Armenian edit

Etymology edit

Learned borrowing from Old Armenian քրքում (kʻrkʻum).

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

քրքում (kʻrkʻum)

  1. saffron (the plant and the spice and dye made from it)
    Synonym: զաֆրան (zafran)
  2. saffron (colour)

Declension edit

Old Armenian edit

Etymology edit

From Middle Persian [Book Pahlavi needed] (kwlkwm /⁠kurkum⁠/), which is related to Arabic كُرْكُم (kurkum).

Noun edit

քրքում (kʻrkʻum)

  1. crocus, saffron
    • 5th century, Bible, Song of Songs 4.14:
      Նարդոս եւ քրքում, խունկեղէգն եւ կինամոմոն, հանդերձ ամենայն ծառօք Լիբանանու․ զմուռս եւ հալուէ, հանդերձ ամենայն գլխաւոր խնկօք։
      Nardos ew kʻrkʻum, xunkełēgn ew kinamomon, handerj amenayn caṙōkʻ Libananu; zmuṙs ew haluē, handerj amenayn glxawor xnkōkʻ.
      Spikenard and saffron []

Usage notes edit

In the Bible, translates Ancient Greek κρόκος (krókos).

Declension edit

Derived terms edit

Descendants edit

  • Armenian: քրքում (kʻrkʻum)

Further reading edit

  • Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1979) “քրքում”, 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, pages 603–604
  • Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836–1837) “քրքում”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
  • Hübschmann, Heinrich (1897) Armenische Grammatik. 1. Theil: Armenische Etymologie (in German), Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, page 320
  • Bolognesi, Giancarlo (1991) “Langues en contact: syriaque, iranien, arménien”, in L. Isebaert, editor, Studia etymologica indoeuropaea : memoriae A.J. Van Windekens (1915–1989) dicata (in French), Leuven: Department Oriëntalistiek, pages 39–41
  • Greppin, John A. C. (1987) “Some Early Botanical Loan Words Shared by Armenian and Semitic”, in Annual of Armenian linguistics[1], number 8, page 75 of 73–82
  • 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 914
  • Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “քրքում”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy