մեղեխ
Armenian
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Old Armenian մեղեխ (mełex).
Pronunciation
- (Eastern Armenian, standard) IPA(key): [mɛˈʁɛχ]
- (Western Armenian, standard) IPA(key): [mɛˈʁɛχ]
- Hyphenation: մե‧ղեխ
Noun
մեղեխ • (mełex)
- (archaic, literary) handle of an axe, adze or a similar tool
- (archaic, literary) mace (weapon)
- Synonym: լախտ (laxt)
Declension
i-type, inanimate (Eastern Armenian)
| singular | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | մեղեխ (mełex) | մեղեխներ (mełexner) | ||
| dative | մեղեխի (mełexi) | մեղեխների (mełexneri) | ||
| ablative | մեղեխից (mełexicʿ) | մեղեխներից (mełexnericʿ) | ||
| instrumental | մեղեխով (mełexov) | մեղեխներով (mełexnerov) | ||
| locative | մեղեխում (mełexum) | մեղեխներում (mełexnerum) | ||
| definite forms | ||||
| nominative | մեղեխը/մեղեխն (mełexə/mełexn) | մեղեխները/մեղեխներն (mełexnerə/mełexnern) | ||
| dative | մեղեխին (mełexin) | մեղեխներին (mełexnerin) | ||
| 1st person possessive forms (my) | ||||
| nominative | մեղեխս (mełexs) | մեղեխներս (mełexners) | ||
| dative | մեղեխիս (mełexis) | մեղեխներիս (mełexneris) | ||
| ablative | մեղեխիցս (mełexicʿs) | մեղեխներիցս (mełexnericʿs) | ||
| instrumental | մեղեխովս (mełexovs) | մեղեխներովս (mełexnerovs) | ||
| locative | մեղեխումս (mełexums) | մեղեխներումս (mełexnerums) | ||
| 2nd person possessive forms (your) | ||||
| nominative | մեղեխդ (mełexd) | մեղեխներդ (mełexnerd) | ||
| dative | մեղեխիդ (mełexid) | մեղեխներիդ (mełexnerid) | ||
| ablative | մեղեխիցդ (mełexicʿd) | մեղեխներիցդ (mełexnericʿd) | ||
| instrumental | մեղեխովդ (mełexovd) | մեղեխներովդ (mełexnerovd) | ||
| locative | մեղեխումդ (mełexumd) | մեղեխներումդ (mełexnerumd) | ||
Further reading
- Ałayan, Ēduard (1976), “մեղեխ”, in Ardi hayereni bacʿatrakan baṙaran [Explanatory Dictionary of Contemporary Armenian] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Hayastan
- Barsełyan, Hovhannes (1973), “մեղեխ”, in Hayeren ułłagrakan-ułłaxosakan, terminabanakan baṙaran [Armenian Orthographic–Orthoepic Terminological Dictionary] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Luys
- Sukʿiasyan, A. M. (1967), “մեղեխ”, in Ałayan Ē. B., Sewak G. G., editors, Hayocʿ lezvi homanišneri baṙaran [Dictionary of Armenian Synonyms] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Academy Press
Old Armenian
Etymology
The origin is uncertain.[1][2] Martirosyan proposes derivation from Proto-Armenian *meɫ(i) (“ash-tree”) which he relates to Ancient Greek μελία (melía, “manna ash, Fraxinus ornus; ashen spear”); both may be regarded as a Mediterranean substrate word or a shared innovation based on Proto-Indo-European *mélid (“honey”), because there is a connection in mythology between honey and ash-trees.[3] J̌ahukyan with reservation derives մեղեխ (mełex) from Proto-Indo-European *melh₂- (“to grind, crush”) (compare Russian мо́лот (mólot, “hammer”)) and Urartian 𒄭 (-ḫe, -ḫi- /-ḫə/, “suffix denoting appurtenance, belonging, pertaining, or of a thing”), hence a thing from an ash-tree or a thing of grinding or crushing; a club or cudgel.[4]
Compare also Northern Kurdish melexan (“scythe, pruning hook”),[5] Central Kurdish مەڵەغان (melleẍan, “scythe”)[6] and مەڵغە (mellẍe, “lever”)[7][8].
Noun
մեղեխ • (mełex)
- handle of an axe
- մեղեխ արկանել ― mełex arkanel ― to put a handle to, to set in a handle; to haft
- հանել զմեղեխ ― hanel zmełex ― to take off the handle, to take out of the handle; to unhaft
- (post-Classical) mace (weapon)
Declension
o-type
| singular | plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | մեղեխ (mełex) | մեղեխք (mełexkʿ) | |
| genitive | մեղեխոյ (mełexoy) | մեղեխոց (mełexocʿ) | |
| dative | մեղեխոյ (mełexoy) | մեղեխոց (mełexocʿ) | |
| accusative | մեղեխ (mełex) | մեղեխս (mełexs) | |
| ablative | մեղեխոյ (mełexoy) | մեղեխոց (mełexocʿ) | |
| instrumental | մեղեխով (mełexov) | մեղեխովք (mełexovkʿ) | |
| locative | մեղեխ (mełex) | մեղեխս (mełexs) | |
| an ablative singular ի մեղեխէ (i mełexē) is also attested, which cannot belong to o-type | |||
Descendants
- → Armenian: մեղեխ (mełex)
References
- Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1971–1979), “մեղեխ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press
- J̌ahukyan, Geworg (2010), “մեղեխ”, in Vahan Sargsyan, editor, Hayeren stugabanakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Asoghik
- Martirosyan, Hrach (2010) Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 8), Leiden, Boston: Brill, page 460
- J̌ahukyan, Geworg (1987) Hayocʿ lezvi patmutʿyun; naxagrayin žamanakašrǰan [History of the Armenian language: The Pre-Literary Period] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Academy Press, page 355, 438
- Chyet, Michael L. (2003), “melexan”, in Kurdish–English Dictionary, with selected etymologies by Martin Schwartz, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, page 370b
- Hejar (1990), “مەڵەغان”, in Henbane borîne, Tehran: Soroush, page 833
- Hejar (1990), “مەڵغە”, in Henbane borîne, Tehran: Soroush, page 833
- Mukriyanî, Gîw (1999), “مەڵغە”, in Ferhengî kurdistan [Kurdistan dictionary], Erbil: Aras, page 854
Further reading
- Awetikʿean, G.; Siwrmēlean, X.; Awgerean, M. (1836–1837), “մեղեխ”, in Nor baṙgirkʿ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
- Petrosean, H. Matatʿeay V. (1879), “մեղեխ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʿ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy