The origin is uncertain. An overview of opinions follows.
The etymology repeated most often is the inheritance from Proto-Indo-European *gʷrebʰ-, with Proto-Slavic *žerbę and Ancient Greek βρέφος (bréphos) as cognates, but the sound correspondences are irregular.[1][2][3]
According to Ačaṙyan, the root is perhaps the unknown *կոր (*kor), also seen in խոճկոր (xočkor), while -իւն (-iwn) is a suffix.[4]
Bugge compares to Chechen кӏорни (kʼorni), кӏуорнай (kʼwornaj, “young (of an animal), nestling”),[5] on which see Nikolayev / Starostin.[6]
Has also been compared to Classical Syriac ܓܘܽܪܝܳܐ (gūryā, “young animal, cub”), Hebrew גור (gūr, “cub”), גור (gōr, “lion cub”),[7][8] which are from Proto-Semitic *gur-, *gury/w- (“whelp, cub”),[9] whence also Arabic جَرْو (jarw). The ending looks similar to Assyrian Neo-Aramaic ܐܰܪܝܽܘܢܳܐ (aryūnā, “lion cub”),[10] which is from the Semitic root discussed at առիւծ (aṙiwc). Compare also Hebrew גור אריה (gur ʾaryē), a common poetic designation for "lion's cub".
կորիւն • (koriwn)
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
nominative | կորիւն (koriwn) | կորիւնք (koriwnkʻ) |
genitive | կորեան (korean) | կորեանց (koreancʻ) |
dative | կորեան (korean) | կորեանց (koreancʻ) |
accusative | կորիւն (koriwn) | կորիւնս (koriwns) |
ablative | կորենէ (korenē) | կորեանց (koreancʻ) |
instrumental | կորեամբ (koreamb) | կորեամբք (koreambkʻ) |
locative | կորեան (korean) | կորիւնս (koriwns) |