թեփէկ

թեփէկ

Middle Armenian

Alternative forms

• թոբէկ (tʿobēk), թոբեկ (tʿobek)

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. Perhaps from Old Armenian թեպեկ (tʿepek, “ape, monkey”).

Noun

թեփէկ • (tʿepʿēk)

1. jackal
   • Anonymous, Riddle :[1]

     ԹԵՓԷԿ
     Այլ գեղեցիկ և իմաստուն,
     Հանց, որ առակս ասէ զնոյն,
     Դարպաս շինէ ընդ վիմով անհուն,
     Բայց գիշերն գող էր և անքուն,
     ՚Ւ երակ հաչեր նա զերդ ըզշուն։

     TʿEPʿĒK
     Ayl gełecʿik ew imastun,
     Hancʿ, or aṙaks asē znoyn,
     Darpas šinē ənd vimov anhun,
     Baycʿ gišern goł ēr ew ankʿun,
     ’W erak hačʿer na zerd əzšun.

   • 12–13th century, Mxitʿar Goš, Aṙakkʿ [Fables] :

     Թոբէկ (var. թոբեկ) թախանձէր զոզնի, թե զորդիդ քո սան առից […] մերկացո՛ զնա, զի դիւրին իցէ ի գգուել․ և իբրև ետ զնա, սկսաւ ուտել։

     Tʿobēk (var. tʿobek) tʿaxanjēr zozni, tʿe zordid kʿo san aṙicʿ […] merkacʿó zna, zi diwrin icʿē i gguel; ew ibrew et zna, sksaw utel.

     The jackal was entreating the hedgehog։ give me your son as a nursling […] lay him bare [of his spines] so I can caress him easily. And when [the hedgehog] gave him, he started eating [him].

Usage notes

Has been alternatively identified with the monkey, in particular with the baboon, based on the meanings of Old Armenian թեպեկ (tʿepek) and Ottoman Turkish شبك‎ (şebek).

Descendants

• Armenian: թիբըգ (tʿibəg, “jackal”) (Svedia, Kessab)

Further reading

• Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1973), “թեպեկ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), volume II, 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press, page 173a
• Awetikʿean, G.; Siwrmēlean, X.; Awgerean, M. (1836), “թոբէկ”, in Nor baṙgirkʿ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), volume I, Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 816c
• Awgerean, Mkrtičʿ (1865), “թոբեկ”, in Aṙjeṙn baṙaran haykaznean lezui [Pocket Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Armenian), corrected and expanded by Grigor Čēlalean, 2nd edition, Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 328a
• Łazaryan, Ṙ. S.; Avetisyan, H. M. (2009), “թոբէկ”, in Miǰin hayereni baṙaran [Dictionary of Middle Armenian] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, Yerevan: University Press, page 247b
• Martirosyan, Hrach (2010) Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 8), Leiden, Boston: Brill, pages 648, 729

References

1. Mnacʿakanyan, A. Š. (1980) Hay miǰnadaryan hanelukner (V—XVIII dd.) [Medieval Armenian Riddles (5–18th Centuries)] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Academy Press, page 378