Armenian edit

Etymology edit

From Old Armenian -ուհի (-uhi).

Pronunciation edit

Suffix edit

-ուհի (-uhi)

  1. -ess, -ette. Forms nouns denoting female gender.
    պարուհի (paruhi)female dancer
    երգչուհի (ergčʻuhi)female singer
    սիրուհի (siruhi)mistress
    հայուհի (hayuhi)female Armenian

Declension edit

Derived terms edit

Old Armenian edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

The older spelling is -ուրհի (-urhi). Probably an Iranian borrowing, but the exact source is disputed.

According to Godel, it is likely to derive from re-analysis of the loanword թագու(ր)հի (tʻagu(r)hi, queen) from Proto-Iranian *tāga-brθr̥yā, the feminine form of թագաւոր (tʻagawor, king), owing to which the suffix was generalized. An alternative proposal is the derivation from Iranian -purhi. It has also been compared with աւրի- (awri-) in աւրիորդ (awriord).

Suffix edit

-ուհի (-uhi)

  1. forming nouns denoting female gender; -ess, -ette
    տիրուհիtiruhimistress
    քրմուհիkʻrmuhipriestess

Declension edit

Derived terms edit

Descendants edit

  • Armenian: -ուհի (-uhi)

References edit

  • J̌ahukyan, Geworg (1998) “-ուհի”, in Hin hayereni verǰacancʻneri cagumə [The Origin of Old Armenian Suffixes] (Hayocʻ lezvi hamematakan kʻerakanutʻyan harcʻer; 2) (in Armenian), Yerevan: Anania Širakacʻi, pages 5–48
  • Godel, Robert (1975) An introduction to the study of classical Armenian, Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, page 63