-եայ
Old Armenian
Etymology
From the stem vowel -ի (-i) and the element -այ (-ay), which is probably of the same origin as the genitive-dative ending of a-declension nouns. Later contaminated with Classical Syriac ܝܐ- (-āyāʾ, “masculine gentilic suffix”) in borrowings such as հրեայ (hreay), քաղդեայ (kʿałdeay) and the Iranian ending in borrowings such as աշտեայ (ašteay), դժնեայ (džneay).
Suffix
-եայ • (-eay)
- made or consisting of; -en
- մետաքս ― metakʿs ― silk
- մետաքսեայ ― metakʿseay ― silken
- եղէգն ― ełēgn ― cane, reed
- եղեգնեայ ― ełegneay ― made of cane
- երեք ամ ― erekʿ am ― three years
- երեքամեայ ― erekʿameay ― consisting of three years
- մետաքս ― metakʿs ― silk
- belonging to some group
- պաշտօն ― paštōn ― office, position, employment
- պաշտօնեայ ― paštōneay ― clerk, official, minister
- փախուստ ― pʿaxust ― flight, escape
- փախստեայ ― pʿaxsteay ― fugitive
- քրիստոնեայ ― kʿristoneay ― Christian
- հրեայ ― hreay ― Jew
- պաշտօն ― paštōn ― office, position, employment
Declension
i-type
| singular | plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | -եայ (-eay) | -եայք (-eaykʿ) | |
| genitive | -էի (-ēi) | -էից (-ēicʿ) | |
| dative | -էի (-ēi) | -էից (-ēicʿ) | |
| accusative | -եայ (-eay) | -եայս (-eays) | |
| ablative | -էէ (-ēē) | -էից (-ēicʿ) | |
| instrumental | -էիւ (-ēiw) | -էիւք (-ēiwkʿ) | |
| locative | -էի (-ēi) | -եայս (-eays) |
Derived terms
Old Armenian terms suffixed with -եայ
Descendants
- Armenian: -յա (-ya)
References
- Gočanean, Pōłos (2011) Dasakan grabari gorcnakan kʿerakanutʿiwn [Practical Grammar of Classical Old Armenian] (in Armenian), Vienna, Yerevan: Mekhitarist Press, page 68
- J̌ahukyan, Geworg (1998), “-եայ”, in Hin hayereni verǰacancʿneri cagumə [The Origin of Old Armenian Suffixes] (Hayocʿ lezvi hamematakan kʿerakanutʿyan harcʿer; 2) (in Armenian), Yerevan: Anania Širakacʿi, pages 5–48