𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴
Old Persian
Etymology
Old Persian Armina is the first unambiguous application of the name Armenia as the ethnonym of the Armenians and is first attested in 6th century BC Behistun inscription by Achaemenid king Darius I of Persia. Like most place names in West Asia the Persians borrowed it from Aramaeans, whom the Achaemenids employed in their chancelleries. According to Diakonoff the word is formed with long Aramaic ending -ā from Urartian *armini (“inhabitant of Arme; Arme-ian (country)”).[1] Arme/Urme was a country inhabited by Proto-Armenians in the mountains of Sassoun; of the territories inhabited by Proto-Armenians it was the closest to Aramaeans (who lived in Amida). See also Old Armenian հայ (hay) and Georgian სომეხი (somexi).
Proper noun
𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴 (a-r-mi-i-n /Armina/) m[2]
- Armenia
- late 6th century BCE, Darius the Great, Behistun Inscription, Column 1, lines 13-17
- […] θātiy Dārayavauš xšāyaθiya imā dahyāva tyā manā patiyāiša vašnā Auramazdāha adamšām xšāyaθiya āham Pārsa Ûvja Bābiruš Ahurā Arabāya Mudrāya tyaiy drayahyā Sparda Yauna Māda Armina Katpatuka Parθava Zraka Haraiva Uvārazmîy Bāxtriš Suguda Gadāra Saka Θataguš Harauvatiš Maka fraharavam dahyāva XXIII...
- […] King Darius says: These are the countries which are subject unto me, and by the grace of Ahuramazda I became king of them: Persia, Elam, Babylonia, Assyria, Arabia, Egypt, the countries by the Sea, Lydia, the Greeks, Media, Armenia, Cappadocia, Parthia, Drangiana, Aria, Chorasmia, Bactria, Sogdia, Gandara, Scythia, Sattagydia, Arachosia and Maka; twenty-three lands in all.
- […] θātiy Dārayavauš xšāyaθiya imā dahyāva tyā manā patiyāiša vašnā Auramazdāha adamšām xšāyaθiya āham Pārsa Ûvja Bābiruš Ahurā Arabāya Mudrāya tyaiy drayahyā Sparda Yauna Māda Armina Katpatuka Parθava Zraka Haraiva Uvārazmîy Bāxtriš Suguda Gadāra Saka Θataguš Harauvatiš Maka fraharavam dahyāva XXIII...
- late 6th century BCE, Darius the Great, Behistun Inscription, Column 2, lines 29-31
- […] θātiy Dārayavauš xšāyaθiya Dādaršiš nāma Arminiya manā badaka avam adam frāišayam Arminam avaθāšaiy aθaham paraidiy kāra hya hamiçiva manā naiy gaubataiy avam jadiy...
- […] King Darius says: An Armenian named Dādarši, my servant, I sent into Armenia, and I said unto him: 'Go, smite that host which is in revolt and does not acknowledge me.'
- […] θātiy Dārayavauš xšāyaθiya Dādaršiš nāma Arminiya manā badaka avam adam frāišayam Arminam avaθāšaiy aθaham paraidiy kāra hya hamiçiva manā naiy gaubataiy avam jadiy...
- late 6th century BCE, Darius the Great, Behistun Inscription, Column 1, lines 13-17
Declension
Declension of 𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Singular | Dual | Plural | |
Nominative | 𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴 (a-r-mi-i-n) | *𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴𐎠 (a-r-mi-i-n-a) | *𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴𐎠 (a-r-mi-i-n-a) |
Vocative | *𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴𐎠 (a-r-mi-i-n-a) | *𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴𐎠 (a-r-mi-i-n-a) | *𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴𐎠 (a-r-mi-i-n-a) |
Accusative | 𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴𐎶 (a-r-mi-i-n-m) | *𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴𐎠 (a-r-mi-i-n-a) | *𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴𐎠 (a-r-mi-i-n-a) |
Instrumental | *𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴𐎠 (a-r-mi-i-n-a) | *𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴𐎡𐎲𐎡𐎹𐎠 (a-r-mi-i-n-i-b-i-y-a) | *𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴𐎡𐎲𐎡𐏁 (a-r-mi-i-n-i-b-i-š) |
Dative | *𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴𐏃𐎹𐎠 (a-r-mi-i-n-h-y-a) | *𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴𐎡𐎲𐎡𐎹𐎠 (a-r-mi-i-n-i-b-i-y-a) | *𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴𐎡𐎲𐎡𐏁 (a-r-mi-i-n-i-b-i-š) |
Genitive | *𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴𐏃𐎹𐎠 (a-r-mi-i-n-h-y-a) | *𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴𐎠𐎹𐎠 (a-r-mi-i-n-a-y-a) | *𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴𐎠𐎴𐎠𐎶 (a-r-mi-i-n-a-n-a-m) |
Locative | 𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴𐎡𐎹 (a-r-mi-i-n-i-y) | *𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴𐎠𐎹𐎠 (a-r-mi-i-n-a-y-a) | *𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴𐎡𐏁𐎢𐎺𐎠 (a-r-mi-i-n-i-š-u-v-a) |
Related terms
- 𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴𐎹 (a-r-mi-i-n-y /Arminiya/)
See also
Armenia on Wikipedia.Wikipedia Behistun Inscription on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
References
- Dʹjakonov, I. M. (1968), S. T. Jeremjan, editor, Predystorija armjanskovo naroda. Istorija Armjanskovo nagorʹja s 1500 po 500 g. do n.e. Xurrity, luvijcy, protoarmjane [The Pre-History of the Armenian People. The History of the Armenian Highland from 1500 to 500 BC. Hurrians, Luwians, Proto-Armenians] (in Russian), Yerevan: Academy Press, page 234
- Gindro, S.; Scarlata, S.; Widmer, P. (2013), “Old Persian Corpus”, in TITUS: Thesaurus Indogermanischer Text- und Sprachmaterialien, 125