STUDIES IN ARMENIAN ETYMOLOGY - Get a Free Blog

J�ahukyan (1983: 86-87; 1987: 142, 184) derives azdr from PIE *Host- `bone' (cf.
Gr. �����~�, -���� f. `loin or loins, lower part of the back' etc.; see s.v. oskr `bone')
reconstructing *ost-d h -ur > *ozd h ur > azdr. Olsen (1999: 149) independently
suggests the same etymology but points out that "the formal divergences are not
easily overcome". The determinative *-d h - is not confirmed by any cognate form,
and the vowel *o- cannot yield Arm. a- in a closed syllable. The latter problem might
be removed if one assumes a zero grade form: *h3st-d h -.
*azn----awor *azn *azn *azn awor awor awor
����DIAL DIAL Arm. *aznawor `huge man, giant; supernatural being, spirit' is present in the
dialects of Bulanəx, Xlat`, Van, Nor Bayazet [HAB 1: 87b], Ararat [Amatuni 1912:
3], Sebastia [Gabikean 1952: 42], Ala�kert [Madat`yan 1985: 206a], Svedia etc.
[HayLezBrbBar� 1, 2001: 8a]. In a fairy-tale from Goris, the village of Yayj�i,
recorded in Yerevan in 1969 (HZ�Hek` 7, 1979: 507 L11 ): min aznavur ar‰` "a giant
bear".
S. Avagyan (1978: 176a) records aznaur `a mythical giant man' in Ar‰ak (close to
Van). On the way Ar‰ak - Van there is a heap of stones called Aznavuri kerezman
"grave of Aznavur", a few m. broad and as long as a cornfield. According to the
traditional story, this is the grave of Aznavur, who was created by Satana the very
same day when the Lord created Adam (op. cit. 106).
Commenting upon a similar grave aznawuri gerezman in a Kurdish village close
to Manazkert, Abeɫyan (1899: 71, 711) points out that under the word aznawur "die
Urbewohner Armeniens" are understood, and the word is equivalent to dew.
For other textual illustrations see Mik`ayelyan 1980: 14a L16f , 15a L24 (Nor
Bayazet).
In Gomer aznahur is recorded [HayLezBrbBar� 1, 2001: 8a]. The -h- instead of -wis
also seen in *anjnahur (see below).
In the meaning `nobleman': S�atax a�zna�vur [M. Muradyan 1962: 208a]; Akn
aznawur (as a personal-name) [Gabrie�lean 1912: 233].
����ETYM ETYM According to A‰ar�yan (HAB 1: 87b), Arm. azn `generation, nation, tribe' (cf.
azn-iw `noble' in Bible+) has been borrowed into Georg. aznauri `nobleman' and
from Georgian re-borrowed into Arm. dial. *aznawor `huge man, giant; supernatural
being, spirit'. Given the facts that in most of the dialects Arm. *azn-awor is not
semantically identic with Georg. aznauri `nobleman', and is widespread in Armenian
dialects most of them being geographically very far from Georgia, and the suffix
-awor is very productive in Armenian, the interpretation of Arm. *azn-awor as a
Georgian loan is not probable.
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