From Old Armenian շիճուկ (šičuk), շճուկ (ščuk). The dialectal forms with շդ- / շտ- (šd- / št-) developed from շճ- (šč-) by the process of deaffrication.[1]
| Audio (Eastern Armenian): | (file) |
շիճուկ • (šičuk)
| singular | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | շիճուկ (šičuk) | շիճուկներ (šičukner) | ||
| dative | շիճուկի (šičuki) | շիճուկների (šičukneri) | ||
| ablative | շիճուկից (šičukicʻ) | շիճուկներից (šičuknericʻ) | ||
| instrumental | շիճուկով (šičukov) | շիճուկներով (šičuknerov) | ||
| locative | շիճուկում (šičukum) | շիճուկներում (šičuknerum) | ||
| definite forms | ||||
| nominative | շիճուկը/շիճուկն (šičukə/šičukn) | շիճուկները/շիճուկներն (šičuknerə/šičuknern) | ||
| dative | շիճուկին (šičukin) | շիճուկներին (šičuknerin) | ||
| 1st person possessive forms (my) | ||||
| nominative | շիճուկս (šičuks) | շիճուկներս (šičukners) | ||
| dative | շիճուկիս (šičukis) | շիճուկներիս (šičukneris) | ||
| ablative | շիճուկիցս (šičukicʻs) | շիճուկներիցս (šičuknericʻs) | ||
| instrumental | շիճուկովս (šičukovs) | շիճուկներովս (šičuknerovs) | ||
| locative | շիճուկումս (šičukums) | շիճուկներումս (šičuknerums) | ||
| 2nd person possessive forms (your) | ||||
| nominative | շիճուկդ (šičukd) | շիճուկներդ (šičuknerd) | ||
| dative | շիճուկիդ (šičukid) | շիճուկներիդ (šičuknerid) | ||
| ablative | շիճուկիցդ (šičukicʻd) | շիճուկներիցդ (šičuknericʻd) | ||
| instrumental | շիճուկովդ (šičukovd) | շիճուկներովդ (šičuknerovd) | ||
| locative | շիճուկումդ (šičukumd) | շիճուկներումդ (šičuknerumd) | ||
The origin is uncertain.
Ačaṙean lists շիճուկ (šičuk) / շճուկ (ščuk) under the unattested root *շիճ- (*šič-, “straining, filtering”), together with շճեմ (ščem, “to seep, drip, trickle or to be full of serosity, of matter”) and possibly շիճ (šič, “grain spoilt by rain”), apparently formed with the suffix -ուկ (-uk), and leaves the origin open.[1] He treats Northern Kurdish şûjî (“whey”), Persian سجک (sajok, “buttermilk mingled with milk”) as Armenian borrowings. However, later he considers շիճուկ (šičuk) a borrowing from the Persian.[2] The Iranian origin is likely in view of Central Kurdish, Laki سِزِک (sizik), Southern Kurdish سِزِگ (sizig), سِزاو (sizaw), سِجِک (sicik, “whey”), Semnani (sizna, “whey”). For the possible ultimate origin see շճեմ (ščem). For the assimilation of ս...ճ (s...č) to շ...ճ (š...č) see պատշաճ (patšač).
Unconvincing native etymologies have also been proposed, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwey- (“to soil; mud; filth”), whence Latin caenum and possibly English whey, or from *skeyd- (“to split, divide”), whence ցտեմ (cʻtem).[3][4][5]
Dankoff derives dialectal Turkish cücük, cıcuk, cucuk, çuçuk (“ferment (starter) in making curds and cheese”), sücük (“fresh cheese in ring shape”), sücük, şuyük, şücük, şüjuk, şüyük, şüjük (“whey”), sücük, şücük, sücüyh, şücüyh, sucüyh (“water flowing from bag after yoghurt is poured in”) from Armenian.[6] If the Turkish words denoting "cheese starter" indeed belong here, then one may also connect Russian сычу́г (syčúg).
Kʿaǰuni has the unsuffixed form շիճ (šič, “whey”),[7] but it is probably spurious.
շիճուկ • (šičuk)