պատմեմ

Borrowed from a Middle Iranian cognate of Persian پیمودن (peymudan, “to measure”).^{[1][2][3][4][5]} See it for more.

There has been some scepticism about this etymology due to the combining form -պատում (-patum) and the difference in meaning,^[6][7] but the combining form can be explained as a back-formation from պատմ- (patm-), and the sense development can be explained as "to measure words, to weigh one's words" → "to speak in a measured, controlled or truthful way".^[8] The same sense development is seen in the Tajik cognate паймудан (paymudan, “to measure; to relate, tell, narrate”).

պատմեմ • (patmem)

1. (transitive) to relate, tell, narrate, recount
   • 5th century, Bible, Matthew 8.33:

     Եւ խոզարածքն փախեան, եւ երթեալ ի քաղաքն պատմեցին զամենայն, եւ զիրս դիւահարացն:

     Ew xozarackʻn pʻaxean, ew ertʻeal i kʻałakʻn patmecʻin zamenayn, ew zirs diwaharacʻn:

     Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.

Has the combining form -պատում (-patum).

• պայման (payman)

• Armenian: պատմել (patmel)

• Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836–1837) “պատմեմ”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• J̌ahukyan, Geworg (2010) “պատմել”, in Vahan Sargsyan, editor, Hayeren stugabanakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Asoghik, page 627a
• Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “պատմեմ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy