Old Armenian

edit

Alternative forms

edit

Etymology

edit

According to Ačaṙean, the earlier form is առեւծ (aṙewc), with prothetic ա- (a-) from *ռեւծ (*ṙewc), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewg-.[1][2] This is accepted by J̌ahukyan with reservation,[3] but rejected by Olsen who considers the word etymologically unclear.[4]

Perhaps a Semitic borrowing, from a reflex of Proto-Semitic *ʔarway- (wild animal; lion): compare Aramaic אריא / ܐܪܝܐ (ʾaryā), [script needed] (ʾaryāwā, lion), אריותא / ܐܪܝܘܬܐ (ʾaryūṯā, lioness). The similarity with Hebrew אַרְיֵה (ʾaryē, lion) was noticed already by Schröder.[5] The alternation առիւծ (aṙiwc) ~ առեւծ (aṙewc) ~ առեաւծ (aṙeawc) can be understood within Semitic, but the final (-c) needs an explanation. See also կորիւն (koriwn).

Noun

edit

առիւծ (aṙiwc)

  1. lion
    • 5th century, with changes and additions in later centuries, Baroyaxōs [Physiologus] Earliest recension (TR).2.1:[6]
      Սկսցուք ասել վասն առիւծուն, որ թագաւոր է ամենայն գազանաց կամ թէ ամենայն իսկ անասնոց։
      Skscʻukʻ asel vasn aṙiwcun, or tʻagawor ē amenayn gazanacʻ kam tʻē amenayn isk anasnocʻ.
      • Translation by Gohar Muradyan
        Let us begin to speak of the lion, the king of all the beasts or all the animals.
    • 5th century, with changes and additions in later centuries, Baroyaxōs [Physiologus] Earliest recension (TR).6.17:[7]
      Այլ գոյ ինչ եւ յաւձին բարի, զի իմաստուն է․ եւ յառեւծն, զի հզաւր է․ եւ յոչխարն, զի հանդարտ է։
      Ayl goy inčʻ ew yawjin bari, zi imastun ē; ew yaṙewcn, zi hzawr ē; ew yočʻxarn, zi handart ē.
      • Translation by Gohar Muradyan
        But there is something good in the serpent, for it is wise, and in the lion too, for it is mighty, and in the sheep, for it is gentle.
  2. (astronomy) Leo

Declension

edit

Derived terms

edit

Descendants

edit
  • Armenian: առյուծ (aṙyuc)
  • Middle Armenian: առոյծ (aṙoyc)

References

edit
  1. ^ Ačaṙyan, Hračʻya (1940) Hayocʻ lezvi patmutʻyun [History of the Armenian Language] (in Armenian), volume I, Yerevan: University Press, pages 38–39
  2. ^ Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1971) “առիւծ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume I, Yerevan: University Press, pages 259–260
  3. ^ J̌ahukyan, Geworg (2010) “առիւծ”, in Vahan Sargsyan, editor, Hayeren stugabanakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Asoghik, page 74b
  4. ^ 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 938
  5. ^ Schröder, Johann Joachim (1711) Thesaurus linguae Armenicae antiquae et hodiernae, Amsterdam, page 45
  6. ^ Muradyan, Gohar (2005) Physiologus: The Greek and Armenian Versions with a Study of Translation Technique (Hebrew University Armenian Studies; 6)‎[1], Leuven – Paris – Dudley: Peeters, pages 87, 141
  7. ^ Muradyan, Gohar (2005) Physiologus: The Greek and Armenian Versions with a Study of Translation Technique (Hebrew University Armenian Studies; 6)‎[2], Leuven – Paris – Dudley: Peeters, pages 97, 145

Further reading

edit
  • Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836–1837) “առիւծ”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
  • Kölligan, Daniel (2020) “Etyma Armeniaca”, in Claire Le Feuvre & Daniel Petit, editors, Ὀνομάτων ἵστωρ, Mélanges offerts à Charles de Lamberterie (Collection linguistique de la Société de linguistique de Paris; 106), Leuven, Paris: Peeters, pages 78–85, deriving from Proto-Indo-European *h₃rḗǵō, whence Sanskrit राजन् (rā́jan, king), because the lion is the king of animals
  • Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “առիւծ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
  • Thorsø, Rasmus (2023) Prehistoric loanwords in Armenian: Hurro-Urartian, Kartvelian, and the unclassified substrate[3], PhD dissertation, Leiden University, page 22