STUDIES IN ARMENIAN ETYMOLOGY - Get a Free Blog

If the basic meaning of aɫx was indeed `house, household, possessions, estate', the
derivation of aɫaxin from aɫx (Marr; cf. also J�ahukyan 1967: 121) both going back to
Hurrian and/or Urartian (D'jakonov) would be the best solution. For the semantic
development cf. OPers. m�niya- n. `household slave(s)' from *m�na- `house': OAv.
dəm�na- n. `house', Pahl., NPers. ma�n `house', Parth. m'nyst'n `dwelling-place,
monastery', Skt. m��na- m. `house, building, dwelling' (RV+), etc. (see Kent 1953:
202b; Mayrhofer, EWAia 2: 348). Brandenstein and Mayrhofer (1964: 132) note:
"Der elam. Kontext bewahrt ein synonymes ap. Wort, *garda-". The latter word is
*garda- `Diener, Hausgesinde, ���������' > Bab. gardu, Aram. grd', in Elamitic
transliteration kurta�, cf. YAv. gərə�a- m. `house of da�vic beings', Pahl. ga�l [g'l]
coll. `the gang, the villeins labouring on the estates of the kings, the satraps, the
magnates, etc.', Skt. gr�ha�- m. `house, residence' (RV+), Goth. gards m. `house,
housekeeping', Arm. gerd-astan (prob. Iran. loan), etc. [Brandenstein/Mayrhofer
1964: 120; Nyberg 1974: 80; Olsen 1999: 333, 333290]; on kurta� see also Funk
1990: 9ff. This brings us to another semantic parallel for the semantic development
`house, household, estate' > `servant' in Armenian, that is gerd-astan `body of
servants and captives; possessions, estate, landed property' (cf. gerdast-akan
`servant, female servant' etc.), q.v.
I conclude that the IE origin of Arm. aɫam `to grind' is not probable.
aaaaɫaɫak ɫaɫak, ɫaɫak ɫaɫak a-stem: GDSg aɫaɫak-i, ISg aɫaɫak-a-w (frequent in Bible) `shouting'; aaaaɫaɫakem ɫaɫakem ɫaɫakem ɫaɫakem
`to shout' (Bible+); dial. *aɫaɫ *a *a *aɫaɫ----;
ɫaɫ ɫaɫ interjection aaaaɫe� ɫe� ɫe� ɫe� (Bible+).
����DIAL DIAL Zeyt`un aɫaɫɔg [A‰ar�yan 2003: 296]; reshaped: Ararat aɫaɫ-ank` `cry,
lamentation, shout' [HAB 1: 119a], according to Amatuni (1913: 17b) - `curse,
scold'. The original verbal root *aɫaɫ- has been preserved in Axalc`xa aɫaɫel `to weep,
cry, shout' [HAB 1: 119a], according to Amatuni (1913: 17-18) - `to tear, to fill eyes
with tears'.
����ETYM ETYM In view of the onomatopoeic nature of the word, A‰ar�yan (HAB 1: 119a) is
sceptical about the numerous attempts of connecting with Gr. ������� (interjection)
`cry of war', �������� pl. `(war)cries, shouting', �����������, ��������� `shouting',
Skt. alala�, etc. However, the onomatopoeic nature of a word does not necessarily
imply that the word cannot be inherited. Positively: J�ahukyan 1987: 111 (cf. 447,
451).
As is pointed out by Olsen (1999: 251 119), the complete formation of aɫaɫak,
a-stem `shouting' may theoretically be identical with the cognate Greek noun
��������� `shouting'. Thus: Arm.-Gr. onomatopoeic *al-al- `to shout', *al-al-ag-eh2-
`shouting'.
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