աւան

Old Armenian

Etymology

A Middle Iranian borrowing: compare Middle Persian [Book Pahlavi needed] (ʾwbʾhnl /⁠āwahan⁠/, “fortified place, stronghold”) and [script needed] (a-v-h-n-m /⁠āvahanam⁠/, “village”). Ultimately from Proto-Iranian *Hwah- (“to dwell, remain”); compare Classical Syriac ܐܘܘܢܐ (ʾawwānāʾ) from the same source.

Noun

աւան • (awan)

1. small town, borough

Declension

i-a-type

	singular	plural
nominative	աւան (awan)	աւանք (awankʻ)
genitive	աւանի (awani)	աւանաց (awanacʻ)
dative	աւանի (awani)	աւանաց (awanacʻ)
accusative	աւան (awan)	աւանս (awans)
ablative	աւանէ (awanē)	աւանաց (awanacʻ)
instrumental	աւանաւ (awanaw)	աւանաւք = աւանօք (awanawkʻ = awanōkʻ)
locative	աւանի (awani)	աւանս (awans)

Derived terms

• աւանագեղ (awanageł)
• աւանագեօղ (awanageōł)
• աւանանամ (awananam)
• աւանաշէն (awanašēn)
• աւանապետ (awanapet)
• գիւղաւան (giwławan)
• Նախճաւան (Naxčawan)
• շինաւան (šinawan)
• (possibly) օթեւան (ōtʻewan)

Related terms

• վան (van)
• հարեւան (harewan)

Descendants

• → Armenian: ավան (avan) (learned)

Further reading

• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1971–1979) “աւան”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press
• Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836–1837) “աւան”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Hübschmann, Heinrich (1897) Armenische Grammatik. 1. Theil: Armenische Etymologie (in German), Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, page 112
• Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “աւան”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Thorsø, Rasmus (2023) Prehistoric loanwords in Armenian: Hurro-Urartian, Kartvelian, and the unclassified substrate‎^[1], PhD dissertation, Leiden University, page 23