ծիտ

From Old Armenian ծիտ (cit).

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

ծիտ • (cit)

1. sparrow
2. (informal) bird
3. (slang) attractive woman

• (sparrow): ճնճղուկ (čnčłuk)
• (bird): թռչուն (tʿṙčʿun)

• Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1973), “ծիտ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Dictionary of Armenian Root Words] (in Armenian), volume II, 2nd edition, reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press, pages 458–459

Ačaṙean connects with synonymous Middle Armenian չիտ (čʿit), ջիտ (ǰit), and derives all from Kartvelian, 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 tʿłtʿerə [The letters of Grigor Magistros] 71:

     […] ի ծայրս երգից ծտից լինել գուշակեն […]

     […] i cayrs ergicʿ cticʿ linel gušaken […]

• ճնճղուկ (čnčłuk)

• ծտիկ (ctik)

• Armenian: ծիտ (cit)

• Petrosean, H. Matatʿeay V. (1879), “ծիտ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʿ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Awetikʿean, G.; Siwrmēlean, X.; Awgerean, M. (1836), “ծիտ”, in Nor baṙgirkʿ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), volume I, Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 1016b
• Łazarean, Ṙ. S. (2000), “ծիտ”, in Tʿosunean G. B., editor, Grabari baṙaran [Dictionary of Old Armenian] (in Armenian), volume I, Yerevan: University Press, page 610a
• Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1973), “ծիտ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Dictionary of Armenian Root Words] (in Armenian), volume II, 2nd edition, reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press, pages 458–459
• Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1977), “չիտ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Dictionary of Armenian Root Words] (in Armenian), volume III, 2nd edition, reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press, page 629a
• Čubinov, David (1887), “ჩიტი”, in Gruzinsko-russkij slovarʹ [Georgian–Russian Dictionary], Saint Petersburg: Imperial Academy of Sciences, page 1579a
• de Lagarde, Paul (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