ծիտ

Armenian

Alternative forms

dialects

• dialectal forms recorded in dialectological notation
  • ծիտ (cit) — Akhaltsikhe, Ararat, Lori, Shamakhi, Tbilisi
  • ծէտ (cēt) — Tsghna
  • ծըէտ (cəēt) — Goris, Karabakh
  • ծայտ (cayt) — Agulis
  • ծիտ (cit) — Van (borrowing from other dialects)

Etymology

From Old Armenian ծիտ (cit).

Pronunciation

• Audio (Eastern Armenian):

  (file)

• (Eastern Armenian) IPA^(key): /t͡sit/, [t͡sit]
• (Western Armenian) IPA^(key): /d͡zid/, [d͡zid]

Noun

ծիտ • (cit)

1. sparrow
2. (informal) bird
3. (slang, colloquial) attractive person (usually, a woman)

Declension

i-type, animate (Eastern Armenian)

	singular	plural
nominative	ծիտ (cit)	ծտեր (cter)
dative	ծտի (cti)	ծտերի (cteri)
ablative	ծտից (cticʻ)	ծտերից (ctericʻ)
instrumental	ծտով (ctov)	ծտերով (cterov)
locative	—	—
	definite forms
nominative	ծիտը/ծիտն (citə/citn)	ծտերը/ծտերն (cterə/ctern)
dative	ծտին (ctin)	ծտերին (cterin)
	1st person possessive forms (my)
nominative	ծիտս (cits)	ծտերս (cters)
dative	ծտիս (ctis)	ծտերիս (cteris)
ablative	ծտիցս (cticʻs)	ծտերիցս (ctericʻs)
instrumental	ծտովս (ctovs)	ծտերովս (cterovs)
locative	—	—
	2nd person possessive forms (your)
nominative	ծիտդ (citd)	ծտերդ (cterd)
dative	ծտիդ (ctid)	ծտերիդ (cterid)
ablative	ծտիցդ (cticʻd)	ծտերիցդ (ctericʻd)
instrumental	ծտովդ (ctovd)	ծտերովդ (cterovd)
locative	—	—

i-type, animate (Eastern Armenian)

	singular	plural
nominative	ծիտ (cit)	ծիտեր (citer)
dative	ծիտի (citi)	ծիտերի (citeri)
ablative	ծիտից (citicʻ)	ծիտերից (citericʻ)
instrumental	ծիտով (citov)	ծիտերով (citerov)
locative	—	—
	definite forms
nominative	ծիտը/ծիտն (citə/citn)	ծիտերը/ծիտերն (citerə/citern)
dative	ծիտին (citin)	ծիտերին (citerin)
	1st person possessive forms (my)
nominative	ծիտս (cits)	ծիտերս (citers)
dative	ծիտիս (citis)	ծիտերիս (citeris)
ablative	ծիտիցս (citicʻs)	ծիտերիցս (citericʻs)
instrumental	ծիտովս (citovs)	ծիտերովս (citerovs)
locative	—	—
	2nd person possessive forms (your)
nominative	ծիտդ (citd)	ծիտերդ (citerd)
dative	ծիտիդ (citid)	ծիտերիդ (citerid)
ablative	ծիտիցդ (citicʻd)	ծիտերիցդ (citericʻd)
instrumental	ծիտովդ (citovd)	ծիտերովդ (citerovd)
locative	—	—

Synonyms

• (sparrow): ճնճղուկ (čnčġuk)
• (bird): թռչուն (tʻṙčʻun)

Derived terms

• ծիտիկ (citik)
• ծտաբույն (ctabuyn)
• ծտախաղող (ctaxaġoġ)
• ծտախնձոր (ctaxnjor)
• ծտաճինճի (ctačinči)
• ծտաճուտ (ctačut)
• ծտանալ (ctanal)
• ծտաչք (ctačʻkʻ)
• ծտապաշար (ctapašar)
• ծտատանձ (ctatanj)
• ծտենակ (ctenak)

 

References

• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1973) “ծիտ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume II, Yerevan: University Press, pages 458–459

Old Armenian

Etymology

Ačaṙean connects with synonymous Middle Armenian չիտ (čʻit), ջիտ (ǰit), and derives all from Georgian-Zan, comparing Georgian ჩიტი (čiṭi, “small bird; sparrow”), Mingrelian ჩიტი (čiṭi, “small bird; sparrow”). On the other hand, Čubinov takes the direction of the borrowing to be the opposite, but this is rejected by Ačaṙean, because in Armenian the word is used post-classically and infrequently and now is present in Eastern dialects only.

J̌ahukyan agrees with the Kartvelian origin of the Middle Armenian forms, but prefers an onomatopoeic origin for ծիտ (cit). This is suggested already by Nor baṙgirkʿ haykazean lezui and accepted by de Lagarde.

J̌ahukyan remarks that derivation from Proto-Indo-European *ǵīd-, from a supposed by-form with *ǵ- of the root *geH- (“to sing, cry”), is less likely; compare from this root especially Lithuanian gaidỹs (“rooster”), giedóti (“to sing”).

Noun

ծիտ • (cit)

1. sparrow
   • 11th century, Grigor Magistros, Grigor Magistrosi tʻłtʻerə [The letters of Grigor Magistros] 71:

     […] ի ծայրս երգից ծտից լինել գուշակեն […]

     […] i cayrs ergicʻ cticʻ linel gušaken […]

Declension

i-type

	singular		plural
nominative	ծիտ (cit)		ծիտք (citkʻ)
genitive	ծտի (cti)		ծտից (cticʻ)
dative	ծտի (cti)		ծտից (cticʻ)
accusative	ծիտ (cit)		ծիտս (cits)
ablative	ծտէ (ctē)		ծտից (cticʻ)
instrumental	ծտիւ (ctiw)		ծտիւք (ctiwkʻ)
locative	ծտի (cti)		ծիտս (cits)

Synonyms

• ճնճղուկ (čnčłuk)

Derived terms

• ծտիկ (ctik)

Descendants

• Armenian: ծիտ (cit)

Further reading

• Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “ծիտ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836) “ծիտ”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), volume I, Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 1016b
• Ġazarean, Ṙ. S. (2000) “ծիտ”, in Tʻosunean G. B., editor, Grabari baṙaran [Dictionary of Old Armenian] (in Armenian), volume I, Yerevan: University Press, page 610a
• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1973) “ծիտ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume II, Yerevan: University Press, pages 458–459
• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1977) “չիտ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume III, Yerevan: University Press, page 629a
• Čubinov, David (1887) “ჩიტი”, in Грузинско-русский словарь [Georgian–Russian Dictionary]‎^[2], Saint Petersburg: Academy Press, column 1579a
• Lagarde, Paul de (1877) Armenische Studien (in German), Göttingen: Dieterich, § 1053, page 70
• J̌ahukyan, Geworg (2010) “ծիտ”, in Vahan Sargsyan, editor, Hayeren stugabanakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Asoghik, page 363a