Ահգուն

Middle Armenian

Etymology

The name of the sister of the scribe Aristakēs, found in a New Julfa manuscript colophon from 1618.^[1] In another New Julfa colophon from 1621 she is referred to as Ահգուննամէ (Ahgunnamē).^[2]

Even though not attested in old literary sources, Martirosyan considers the name inherited from Old Armenian and borrowed from a Middle Iranian descendant of Old Iranian *āθra-gawnā- (“of the colour/complexion of fire”).^[3] On this compound see ատրագոյն (atragoyn). The compound also refers to a kind of flower. The name may derive from the flower name, rather than the colour designation.

But probably instead a by-form of Middle Armenian Այգուն (Aygun), from Azerbaijani Aygün or Ottoman Turkish آیكون (Aygün). The Turkic origin is more likely in view of the full form Ահգուննամէ (Ahgunnamē) unknown to Martirosyan, probably containing Azerbaijani nəʼma (“happiness; satisfaction”), Ottoman Turkish نعماء (na’ma, “blessing, abundance; welfare; gift, present”), from the Arabic source of Նամէ (Namē). Note that several female relatives of Aristakēs bear clearly Turkic names: Նազլում (Nazlum), Աւղլանգէրաք (Awġlangērakʻ) and possibly Աշփաշէ (Ašpʻašē).

Proper noun

Ահգուն • (Ahgun)

a female given name
- 1618, Aristakēs erēcʻ, Colophon (New Julfa manuscript) :^[1]
  Արդ՝ յիշեցէք վերըստին զԱրիստակէս էրէցն և զհարյն իմ՝ զուստայ Թասալին, և մաւրն իմ՝ Նազլումն, և զեղբարքն իմ հանգուցեալ Քրիստոս՝ Յովանէսն, Վարդանն, և քուրն իմ՝ Ահգունն, և զկենդանիքն՝ Սիմոնն, Նախազարն, Մխիթարն և քուրն իմ՝ Մէրտատիկն, և ամենայն արեան մերձաւորքն իմ․ ամէն։
  Ard, yišecʻēkʻ verəstin zAristakēs ērēcʻn ew zharyn im, zustay Tʻasalin, ew mawrn im, Nazlumn, ew zeġbarkʻn im hangucʻeal Kʻristos, Yovanēsn, Vardann, ew kʻurn im, Ahgunn, ew zkendanikʻn, Simonn, Naxazarn, Mxitʻarn ew kʻurn im, Mērtatikn, ew amenayn arean merjaworkʻn im; amēn.

Related terms

Ահգուննամէ (Ahgunnamē)

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Hakobyan, Vazgen; Hovhannisyan, Ašot (1974) Ašot Hovhannisyan, editor, Hayeren jeṙagreri ŽĒ dari hišatakaranner (1601—1620 tʻtʻ.), Hator A (Nyutʻer hay žoġovrdi patmutʻyan; 14) (in Armenian), Yerevan: Academy Press, page 661
^ Hakobyan, Vazgen; Hovhannisyan, Ašot (1978) Artašes Matʻewosyan, editor, Hayeren jeṙagreri ŽĒ dari hišatakaranner (1621—1640 tʻtʻ.), Hator B (Nyutʻer hay žoġovrdi patmutʻyan; 15) (in Armenian), Yerevan: Academy Press, page 33
^ Martirosyan, Hrach (2017) “Some Armenian female personal names”, in Bjarne Simmelkjær Sandgaard Hansen et al., editors, Usque ad radices: Indo-European studies in honour of Birgit Anette Olsen (Copenhagen Studies in Indo-European; 8)‎^[1], Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press, pages 518–519

[HayJeṙHiš1974-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Hakobyan, Vazgen; Hovhannisyan, Ašot (1974) Ašot Hovhannisyan, editor, Hayeren jeṙagreri ŽĒ dari hišatakaranner (1601—1620 tʻtʻ.), Hator A (Nyutʻer hay žoġovrdi patmutʻyan; 14) (in Armenian), Yerevan: Academy Press, page 661

[2] Hakobyan, Vazgen; Hovhannisyan, Ašot (1978) Artašes Matʻewosyan, editor, Hayeren jeṙagreri ŽĒ dari hišatakaranner (1621—1640 tʻtʻ.), Hator B (Nyutʻer hay žoġovrdi patmutʻyan; 15) (in Armenian), Yerevan: Academy Press, page 33

[3] Martirosyan, Hrach (2017) “Some Armenian female personal names”, in Bjarne Simmelkjær Sandgaard Hansen et al., editors, Usque ad radices: Indo-European studies in honour of Birgit Anette Olsen (Copenhagen Studies in Indo-European; 8)‎^[1], Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press, pages 518–519

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