կրտսեր

Armenian

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Old Armenian կրտսեր (krtser).

Pronunciation

• (Eastern Armenian, standard) IPA^(key):
• (Western Armenian, standard) IPA^(key):

Adjective

կրտսեր • (krtser) (superlative ամենակրտսեր)

1. youngest (especially, youngest child in the family)
2. younger, junior

   կրտսեր լեյտենանտ ― krtser leytenant ― junior lieutenant

   կրտսեր սերժանտ ― krtser seržant ― junior sergeant

Declension

Old Armenian

Alternative forms

• կրցեր (krcʻer), կրսեր (krser) — later phonetical developments

Etymology

An Iranian borrowing: compare Baluchi کَستِر (kaster, “smallest, youngest”), Sogdian (kstr /⁠kastar⁠/, “less, inferior”), Ossetian кӕстӕр (kæstær, “younger”), Khotanese kastara- (“inferior, without authority”), Bactrian κισαδαρο (kisadaro, “lesser”), Pashto کشر (kəšr, kə́šər, kíšər, “junior, younger”), Parthian 𐫞𐫘𐫀𐫅𐫡 (qsʾdr /⁠kasādar⁠/), Middle Persian (kstl /⁠kehtar⁠/), Persian کهتر (kehtar, “smaller, younger”). These contain Proto-Iranian *kas- (“to be small, diminish, lessen”) and *-tarah (“comparative suffix”). For more see կէս (kēs) and ESIJa, without the Armenian. Possibly reshaped under the influence of սեր (ser, “offspring, generation”).

Adjective

կրտսեր • (krtser)

1. younger, youngest
   • 5th century, Bible, Luke 15.12:

     ասէ կրտսերն ի նոցանէ ցհայրն․ հայր՝ տուր ինձ բաժին որ անկանի յընչիցդ։

     asē krtsern i nocʻanē cʻhayrn; hayr, tur inj bažin or ankani yənčʻicʻd.

     • Translation by King James Version (KJV)

       And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me

   • 5th century, Bible, Luke 15.13:

     Եւ յետ ոչ բազում աւուրց՝ ժողովեալ զամենայն կրսերոյն՝ գնաց յաշխարհ հեռի․ եւ անդ վատնեաց զինչս իւր, զի կեայր անառակութեամբ։

     Ew yet očʻ bazum awurcʻ, žołoveal zamenayn krseroyn, gnacʻ yašxarh heṙi; ew and vatneacʻ zinčʻs iwr, zi keayr anaṙakutʻeamb.

     • Translation by King James Version (KJV)

       And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

   • 5th century, Bible, Luke 22.26:

     այլ դուք՝ ոչ այնպէս․ այլ որ մեծն է ի ձեզ՝ եղիցի իբրեւ զկրտսերն, եւ առաջնորդն իբրեւ զսպասաւորն։

     ayl dukʻ, očʻ aynpēs; ayl or mecn ē i jez, ełicʻi ibrew zkrtsern, ew aṙaǰnordn ibrew zspasaworn.

     • Translation by King James Version (KJV)

       But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

Declension

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Armenian: կրտսեր (krtser)

References

Further reading

• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1973) “կրտսեր”, 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 685
• Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836–1837) “կրտսեր”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• 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, pages 180–181
• Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “կրսեր”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy