ծիտ

From Old Armenian ծիտ (cit).

• Audio (Eastern Armenian):

  (file)

• (Eastern Armenian) IPA^(key): /t͡sit/,
• (Western Armenian) IPA^(key): /d͡zid/,

ծիտ • (cit)

1. sparrow
2. (informal) bird
3. (slang, colloquial) attractive person (usually, a woman)

• (sparrow): ճնճղուկ (čnčġuk)
• (bird): թռչուն (tʻṙčʻun)

• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1973) “ծիտ”, 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, pages 458–459

Ačaṙean connects with synonymous Middle Armenian չիտ (čʻit), ջիտ (ǰit), and derives all from Georgian-Zan, comparing Georgian ჩიტი (čiṭi, “small bird; sparrow”), Mingrelian ჩიტი (čiṭi, “small bird; sparrow”). On the other hand, Čubinov takes the direction of the borrowing to be the opposite, but this is rejected by Ačaṙean, because in Armenian the word is used post-classically and infrequently and now is present in Eastern dialects only.

J̌ahukyan agrees with the Kartvelian origin of the Middle Armenian forms, but prefers an onomatopoeic origin for ծիտ (cit). This is suggested already by Nor baṙgirkʿ haykazean lezui and accepted by de Lagarde.

J̌ahukyan remarks that derivation from Proto-Indo-European *ǵīd-, from a supposed by-form with *ǵ- of the root *geH- (“to sing, cry”), is less likely; compare from this root especially Lithuanian gaidỹs (“rooster”), giedóti (“to sing”).

ծիտ • (cit)

1. sparrow
   • 11th century, Grigor Magistros, Grigor Magistrosi tʻłtʻerə 71:^[1]

     ի ծայրս երգից ծտից լինել գուշակեն

     […] i cayrs ergicʻ cticʻ linel gušaken […]

• ճնճղուկ (čnčłuk)

• ծտիկ (ctik)

• Armenian: ծիտ (cit)

• Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “ծիտ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836) “ծիտ”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), volume I, Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 1016b
• Ġazarean, Ṙubēn (2000) “ծիտ”, in G. B. Tʻosunean, editor, Grabari baṙaran [Dictionary of Old Armenian] (in Armenian), volume I, Yerevan: University Press, page 610a
• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1973) “ծիտ”, 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, pages 458–459
• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1977) “չիտ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume III, Yerevan: University Press, page 629a
• Čubinov, David (1887) “ჩიტი”, in Грузинско-русский словарь [Georgian–Russian Dictionary]‎, Saint Petersburg: Academy Press, column 1579a
• Lagarde, Paul de (1877) Armenische Studien (in German), Göttingen: Dieterich, § 1053, page 70
• J̌ahukyan, Geworg (2010) “ծիտ”, in Vahan Sargsyan, editor, Hayeren stugabanakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Asoghik, page 363a