Indo-European Origins of Syunik-Artsakh Agricultural Terms

Authors

  • Mher Kumunts

    Dialectology Department, Language Institute of National Academy of Sciences, Yerevan 0015, Armenia

    Chair of Philology and Historical Jurisprudence, Goris State University, Goris 3204, Armenia

    yunik Armenological Research Center, Goris 3201, Armenia
  • Inga Margaryan

    Syunik Armenological Research Center, Goris 3201, Armenia

    Lexicography Department, Language Institute of National Academy of Sciences, Yerevan 0015, Armenia

    Department of Armenian Studies and Pedagogy, Yerevan State College of Humanities, Yerevan 0051, Armenia
  • Sona Miqayelyan

    Oriental Languages Department, Bryusov State University, Yerevan 0002, Armenia

    General and Comparative Linguistics Department, Language Institute of National Academy of Sciences, Yerevan 0015, Armenia
  • Valentin Khachatryan

    History of Armenian Language Department, Language Institute of National Academy of Sciences, Yerevan 0015, Armenia

    International University of Applied Sciences in Armenia, Yerevan 0025, Armenia
  • Gayane Gevorgyan

    Dialectology Department, Language Institute of National Academy of Sciences, Yerevan 0015, Armenia

    Department of Armenian Language and Literature, Russian-Armenian University, Yerevan 0002, Armenia
  • Hasmik Khachatryan

    Dialectology Department, Language Institute of National Academy of Sciences, Yerevan 0015, Armenia

    Department of Armenian Language and Literature, Russian-Armenian University, Yerevan 0002, Armenia
  • Susanna Grigoryan

    History of Armenian Language Department, Language Institute of National Academy of Sciences, Yerevan 0015, Armenia
  • Lusine Nersisyan

    Chair of Philology and Historical Jurisprudence, Goris State University, Goris 3204, Armenia

    Syunik Armenological Research Center, Goris 3201, Armenia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i5.9112
Received: 16 March 2025 | Revised: 20 April 2025 | Accepted: 25 April 2025 | Published Online: 30 April 2025

Abstract

This study investigates the etymologies of several key Syunik-Artsakh (Nagorno Karabagh) dialectal terms related to agriculture and vegetation, arguing for their Indo-European roots or native Armenian development, particularly for those previously considered non-etymological or of uncertain origin. This dialect area's rich vocabulary offers valuable insights for dialectology, Armenian language history, historical-comparative linguistics, and ethnography.

The dialectal Armenian word tsütsün (ծո̈ւծո̈ւն) substantiates linking the base of Armenian tsets (ծեծ) ‘beating’ to the Indo-European root *g՛eg՛-. The Syunik-Artsakh term hashan (հաշան) is proposed to derive from the verb ash || hash (աշ || հաշ) ‘to dry,’ showing etymological similarities with IE *khrs- ‘to burn, heat.’ The pattern pĕ(u) (պը(ու)) < b(e)u- is identified as basic to pĕṛōk (պըռօկ) ‘bud/sprout,’ with elements -ṛ- (ռ) and -t- (տ) likely functioning as frequentative/intensive suffixes. The Turkic origin of jalagh (ջալաղ) ‘grafting’ is contested; while potential Indo-European connections (g'hel- or gel-) exist, phonetic issues with the latter and strong parallels with regional Turkic (calaq) suggest borrowing is more probable.

Crucially, the etymology of dögyün || dĕēgün (դօ̈գյո̈ւն || դըէգո̈ւն) ‘branch collar of a tree’ is established as deriving from the native Armenian adjective tokun (տոկուն) 'resilient, firm' (from the root tok (տոկ) < PIE *dewǝ-/dowǝ-), having undergone regular dialectal sound changes. The word K’lpel || kĕlpēl (քլպել || կըլպէլ) ‘to strip, pare, peel’ is linked to the PIE root *(s)kel- ‘tear, pick up, scratch, take out.’

Overall, the study highlights the significance of Syunik-Artsakh dialectal data for reconstructing Armenian lexical history and resolving complex etymologies.

Keywords:

Syunik-Artsakh (Karabakh) Dialect Area; Agriculture Thematic Group; Etymology; Indo-European Origin

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Kumunts, M., Margaryan, I., Miqayelyan, S., Khachatryan, V., Gevorgyan, G., Khachatryan, H., Grigoryan, S., & Nersisyan, L. (2025). Indo-European Origins of Syunik-Artsakh Agricultural Terms. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(5), 535–548. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i5.9112

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Vol. 7 , Iss. 5 (May 2025): In progress

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Copyright © 2025 Mher Kumunts, Inga Margaryan, Sona Miqayelyan, Valentin Khachatryan, Gayane Gevorgyan, Hasmik Khachatryan, Susanna Grigoryan, Lusine Nersisyan

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