զիգն

Old Armenian

Etymology

Transliteration of Ancient Greek ζύγαινα (zúgaina, “hammer-headed shark”). Attested only in Hexaemeron, translating that Greek word.

Noun

զիգն • (zign)

1. hammerhead shark
   • 5th century, Basil of Caesarea, Yałags Vecʿawreay ararčʿutʿean [Homiliae in Hexaemeron] :

     Քանզի ոչ եթէ միայն, որ անուանեալ կոչին քսիւփիէ, պրիոնէ, եւ շնջրիք, եւ կեփաղք, եւ զիգն իցեն ահագինք եւ ահարկուք, այլ եւ խայթոցք տրիգոնին, որ է ձուկն ծովուն, որ եւ յետ մահու իւրոյ մեղանչական է։

     Kʻanzi očʻ etʻē miayn, or anuaneal kočʻin kʻsiwpʻiē, prionē, ew šnǰrikʻ, ew kepʻałkʻ, ew zign icʻen ahaginkʻ ew aharkukʻ, ayl ew xaytʻocʻkʻ trigonin, or ē jukn covun, or ew yet mahu iwroy mełančʻakan ē.

     • Translation by Robert W. Thomson

       Not only those called swordfish, saw-fish, otters, and whales, and hammer-shark are awesome and fearsome, but also the sting-ray, which is a fish of the sea that even after its death is harmful.

Further reading

• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1973) “զիգն”, 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, page 95a
• Gabamačean, Simon (1910) “զիգն”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hayerēn Lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, Constantinople: R. Sakayan press
• Martirosyan, Hrach (2010) Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 8), Leiden and Boston: Brill, page 275
• Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “զիգն”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy