բալախ

From Middle Armenian բալախ (balax).

• (Eastern Armenian, standard) IPA^(key): [bɑˈlɑχ]

բալախ • (balax)

1. glasswort (Salicornia), especially common glasswort (Salicornia europaea)

• ասփուշ (aspʿuš), մոմիկ (momik), աղաբույս (ałabuys)

• ձարաբալախ (jarabalax)
• բալախ եվրոպական (balax evropakan), բալախ խոտանման (balax xotanman, “common glasswort, Salicornia europaea”)

• խաճին (xačin)

• Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1913), “բալախ”, in Hayerēn gawaṙakan baṙaran [Armenian Provincial Dictionary] (Ēminean azgagrakan žołovacu; 9) (in Armenian), Tiflis: Lazarev Institute of Oriental Languages, pages 164b, 1061a
• Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1971), “բալախ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Dictionary of Armenian Root Words] (in Armenian), volume I, 2nd edition, reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press, pages 387–388
• Ališan, Łewond (1895), “բալախ”, in Haybusak kam haykakan busabaṙutʿiwn [Armenian Botany] (in Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, § 278, pages 74–75
• Amatuni, Sahak (1912), “փալախ”, in Hayocʿ baṙ u ban [Armenian Words and Idioms] (in Armenian), Vagharshapat: Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, pages 647a
• Awetikʿean, G.; Siwrmēlean, X.; Awgerean, M. (1836), “բալախ”, in Nor baṙgirkʿ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), volume I, Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 423b
• Ayvazyan H. M. et al., editors (2006), “բալախ”, in Hayastani bnašxarh [Nature of Armenia] (Əntanekan hanragitaran matenašar; 3) (in Armenian), Yerevan: Armenian Encyclopaedia, page 215a
• Caturyan, Tʿ. G. (1970), “Salicornia”, in Astvacatryan Z. A., editor, Buyseri anunneri latineren-hayeren-ṙuseren baṙaran [Latin–Armenian–Russian Dictionary of Plant Names], 2nd edition, Yerevan: University Press, § 1074, page 101
• Łazaryan, Ṙuben S. (1981), “բալախ”, in Busanunneri hayeren-latineren-ṙuseren-angleren-franseren-germaneren baṙaran [Armenian–Latin–Russian–English–French–German Dictionary of Plant Names], Yerevan: University Press, § 130, page 15b
• Ṙewazova, L. V.; Musayelyan, M. S. (1997), “Salicornia europaea”, in Gabrielyan Ē. Cʿ., editor, Dełatu buyseri anunneri latineren-ṙuseren-hayeren baṙaran [Latin–Russian–Armenian Dictionary of Medicinal Plant Names], Yerevan: Yerevan State Medical University, § 817, page 97b
• Sargsyan, Artem et al., editors (2010), “փալախոտ”, in Hayocʿ lezvi barbaṙayin baṙaran [Dialectological Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Armenian), volume VI, Yerevan: Hayastan, page 332

From Old Armenian բալախ (balax).

բալախ • (balax)

1. common glasswort (Salicornia europaea)
   • 1478 – 1492, Amirdovlatʿ Amasiacʿi, Angitacʿ anpēt [Useless for Ignoramuses] :

     Բալախ· որ է օշնան․ եւ յիշած է ի վերայ այբին իւր համարն, Աստուծով։

     Balax· or ē ōšnan; ew yišac ē i veray aybin iwr hamarn, Astucov.

     Balax — which is the ōšnan; it is mentioned under its number at [the letter] ayb, with God.

• բալախահակ (balaxahak)

• Armenian: բալախ (balax)

• Ališan, Łewond (1895), “բալախ”, in Haybusak kam haykakan busabaṙutʿiwn [Armenian Botany] (in Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, § 278, pages 74–75
• Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1971), “բալախ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Dictionary of Armenian Root Words] (in Armenian), volume I, 2nd edition, reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press, pages 387–388
• Vardanjan, Stella (1990) Amirdovlat Amasiaci, Nenužnoje dlja neučej (in Russian), Moscow: Nauka, pages 87, 593

Ačaṙean derived from Georgian ბალახი (balaxi, “grass”), and this is usually followed by later Armenian sources. On the other hand, Klimov / Xalilov derive the the Georgian word itself from Armenian.

բալախ • (balax)

1. common glasswort (Salicornia europaea)
   • Varkʿ srbocʿ harancʾ [Paterica] II.540:

     Ոչխարն առնու ճարակ ի խոտոյ անտի զբարիոք դալարիս, ապա եւ ճարակի զբալախ անապատի․ եւ յորժամ խոստանայ ի փշոց անտի, որոճայ զդալարին եւ քաղցրանայ բերան իւր, եւ դադարէ թոյնք փշոցն։

     Očʿxarn aṙnu čarak i xotoy anti zbariokʿ dalaris, apa ew čaraki zbalax anapati; ew yoržam xostanay i pʿšocʿ anti, oročay zdalarin ew kʿałcʿranay beran iwr, ew dadarē tʿoynkʿ pʿšocʿn.

• Middle Armenian: բալախ (balax)
  • Armenian: բալախ (balax) (see there for more dialectal forms)
    • → Azeri: palax, balağ
    • → Georgian: ბალახი (balaxi) (possibly) (see there for further descendants)
    • → Northern Kurdish: pelax, palax, palaxe
    • → Turkish: palaḫ, palak, palağ, palax
    • → Zazaki: palax

• Łazarean, Ṙ. S. (2000), “բալախ²”, in Tʿosunean G. B., editor, Grabari baṙaran [Dictionary of Old Armenian] (in Armenian), volume I, Yerevan: University Press, page 251a
• Awetikʿean, G.; Siwrmēlean, X.; Awgerean, M. (1836), “բալախ”, in Nor baṙgirkʿ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), volume I, Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 423b
• Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1971), “բալախ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Dictionary of Armenian Root Words] (in Armenian), volume I, 2nd edition, reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press, pages 387–388
• J̌ahukyan, Geworg (2010), “բալախ²”, in Vahan Sargsyan, editor, Hayeren stugabanakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Asoghik, page 112
• Dankoff, Robert (1995) Armenian Loanwords in Turkish (Turcologica; 21), Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, § 41, page 24
• Bläsing, Uwe (1992) Armenisches Lehngut im Türkeitürkischen am Beispiel von Hemşin (Dutch Studies in Armenian Language and Literature; 2) (in German), Amsterdam, Atlanta: Rodopi, § 101, pages 64–65
• Klimov, G. A.; Xalilov, M. Š. (2003) Slovarʹ kavkazskix jazykov. Sopostavlenije osnovnoj leksiki [Dictionary of Caucasian Languages. A comparison of the Basic Vocabulary] (in Russian), Moscow: Vostochnaya Literatura, →ISBN, pages 218, 221

The origin is unknown.[1][2] Compare dialectal Azerbaijani palax, yeryapalağı (“short”).

բալախ • (balax)

1. worthless, light, contemptible

   Synonym: սնոտի (snoti)

   • 5th century, Ephrem the Syrian, Meknutʿiwn Awetarani hamabarbaṙ , (1836 edition, page 93):

     Զոր օրինակ ոչ էր նա եղէգն բալախ, և ոչ հանդերձ փափկութան զգեցեալ էր։

     Zor ōrinak očʿ ēr na ełēgn balax, ew očʿ handerj pʿapʿkutʿan zgecʿeal ēr.

In the only attested passages the adjective refers to bread (alluding to Numbers 21:5 in the Bible) and to a reed.