խոխա

Armenian

Alternative forms

խոխայ (xoxay) — traditional orthography
խօխա (xōxa) — dialectological notation

Etymology

Two opposite views exist.

According to Ačaṙean, a borrowing from Turkish xaxa (“stupid, foolish”), whence also dialectal Armenian խախա (xaxa, “stupid, foolish”) (Constantinople), խոխա (xoxa, “stupid, foolish”) (Van), with a sense development ‘fool’ → ‘infantile person’ → ‘child’. For such a development he compares dialectal տխմար (txmar, “child”) (Diyarbarkir), from Old Armenian տխմար (txmar, “foolish”).^[1] For the sense development see also the etymology of երախայ (eraxay). Note that Turkish xaxa cited by Ačaṙean is not included in the standard dictionaries of Turkish or Azerbaijani, but compare Ottoman Turkish خاخا (khakha, “nigaud, niais, benêt, gâteux”) recorded by Kerestedjian, which he treats as a borrowing from the same source as Greek χάχας (cháchas, “one who laughs unnecessarily; simpleton”) and French gaga.^[2] Compare also Turkish kakavan (“stuck-up and stupid; old and peevish”) and dialectal Armenian խոխե (xoxe, “senile”) (Van).^[3]

According to the other view, inherited from Old Armenian երեխայ (erexay), երախայ (eraxay, “child”), through complex dialectal sound changes.^[4]^[5] In that case cognate with inherited Karabakh forms րա՛խա (ráxa), ըրա՛խա (əráxa).

Pronunciation

(Eastern Armenian) IPA^(key): /ˈχoχɑ/,

Noun

խոխա • (xoxa)

(dialectal, Karabakh) child
Synonyms: (dialectal) րախա (raxa), (literary) երեխա (erexa)
(dialectal, Karabakh) infantile person

References

^ Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1902) “խախա”, in Tʻurkʻerēni azdecʻutʻiwnə hayerēni vray ew tʻurkʻerēnē pʻoxaṙeal baṙerə Pōlsi hay žoġovrdakan lezuin mēǰ hamematutʻeamb Vani, Ġarabaġi ew Nor-Naxiǰewani barbaṙnerun [The influence of Turkish on Armenian, and the Turkish borrowings in the vernacular Armenian of Constantinople in comparison with the dialects of Van, Karabakh and Nor Nakhichevan] (Ēminean azgagrakan žoġovacu; 3) (in Armenian), Moscow and Vagharshapat: Lazarev Institute of Oriental Languages, pages 159–160
^ Kerestedjian, Bedros (1912) “khakha”, in Kerest Haig, editor, Quelques matériaux pour un dictionnaire étymologique de la langue Turque (in French), London: Luzac & Co., page 188
^ Sargsyan, Artem et al., editors (2002), “խոխա”, in Hayocʻ lezvi barbaṙayin baṙaran [Dialectal Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Armenian), volume II, Yerevan: Hayastan, page 347a
^ Margaryan, Alekʻsandr (2015) Stugabanutʻyunner [Etymologies]‎ (in Armenian), Yerevan: University Press, pages 75–77
^ Sargsyan, Armen Yu. (2013) “խօխա”, in Ġarabaġi barbaṙi baṙaran [Dictionary of Karabakh Dialect] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Edit Print, →ISBN, page 289c

[1] Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1902) “խախա”, in Tʻurkʻerēni azdecʻutʻiwnə hayerēni vray ew tʻurkʻerēnē pʻoxaṙeal baṙerə Pōlsi hay žoġovrdakan lezuin mēǰ hamematutʻeamb Vani, Ġarabaġi ew Nor-Naxiǰewani barbaṙnerun [The influence of Turkish on Armenian, and the Turkish borrowings in the vernacular Armenian of Constantinople in comparison with the dialects of Van, Karabakh and Nor Nakhichevan] (Ēminean azgagrakan žoġovacu; 3) (in Armenian), Moscow and Vagharshapat: Lazarev Institute of Oriental Languages, pages 159–160

[2] Kerestedjian, Bedros (1912) “khakha”, in Kerest Haig, editor, Quelques matériaux pour un dictionnaire étymologique de la langue Turque (in French), London: Luzac & Co., page 188

[3] Sargsyan, Artem et al., editors (2002), “խոխա”, in Hayocʻ lezvi barbaṙayin baṙaran [Dialectal Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Armenian), volume II, Yerevan: Hayastan, page 347a

[4] Margaryan, Alekʻsandr (2015) Stugabanutʻyunner [Etymologies]‎ (in Armenian), Yerevan: University Press, pages 75–77

[5] Sargsyan, Armen Yu. (2013) “խօխա”, in Ġarabaġi barbaṙi baṙaran [Dictionary of Karabakh Dialect] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Edit Print, →ISBN, page 289c

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