Armenian edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

A dialectal word, recorded also as Middle Armenian պզտի (pzti), պզտիկ (pztik), պզտկիկ (pztkik). As an affectionate colloquial term has developed many alternative forms. Ačaṙean explains the development of ս (s) to զ (z) by the late pronunciation of պ (p) and տ (t) as /b/ and /d/.[1]

The origin is uncertain. Ačaṙean derives from *պստ- (*pst-) +‎ -իկ (-ik), comparing the first to Persian پست (past, low; abject, ignoble) as an Iranian borrowing.[1] Earlier he also compared Chagatai پستك (pestek, short, low).[2] Alternatively, perhaps derived from Proto-Indo-European *pstḗn (breast), by the sense development "suckling, nursling" → "small child" → "small", either as an inheritance or a borrowing from the Iranian cognate: compare from that root Sanglechi štənōk (new-born kid) from *fštanya-ka-,[3] Persian پستان (pestân, breast), and possibly Old Armenian սան (san, nursling). Compare also Northern Kurdish pitik (suckling).

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

պստիկ (pstik) (superlative ամենապստիկ)

  1. (colloquial, dialectal) small, little
    Synonyms: փոքր (pʻokʻr), փոքրիկ (pʻokʻrik)
    մի պստիկmi pstika little
    • ca. 1680–1684, Baṙ girg taliani [An Armenian–Italian Dictionary published in Venice] page 50:[4]
      պզտիկ․ փիքօլօ
      pztik; pʻikʻōlō
      պզտիկ (pztik) = piccolo

Usage notes edit

Often used for caressing children.

Declension edit

Noun edit

պստիկ (pstik)

  1. small child

Declension edit

Descendants edit

  • Northern Kurdish: pitik (perhaps)
  • Turkish: bızdık, bızdılık, bıdık

References edit

  1. 1.0 1.1 Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1979) “պզտիկ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume IV, Yerevan: University Press, page 77ab
  2. ^ Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1913) “պզտիկ”, in Hayerēn gawaṙakan baṙaran [Armenian Provincial Dictionary] (Ēminean azgagrakan žoġovacu; 9) (in Armenian), Tiflis: Lazarev Institute of Oriental Languages, page 907b
  3. ^ Morgenstierne, Georg (1938) Iranian Pamir Languages (Yidgha-Munji, Sanglechi-Ishkashmi and Wakhi) (Indo-Iranian Frontier Languages), volume II, Oslo: H. Aschehoug & Co., page 312
  4. ^ Orengo, Alessandro (2019) “Il ԲԱՌ ԳԻՐԳ ՏԱԼԻԱՆԻ Un dizionario armeno-italiano del XVII secolo”, in U. Bläsing, J. Dum-Tragut, T.M. van Lint, editors, Armenian, Hittite, and Indo-European Studies: A Commemoration Volume for Jos J.S. Weitenberg (Hebrew University Armenian Studies; 15), Leuven: Peeters, page 239

Further reading edit

  • Cabolov, R. L. (2010) Etimologičeskij slovarʹ kurdskovo jazyka [Etymological Dictionary of the Kurdish Language] (in Russian), volume II, Moscow: Russian Academy Press Vostochnaya Literatura, page 78
  • Dankoff, Robert (1995) Armenian Loanwords in Turkish (Turcologica; 21), Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, page 126
  • Ġazaryan, Ṙ. S., Avetisyan, H. M. (2009) “պզտիկ”, in Miǰin hayereni baṙaran [Dictionary of Middle Armenian] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, Yerevan: University Press, page 652a
  • Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–) “bıdık”, in Nişanyan Sözlük