արատայ
Old Armenian
Etymology
The origin is uncertain. Perhaps a corruption of Latin ardea.
Noun
արատայ • (aratay)
- The meaning of this term is uncertain. Possibilities include:
- stork
- 13th century, Vardan Arewelcʿi, Meknutʿiwn Sałmosacʿ Dawtʿi [Commentary on Psalms of David] 103:
- Բոյն արագլի, սիմաքոս՝ արիովդ արատայ տուն է նորա
- Boyn aragli, simakʿos, ariovd aratay tun ē nora
- Translation by Hrach Martirosyan
- (The) nest of a stork: Symmachus (says) ariovd aratay is his home
- Բոյն արագլի, սիմաքոս՝ արիովդ արատայ տուն է նորա
Usage notes
- The word is attested only once in the commentary on Psalms 103[104].17 by Vardan Arewelcʿi, coupled to արիովդ (ariovd).
- It is usually assumed that the nominative form is *արատ (*arat) and արատայ (aratay) is its genitive singular, however an a-type declension is used only with proper nouns.
Further reading
- Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1971), “արատ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Dictionary of Armenian Root Words] (in Armenian), volume I, 2nd edition, reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press, page 298a
- Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1971), “արիովդ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Dictionary of Armenian Root Words] (in Armenian), volume I, 2nd edition, reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press, page 316a
- Martirosyan, Hrach (2010), “arat”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 8), Leiden, Boston: Brill, page 126, proposing a Proto-Indo-European or substrate origin