Armenian

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Cross on the wall of the Armenian monastery Goshavank

Etymology

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From Old Armenian խաչ (xačʻ).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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խաչ (xačʻ)

  1. cross (geometrical figure)
  2. (Christianity) the cross
    սուրբ խաչsurb xačʻholy cross
  3. (figuratively) cross, sorrows, tribulation
  4. (card games) club

Declension

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i-type, inanimate (Eastern Armenian)
singular plural
nominative խաչ (xačʻ) խաչեր (xačʻer)
dative խաչի (xačʻi) խաչերի (xačʻeri)
ablative խաչից (xačʻicʻ) խաչերից (xačʻericʻ)
instrumental խաչով (xačʻov) խաչերով (xačʻerov)
locative խաչում (xačʻum) խաչերում (xačʻerum)
definite forms
nominative խաչը/խաչն (xačʻə/xačʻn) խաչերը/խաչերն (xačʻerə/xačʻern)
dative խաչին (xačʻin) խաչերին (xačʻerin)
1st person possessive forms (my)
nominative խաչս (xačʻs) խաչերս (xačʻers)
dative խաչիս (xačʻis) խաչերիս (xačʻeris)
ablative խաչիցս (xačʻicʻs) խաչերիցս (xačʻericʻs)
instrumental խաչովս (xačʻovs) խաչերովս (xačʻerovs)
locative խաչումս (xačʻums) խաչերումս (xačʻerums)
2nd person possessive forms (your)
nominative խաչդ (xačʻd) խաչերդ (xačʻerd)
dative խաչիդ (xačʻid) խաչերիդ (xačʻerid)
ablative խաչիցդ (xačʻicʻd) խաչերիցդ (xačʻericʻd)
instrumental խաչովդ (xačʻovd) խաչերովդ (xačʻerovd)
locative խաչումդ (xačʻumd) խաչերումդ (xačʻerumd)

Alternative forms

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See also

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Suits in Armenian · համագույն խաղաթուղթ (hamaguyn xaġatʻuġtʻ) (layout · text)
       
սիրտ (sirt) ագուռ (aguṙ), քյարփինջ (kʻyarpʻinǰ), քյափ (kʻyapʻ) ագռավ (agṙav), ղառ (ġaṙ), մաչա (mačʻa) խաչ (xačʻ), խաչիկ (xačʻik), ճանճ (čanč)

Old Armenian

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Etymology

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The origin is uncertain.

Lidén connects with Persian خاده (xâda, pole; stake; gibbet), Lithuanian kótas (broomstick), Latvian kāts (handle, shaft), and derives all from Proto-Indo-European.[1][2] This is accepted by Ačaṙean, who adduces also Old Armenian խոչ (xočʻ, a piece of wood, stone protruding from ground upon which one may stumble, an obstacle) and խէչ (xēčʻ), խեչ (xečʻ, prop, stay, on which plants are supported) as ablaut grades.[3] If this is correct, the initial meaning of խաչ (xačʻ) was "stake, stick, upright pile". For the sense development compare Georgian ჯვარი (ǯvari), Ancient Greek σταυρός (staurós, upright stake or pile; crucifix), Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌲𐌰 (galga, stake; cross; gallows), Manichaean Parthian 𐫅𐫀𐫡 (dʾr /⁠dār⁠/, tree, gallows, cross; wood).

Olsen rejects the above etymology on phonetic grounds.[4]

Note also dialectal Georgian ხაჭა (xač̣a, long, thick stick) which is probably somehow related.

The words for "Christian cross" in neighbouring languages are certainly borrowed from Christian Armenians, in some cases possibly via Persian خاچ (xâč).[5][6][7][8][9]

Noun

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խաչ (xačʻ)

  1. crucifix
    ի խաչ հանելi xačʻ hanelto crucify
    կախել զխաչէkaxel zxačʻēto crucify
    ի խաչ ելանելi xačʻ elanelto be crucified
    սուրբ խաչsurb xačʻthe Cross, the Holy Rood
  2. (Christianity) the cross
    խաչ առնել, հանելxačʻ aṙnel, hanelto make the sign of the cross, to cross oneself
  3. (figuratively) cross, sorrows, tribulation

Declension

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Derived terms

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Descendants

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References

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  1. ^ Lidén, Evald (1927) “Der armenische Name des Kreuzes”, in Handes Amsorya[1] (in German), volume 41, numbers 11–12, columns 765–766
  2. ^ Lidén, Evald (1929) “Zur vergleichenden Wortgeschichte”, in Zeitschrift für vergleichende Sprachforschung auf dem Gebiete der Indogermanischen Sprachen[2] (in German), volume 56, number 3/4, pages 211—212
  3. ^ Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1973) “խաչ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume II, Yerevan: University Press, pages 333—335
  4. ^ Olsen, Birgit Anette (1999) The noun in Biblical Armenian: origin and word-formation: with special emphasis on the Indo-European heritage (Trends in linguistics. Studies and monographs; 119), Berlin, New York: Mouton de Gruyter, page 955
  5. ^ Solta, G. R. (1960) Die Stellung des Armenischen im Kreise der indogermanischen Sprachen (Studien zur armenischen Geschichte; 9)‎[3] (in German), Vienna: Mekhitarist Press, pages 308—309
  6. ^ Räsänen, Martti (1969) Versuch eines etymologischen Wörterbuchs der Türksprachen (in German), Helsinki: Suomalais-ugrilainen seura, page 151b
  7. ^ Asatryan, Gaṙnik (1990) “Ardyokʻ ka?n haykakan pʻoxaṙutʻyunner nor parskerenum [Are There Armenian Borrowings in New Persian?]”, in Patma-banasirakan handes [Historical-Philological Journal]‎[4] (in Armenian), number 3, page 144 of 139–144
  8. ^ Dankoff, Robert (1995) Armenian Loanwords in Turkish (Turcologica; 21), Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, page 162
  9. ^ Boeschoten, Hendrik (2022) “ẖāč”, in A Dictionary of Early Middle Turkic (Handbook of Oriental Studies; I.169), Leiden and Boston: Brill, page 133a

Further reading

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  • Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836–1837) “խաչ”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
  • Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “խաչ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy