խոխա

Armenian

Alternative forms

Etymology

Two opposite views exist.

According to Ačaṙean, a borrowing from Turkish xaxa (“stupid, foolish”), whence also dialectal Armenian խախա (xaxa, “stupid, foolish”) (Constantinople), խոխա (xoxa, “stupid, foolish”) (Van), with a sense development ‘fool’ → ‘infantile person’ → ‘child’. For such a development he compares dialectal տխմար (txmar, “child”) (Diyarbarkir), from Old Armenian տխմար (txmar, “foolish”).[1] For the sense development see also the etymology of երախայ (eraxay). Note that Turkish xaxa cited by Ačaṙean is not included in the standard dictionaries of Turkish or Azerbaijani, but compare Ottoman Turkish خاخا‎ (khakha, “nigaud, niais, benêt, gâteux”) recorded by Kerestedjian, which he treats as a borrowing from the same source as Greek χάχας (cháchas, “one who laughs unnecessarily; simpleton”) and French gaga.[2] Compare also Turkish kakavan (“stuck-up and stupid; old and peevish”) and dialectal Armenian խոխե (xoxe, “senile”) (Van)[3].

According to the other view, inherited from Old Armenian երեխայ (erexay), երախայ (eraxay, “child”), through complex dialectal sound changes.[4][5] In that case cognate with inherited Karabakh forms րա՛խա (ráxa), ըրա՛խա (əráxa).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): [ˈχɔχɑ]

Noun

խոխա • (xoxa)

  1. (dialectal, Karabakh) child
    Synonyms: րախա (raxa) (dialectal), երեխա (erexa) (literary)
  2. (dialectal, Karabakh) infantile person

References
  1. Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1902), “խախա”, in Tʿurkʿerēni azdecʿutʿiwnə hayerēni vray ew tʿurkʿerēnē pʿoxaṙeal baṙerə Pōlsi hay žołovrdakan lezuin mēǰ hamematutʿeamb Vani, Łarabałi ew Nor-Naxiǰewani barbaṙnerun [The Influence of Turkish on Armenian and Words Borrowed from Turkish in the Popular Armenian Language of Constantinople in Comparison with the Dialects of Van, Karabakh and Nor Nakhichevan] (Ēminean azgagrakan žołovacu; 3) (in Armenian), Moscow, Vagharshapat: Lazarev Institute of Oriental Languages, pages 159–160
  2. Kerestedjian, Bedros (1971), “khakha”, in Matériaux pour un dictionnaire étymologique de la langue turque : Contenant l'étymologie des mots de la langue turque ottomane et orientale et l'origine des mots étrangers dérivés des langues sémitiques, indo-iraniennes, classiques et européennes (in French), reprint of the 1912 London and 1891 Constantinople editions, Amsterdam: Philo Press, →ISBN, page 188
  3. Sargsyan, Artem et al., editors (2002), “խոխա”, in Hayocʿ lezvi barbaṙayin baṙaran [Dialectological Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Armenian), volume II, Yerevan: Hayastan, page 347a
  4. Margaryan, Alekʿsandr (2015) Stugabanutʿyunner [Etymologies]‎ (in Armenian), Yerevan: University Press, pages 75–77
  5. Sargsyan, Armen Yu. (2013), “խօխա”, in Łarabałi barbaṙi baṙaran [Dictionary of the Karabkh Dialect] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Edit Print, →ISBN, page 289c
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