ով

See also: -ով

Armenian

Alternative forms

• վով (vov), վեվ (vev), վուվ (vuv), ուվ (uv), հով (hov), հու (hu) — dialectal

Etymology

From Old Armenian ով (ov).

Pronunciation

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

• Audio (Eastern Armenian):

  (file)

Pronoun

ով • (ov)

1. who

Usage notes

Although the relative pronoun որ can be used when referring to both people and things, in recent times it has become common to use ով (ov) in place of it when referring to people due to hypercorrection (e.g., "Լևոնը, ով իմ ընկերն է" instead of "Լևոնը, որ իմ ընկերն է", to express "Levon, who is my friend")․

Declension

    declension of ով   (Eastern Armenian)

	singular
nominative	ով (ov)
genitive	ում (um)
dative	ում (um)
accusative	ում (um)
ablative	ումից (umicʻ)
instrumental	ումով (umov)
locative	— ()

Related terms

• ովքեր (ovkʻer)
• ովևէ (ovewē)
• ովևիցե (ovewicʻe)

Interjection

ով • (ov)

1. O (vocative particle, used for direct address)

Old Armenian

Etymology

Alternative form of ո (o, “who”), used before vowels.

Pronoun

ո՞վ • (o^?v)

1. (interrogative) who?

   ո՞վ ոք ― o^?v okʻ ― who?

   ո՞վ ի ձէնջ ― o^?v i jēnǰ ― who amongst you?

   ո՞վ է դա, ո՞վ է այրդ ― o^?v ē da, o^?v ē ayrd ― who is this man? what man is that?

   ոյր է պատկերս ― oyr ē patkers ― whose likeness is this?

   ո՞վ ես դու ― o^?v es du ― who are you?

   զո՞վ առաւել սիրես ― zo^?v aṙawel sires ― which do you like best?

   ո՞վ եւ ո՞վ իցեն որ երթայցեն ― o^?v ew o^?v icʻen or ertʻaycʻen ― who will go?

2. who, that, he that, whoever

Declension

pronominal

	singular		plural
nominative	ով (ov)		ոյք (oykʻ)
genitive	ոյր (oyr)		ո (o)
dative	ում (um)		ոյց (oycʻ)
accusative	ով (ov)		ոյս (oys)
ablative	ումէ, ումմէ (umē, ummē)		ոյց (oycʻ)
instrumental	որով* (orov*)		որովք* (orovkʻ*)
locative	ում (um)		ոյս (oys)
*this pronoun has no instrumental forms; they are filled by instrumentals of որ (or)

Interjection

ով • (ov)

1. O (vocative particle, used for direct address)

   Ո՛վ Տէր Աստուած ― Óv Tēr Astuac ― O Lord!

Derived terms

• յով (yov)

Descendants

• Armenian: ով (ov)

References

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