արծաթ

From Old Armenian արծաթ (arcatʻ).

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• (Eastern Armenian) IPA^(key): /ɑɾˈt͡sɑtʰ/,
• (Western Armenian) IPA^(key): /ɑɾˈd͡zɑt/,

արծաթ • (arcatʻ)

1. silver
2. silver coin
3. silver object

արծաթ • (arcatʻ)

1. silver, silvern, made of silver

   արծաթ լարեր ― arcatʻ larer ― silver strings

2. silvery, of silver color
3. silvery (of voice)

   արծաթ ծիծաղ ― arcatʻ cicaġ ― silvery laughter

Inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₂r̥ǵn̥tóm (“silver”); the expected reflex is Proto-Armenian *arcant- → Old Armenian *արծան(դ) (*arcan(d)), but the ending was reshaped under the influence of երկաթ (erkatʻ, “iron”).^[1][2][3]

Alternatively, a very old borrowing from Indo-Iranian (3rd–2nd millennium BC) or Old Iranian (first half of the 1st millennium BC), from the same Proto-Indo-European word: compare Old Persian 𐎠𐎼𐎭𐎫 (a-r-d-t /⁠ardata⁠/, “silver”).^[3]

See also արծնեմ (arcnem) and արծարծեմ (arcarcem).

արծաթ • (arcatʻ)

1. silver

   քերել զարծաթ ― kʻerel zarcatʻ ― to take or wear the silver off

   անօթ արծաթոյ ― anōtʻ arcatʻoy ― a silver-vase

   արծաթ կենդանի ― arcatʻ kendani ― mercury, quicksilver

2. silverware
3. coin, money

   արծաթոյ տալ, վաճառել ― arcatʻoy tal, vačaṙel ― to sell for ready money

4. (figuratively) wealth, riches

• Armenian: արծաթ (arcatʻ)

• Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836–1837) “արծաթ”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “արծաթ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Thorsø, Rasmus (2023) Prehistoric loanwords in Armenian: Hurro-Urartian, Kartvelian, and the unclassified substrate‎, PhD dissertation, Leiden University, page 82