this once
    այս անունays anunsuch-a-one
    այս նիշays nišmarked thus, having this mark, such
    այսու ամենայնիւaysu amenayniwstill, nevertheless, as for the rest
    յայսմ հետէyaysm hetēhereafter, henceforward, henceforth, from this moment or hour, for the future.
    յայսմ վայրիyaysm vayrihere, in this place; now
    յայս սակսyays saksit is why, for this purpose or reason, on this account, consequently
    ցայս ցայնcʻays cʻaynboth as to this and to that, considering both sides of the case
Declension edit
Synonyms edit
Derived terms edit
Descendants edit
  • Armenian: այս (ays), աս (as)
See also edit

References edit

  • Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “այս”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
  • Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836–1837) “այս”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
  • Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1971–1979) “այս”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press
  • Abrahamyan, Ašot (1976) Grabari jeṙnark [A Handbook of Old Armenian]‎[1] (in Armenian), 4th edition, Yerevan: Luys
  • Godel, Robert (1975) An introduction to the study of classical Armenian, Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, page 107

Etymology 2 edit

The origin is uncertain.

Possibly from Proto-Indo-European *h₂(e)nsu-yo- and cognate with Sanskrit असुर (ásura, god, lord, name of a group of gods), Avestan 𐬀𐬵𐬎 (ahu, lord, overlord), Hittite [script needed] (ḫaš-, to procreate), Proto-Germanic *ansuz.

Alternatively, a Mediterranean-Pontic substrate word related to Etruscan 𐌀𐌉𐌔 (ais, god).

For the sense development compare Classical Syriac ܙܝܩܐ (zīqā, strong wind; a type of demon).

Noun edit

այս (ays)

  1. (rare) wind
    • 5th century, Eznik Kołbacʿi, Ełc ałandocʿ [Refutation of the Sects] 116:[1]
      [] քանզի յորժամ մեք ասեմք, թե «Սիք շնչէ», ստորնեայք ասեն «Այս շնչէ»։
      [] kʻanzi yoržam mekʻ asemkʻ, tʻe “Sikʻ šnčʻē”, storneaykʻ asen “Ays šnčʻē”.
      • Translation by Blanchard & Young
        Because when we say "a breeze blows," the southerners say, "a spirit blows."
  2. evil spirit
Usage notes edit

According to Eznik, այս (ays) was used in southern Armenia, whereas the synonym սիք (sikʻ) was used in northern Armenia.

Declension edit
Derived terms edit
Descendants edit
  • Armenian: այս (ays) (learned)

References edit

  • Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “այս”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
  • Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836–1837) “այս”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
  • Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1971–1979) “այս”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press
  • Martirosyan, Hrach (2010) “ays”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 8), Leiden and Boston: Brill, page 59
  1. ^ Blanchard, Monica J., Young, Robin Darling (1998) A Treatise on God written in Armenian by Eznik of Kołb (floruit c.430-c.450). An English translation, with introduction and notes (Eastern Christian texts in translation), Leuven: Peeters, page 87