Armenian edit

Etymology edit

From Old Armenian քաղաք (kʻałakʻ).

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

քաղաք (kʻaġakʻ)

  1. city, town

Declension edit

Old Armenian edit

Etymology edit

Probably an Iranian borrowing. Compare Middle Persian [Book Pahlavi needed] (klʾk /⁠*kalāk⁠/, name of a fortress in Khorasan (in Bundahishn)), Mazanderani کلا (-kalā, suffix forming names of inhabited places), Persian کلات (kalât), کلاته (kalâte, fortress, castle; market town), Northern Kurdish kelek, Central Kurdish کەڵەک (kellek, pile of stones, dry stone wall), Northern Luri کٱل (kal, castle, house, hill). Bailey explains the Iranian words from Proto-Iranian *kata- which forms names for any "covered place": Avestan 𐬐𐬀𐬙𐬀 (kata, habitation), Persian کده (kade, house), Wakhi kut (roof), Pashto کلی (këlay, village) etc. with further cognates in Proto-Slavic *kotьcь (cottage, pigsty), Gothic 𐌷𐌴𐌸𐌾𐍉 (hēþjō, chamber), Sanskrit चतति (cátati, to hide oneself). He assumes a dialectal *tl sound change in Western Iranian languages, as in Pashto. Klingenschmitt offers an alternative derivation of the Iranian terms from Proto-Indo-European *kelH- (hill), with the same semantic development as in Proto-Germanic *burgz (fortification) from *bʰerǵʰ- (high).[1][2][3][4] Note also Hulaulá kalaki (living room).

Alternatively, the Armenian and Iranian may be independently borrowed from Semitic, namely from Akkadian 𒌷𒆗𒄷 (URUkal-ḫu /⁠Kalḫu⁠/), 𒌷𒆗𒄭 (URUkal-ḫi /⁠Kalḫi⁠/), 𒌷𒆗𒄩 (URUkal-ḫa)/𒌷𒆕𒄩 (URUkàl-ḫa /⁠Kalḫa⁠/), less frequently written 𒌷𒅗𒈛 (URUka-làḫ), the ancient city capital of Assyria on the Tigris, called Calah in the Bible. The city name is rendered as Ancient Greek Χαλαχ (Khalakh) in the Septuagint.[5][6] Another possibility is Akkadian 𒇥 (TUL2 /⁠kalakku⁠/, excavation, trench; pit; underground store, silo, cellar), a loanword from Sumerian 𒇥 (kalak, excavation, trench, store-cellar).[5]

It is often assumed Arabic قَلْعَة (qalʕa, fortress, fort, castle) is somehow connected. Further often connected with Classical Syriac ܟܪܟܐ (karəḵā, walled city or town, fortress; enclosure), Hebrew כרך (kəraḵ, large city).

Unconvincing native Proto-Indo-European etymologies have also been proposed.[7][8][9]

Noun edit

քաղաք (kʻałakʻ)

  1. city, town
    • 5th century, Bible, Genesis 4.17:[10]
      Եմուտ Կային առ կին իւր, եւ յղացաւ եւ ծնաւ զԵնոք։ Եւ շինէր քաղաք, եւ դնէր անուն քաղաքին յանուն որդւոյ իւրոյ Ենոքայ։
      Emut Kayin aṙ kin iwr, ew yłacʻaw ew cnaw zEnokʻ. Ew šinēr kʻałakʻ, ew dnēr anun kʻałakʻin yanun ordwoy iwroy Enokʻay.
      • Translation by Brenton Septuagint Translation
        And Cain knew his wife, and having conceived she bore Enoch; and he built a city; and he named the city after the name of his son, Enoch.
    • 5th century, Bible, Deuteronomy 3.5:[11]
      ա՟մ քաղաքք ամուրք բարձրապարիսպք դրամբք եւ դռնափակօք․ թող ցքաղաքսն փերեզացոց բազում յոյժ
      a.m kʻałakʻkʻ amurkʻ barjraparispkʻ drambkʻ ew dṙnapʻakōkʻ; tʻoł cʻkʻałakʻsn pʻerezacʻocʻ bazum yoyž
      • Translation by Brenton Septuagint Translation
        all strong cities, lofty walls, gates and bars; besides the very many cities of the Pherezites
    • 5th century, Bible, Job 24.12:[12]
      Որք ի քաղաքաց եւ ի տանց իւրեանց զընկեցան, անձինք տղայոց մեծամեծս հեծեծեցին․ եւ նա այնմ այցելութիւն ընդէ՞ր ոչ առնիցէ։
      Orkʻ i kʻałakʻacʻ ew i tancʻ iwreancʻ zənkecʻan, anjinkʻ tłayocʻ mecamecs hecececʻin; ew na aynm aycʻelutʻiwn əndē?r očʻ aṙnicʻē.
      • Translation by Claude E. Cox
        Those who cast them out of the cities and their own houses, though the souls of the young groaned very loudly—and he, why does he not pay a visit to that one?
    • 5th century, Bible, Daniel 3.28:[13]
      եւ իրաւունս ճշմարտութեան արարեր ըստ ամենայնի զոր արարեր մեզ եւ քաղաքի սրբոյ հարցն մերոյ Երուսաղէմի, զի ճշմարտութեամբ եւ յիրաւի ածեր զայս ամենայն վասն մեղաց մերոց
      ew irawuns čšmartutʻean ararer əst amenayni zor ararer mez ew kʻałakʻi srboy harcʻn meroy Erusałēmi, zi čšmartutʻeamb ew yirawi acer zays amenayn vasn mełacʻ merocʻ
      • Translation by Brenton Septuagint Translation
        In all the things that thou hast brought upon us, and upon the holy city of our fathers, even Jerusalem, thou hast executed true judgment: for according to truth and judgment didst thou bring all these things upon us because of our sins.

Declension edit

Derived terms edit

Descendants edit

References edit

  1. ^ Justi, Ferdinand (1868) Der Bundehesh, Leipzig: F.C.W. Vogel, page 199ab
  2. ^ Bailey, H. W. (1959) “Ambages Indoiranicae”, in AION (Annali Istituto Universitario Orientale di Napoli. Sezione linguistica), volume I, number 2, pages 118–120
  3. ^ Bailey, H. W. (1979) Dictionary of Khotan Saka, Cambridge, London, New York, Melbourne: Cambridge University press, pages 398a, 50b
  4. ^ Klingenschmitt, Gert (2005) M. Janda, R. Lühr, J. Matzinger, S. Schaffner, editors, Aufsätze zur Indogermanistik (Philologia. Sprachwissenschaftliche Forschungsergebnisse; 71), Hamburg: Verlag Dr. Kovač, pages 201–202
  5. 5.0 5.1 Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1979) “քաղաք”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume IV, Yerevan: University Press, pages 542–543
  6. ^ Bielmeier, Roland (1985) “Zu iranischen Lehnwörtern im Georgischen und Armenischen”, in H. M. Ölberg, G. Schmidt, editors, Sprachwissenschaftliche Forschungen: Festschrift für Johann Knobloch zum 65. Geburtstag (Innsbrucker Beiträge zur Kulturwissenschaft; 23) (in German), Innsbruck: Institut für Sprachwissenschaft der Universität Innsbruck, pages 37–41
  7. ^ Winter, Werner (1955) “Problems of Armenian Phonology II”, in Language[1], volume 31, number 1, page 8 of 4–8
  8. ^ Winter, Werner (1965) “Armenian Evidence”, in W. Winter, editor, Evidence for Laryngeals (Janua Linguarum: Studia memoriae Nicolai van Wijk Dedicata. Series maior; XI), The Hague, London, Paris: Mouton & Co., page 105, connecting with Ancient Greek πτόλις (ptólis), πόλις (pólis), Sanskrit पुर् (púr) and deriving from *pwl̥H-s
  9. ^ Olsen, Birgit Anette (1999) The noun in Biblical Armenian: origin and word-formation: with special emphasis on the Indo-European heritage (Trends in linguistics. Studies and monographs; 119), Berlin, New York: Mouton de Gruyter, page 952
  10. ^ Zeytʻunyan A. S., editor (1985), Girkʻ cnndocʻ [Book of Genesis] (Hay hnaguyn tʻargmanakan hušarjanner; 1), Yerevan: Academy Press, critical text, page 162
  11. ^ Cox, Claude E. (1981) The Armenian translation of Deuteronomy (Armenian texts and studies; 2)‎[2], University of Pennsylvania: Scholars Press, page 86
  12. ^ Cox, Claude E. (2006) Armenian Job: reconstructed Greek text, critical edition of the Armenian with English translation (Hebrew University Armenian studies; 8), Leuven – Paris – Dudley, MA: Peeters, page 189
  13. ^ Cowe, S. Peter (1992) The Armenian version of Daniel (University of Pennsylvania Armenian texts and studies; 9)‎[3], Atlanta, Georgia: Scholars Press, page 168

Further reading edit

  • Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836–1837) “քաղաք”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
  • Clackson, James (1994) The linguistic relationship between Armenian and Greek (Publications of the Philological Society; 30), Oxford, Cambridge: Blackwell, page 39
  • Dervischjan, P. Seraphin (1877) Armeniaca I: Das Altarmenische (in German), Vienna: Mekhitarist Press, page 70
  • Hübschmann, Heinrich (1897) Armenische Grammatik. 1. Theil: Armenische Etymologie (in German), Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, page 318
  • J̌ahukyan, Geworg (1987) Hayocʻ lezvi patmutʻyun; naxagrayin žamanakašrǰan [History of the Armenian language: The Pre-Literary Period]‎[4] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Academy Press, page 465
  • Lagarde, Paul de (1854) Zur Urgeschichte der Armenier: ein philologischer Versuch (in German), Berlin: W. Hertz, page 908
  • Martirosyan, Hrach (2010) Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 8), Leiden and Boston: Brill, page 655
  • Müller, Friedrich (1863) “Beiträge zur Lautlehre der armenischen Sprache”, in Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Philosophisch-Historische Classe (in German), volume 41, page 13
  • Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “քաղաք”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
  • Scheftelowitz, J. (1905) “Zur altarmenischen lautgeschichte”, in Beiträge zur kunde der indogermanischen Sprachen (in German), volume 29, page 67
  • Schmitt, Rüdiger (2007) Grammatik des Klassisch-Armenischen mit sprachvergleichenden Erläuterungen (Innsbrucker Beiträge zur Sprachwissenschaft) (in German), 2nd edition, Innsbruck: Institut für Sprachwissenschaft der Universität Innsbruck, page 170