նա

See also: Appendix:Variations of "na"

Armenian

Etymology

From Old Armenian նա (na).

Pronunciation

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

• Audio (Eastern Armenian):

  (file)

Pronoun

նա • (na)

1. (personal) he, she
2. (demonstrative) that

   Synonym: էնի (ēni) (dialectal)

Usage notes

այն (ayn) and նա form a pronoun-determiner pair. See այս (ays) for more details.

In the spoken language, նա is much more often a personal pronoun than a demonstrative, with demonstrative function fulfilled by դա (da) or էնի (ēni), depending on register.

In the spoken language, նա is commonly replaced with ինքը (inkʻə) as the third person singular personal pronoun, e.g., ինքը տուն է գնում (inkʻə tun ē gnum) instead of նա տուն է գնում (na tun ē gnum), both meaning "he/she is going home".

Declension

Eastern Armenian

	singular
nominative	նա (na)
genitive	նրա (nra)
dative	նրան (nran)
accusative	նրան (nran)
ablative	նրանից (nranicʻ)
instrumental	նրանով (nranov)
locative	նրանում (nranum)

See also

Eastern Armenian personal pronouns

		singular	plural
1st person		ես (es)	մենք (menkʻ)
2nd person	familiar	դու (du)	դուք (dukʻ)
	polite	Դուք (Dukʻ)
3rd person		նա (na)	նրանք (nrankʻ)

Western Armenian personal pronouns (Traditional orthography)

		singular	plural
1st person		ես (es)	մենք (menkʻ)
2nd person	familiar	դուն (dun)	դուք (dukʻ)
	polite	Դուք (Dukʻ)
3rd person		ան (an)	անոնք (anonkʻ)

• այն (ayn)
• դա (da)
• սա (sa)

Old Armenian

Alternative forms

• նայ (nay)
• նէ (nē) (invented by the Hellenizing School as “she”)

Etymology

From earlier *նո- (*no-).

Pronoun

նա • (na)

1. (personal) he, she

   ուտէ նա ― utē na ― he or she eats

   խնդրեմ զնա ― xndrem zna ― I am looking for him, her or it

   նա է ― na ē ― it is he or she

2. (demonstrative) that, it (not near the 1st or 2nd person)

Declension

pronominal

	singular	plural
nominative	նա (na)	նոքա (nokʻa)
genitive	նորա (nora)	նոցա (nocʻa)
dative	նմա (nma)	նոցա (nocʻa)
accusative	նա (na)	նոսա (nosa)
ablative	նմանէ (nmanē)	նոցանէ (nocʻanē)
instrumental	նովաւ (novaw)	նոքօք = նոքաւք (nokʻōkʻ = nokʻawkʻ)
locative	նմա (nma)	նոսա (nosa)

these are also written as նայ (nay), նորայ (noray), նոքայ (nokʻay), նոցայ (nocʻay), նմայ (nmay), etc.; an unusual plural genitive/dative նոջա (noǰa) is also attested

Synonyms

• (that): այն (ayn), նոյն (noyn)

Descendants

• Armenian: նա (na)

See also

• ինքն (inkʻn), իւր (iwr)

References

• Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “նա”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836–1837) “նա”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1971–1979) “նա”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press