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երախայ. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
երախայ, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
երախայ in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
երախայ you have here. The definition of the word
երախայ will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
երախայ, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Old Armenian
Etymology
Borrowed from the Semitic etymon of Ancient Greek ῥακά (rhaká), ῥαχά (rhakhá), ῥαχᾶς (rhakhâs), Old Armenian ռակայ (ṙakay, “idiot, fool”): compare Aramaic רֵיקָא (rēqā, “worthless person; profane”), Classical Syriac ܪܝܩܐ (rēqā, “vain thing”), Hebrew רֵיק (rēq, “empty; vain; worthless”). The connection with ռակայ (ṙakay) was made already by Hiwnkʿearpēyēntean.[1] Basil describes Ancient Greek ῥακά (rhaká) as "a vernacular word of mild abuse used in the family circle".[2] For the sense development ‘fool’ → ‘child’ see խոխա (xoxa). Alternatively, the sense development is ‘worthless person’ → ‘profane person’ → ‘unbaptized person’ → ‘child’. For the alternation երախայ (eraxay) ~ երեխայ (erexay), compare Ancient Greek ῥαχά (rhakhá) ~ Aramaic רֵיקָא (rēqā), if we are not dealing with vowel assimilation within Armenian.
The initial ե- (e-) is a prothetic vowel added to words starting with ր- (r-) according to well-known phonotactic constraints of Armenian, as in եղբայր (ełbayr), երագ (erag), երակ (erak), երախ (erax), երասան (erasan) etc.
Doublet of ռակայ (ṙakay).
See also Արախա (Araxa).
Noun
երախայ • (eraxay)
- (Christianity) unbaptized person; catechumen
- newborn child; child that cannot yet speak
Declension
Adjective
երախայ • (eraxay)
- child- or simple-minded, silly
Declension
Derived terms
Descendants
References
- ^ Hiwnkʻearpēyēntean, Yovhannēs (1894) “երախայ”, in Stugabanakan baṙaran hayocʻ lezui [Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Armenian), Constantinople: G. Paġtatlean Press, page 214a
- ^ Moulton, James Hope, Milligan, George (1914–1929) “ῥακά”, in The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament. Illustrated from the Papyri and other Non-Literary Sources, London: Hodder and Stoughton, page 562b
Further reading
- Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1973) “երախայ”, 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, page 36ab, compares Middle Persian (lsyk'), (lhyk'), 𐫡𐫍𐫏𐫃 (rhyg /rahīg/), Parthian 𐫡𐫍𐫏𐫃 (rhyg /rahīg/, “child; page, servant”), and because these cannot account for Armenian, assumes origin from a hypothetical Syriac *raxā (unaware of the above-quoted Semitic and Greek forms), from which both Armenian and Iranian are borrowed; however, the Iranian words are unrelated and rather belong under Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hrátʰas (“chariot”) (see Mayrhofer, Manfred (1996) Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan] (in German), volume II, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 429)
- Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836–1837) “երախայ”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
- J̌ahukyan, Geworg (2010) “երախայ”, in Vahan Sargsyan, editor, Hayeren stugabanakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Asoghik, page 219b, repeats Ačaṙean
- Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “երախայ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy