բռինչ

Armenian

Alternative forms

• բռինչ (bṙinčʻ), բռաշնը (bṙašnə), փռեշնը (pʻṙešnə), պռեշնը (pṙešnə), փռոշ (pʻṙoš), բղինճ (bġinč), բղինջք (bġinǰkʻ) — dialectal

Etymology

From Middle Armenian բռինչ (bṙinčʻ).

Pronunciation

• (Eastern Armenian) IPA^(key): /bəˈrint͡ʃʰ/, [bərínt͡ʃʰ]
• (Western Armenian) IPA^(key): /pəˈrint͡ʃ/, [pʰərínt͡ʃʰ]

• Audio (Eastern Armenian):

  (file)

Noun

բռինչ • (bṙinčʻ)

1. hackberry, the fruit of the nettle tree (Celtis spp.)

   Synonyms: լտուտ (ltut), ցռպտուկ (cʻṙptuk)

2. (literary) the fruit of the guelder rose (Viburnum opulus)

Declension

i-type, inanimate (Eastern Armenian)
	singular	plural
nominative	բռինչ (bṙinčʻ)	բռինչներ (bṙinčʻner)
dative	բռինչի (bṙinčʻi)	բռինչների (bṙinčʻneri)
ablative	բռինչից (bṙinčʻicʻ)	բռինչներից (bṙinčʻnericʻ)
instrumental	բռինչով (bṙinčʻov)	բռինչներով (bṙinčʻnerov)
locative	բռինչում (bṙinčʻum)	բռինչներում (bṙinčʻnerum)
	definite forms
nominative	բռինչը/բռինչն (bṙinčʻə/bṙinčʻn)	բռինչները/բռինչներն (bṙinčʻnerə/bṙinčʻnern)
dative	բռինչին (bṙinčʻin)	բռինչներին (bṙinčʻnerin)
	1st person possessive forms (my)
nominative	բռինչս (bṙinčʻs)	բռինչներս (bṙinčʻners)
dative	բռինչիս (bṙinčʻis)	բռինչներիս (bṙinčʻneris)
ablative	բռինչիցս (bṙinčʻicʻs)	բռինչներիցս (bṙinčʻnericʻs)
instrumental	բռինչովս (bṙinčʻovs)	բռինչներովս (bṙinčʻnerovs)
locative	բռինչումս (bṙinčʻums)	բռինչներումս (bṙinčʻnerums)
	2nd person possessive forms (your)
nominative	բռինչդ (bṙinčʻd)	բռինչներդ (bṙinčʻnerd)
dative	բռինչիդ (bṙinčʻid)	բռինչներիդ (bṙinčʻnerid)
ablative	բռինչիցդ (bṙinčʻicʻd)	բռինչներիցդ (bṙinčʻnericʻd)
instrumental	բռինչովդ (bṙinčʻovd)	բռինչներովդ (bṙinčʻnerovd)
locative	բռինչումդ (bṙinčʻumd)	բռինչներումդ (bṙinčʻnerumd)

Further reading

• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1913) “բռինչ”, in Hayerēn gawaṙakan baṙaran [Armenian Provincial Dictionary] (Ēminean azgagrakan žoġovacu; 9) (in Armenian), Tiflis: Lazarev Institute of Oriental Languages, pages 207–208
• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1971) “բռինչ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume I, Yerevan: University Press, pages 490–491
• Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1837) “բռինչ”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), volume II, Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 1061b
• Sargsyan, Artem et al., editors (2001), “բռինչ”, in Hayocʻ lezvi barbaṙayin baṙaran [Dialectal Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Armenian), volume I, Yerevan: Hayastan, page 213b

Middle Armenian

FWOTD – 28 June 2020

Celtis caucasica fruit

Etymology

Of unknown immediate and ultimate origin, but related to Old Georgian ბრინჯი (brinǯi, “Celtis”) and Kashmiri برِٛمِج (brimij, “Celtis caucasica”).

Noun

բռինչ • (bṙinčʻ)

1. hackberry, the fruit of the nettle tree (Celtis spp.)
   • 6th–12th? centuries, Baṙkʻ Gałianosi [The Greek–Armenian Dictionary to Galen] :

     նաբակ, կալալ, կալկալ, քօնար = բռինչն (vars. բռինչի, բղինչն, բռիչն)։

     nabak, kalal, kalkal, kʻōnar = bṙinčʻn (vars. bṙinčʻi, błinčʻn, bṙičʻn).

     نَبَق (nabaq), قَيْقَب (qayqab) (?), کنار (konâr) = bṙinčʻ

   • 9th or 10th century, with changes and additions in later centuries, Tʻargmanutʻiwn dełocʻ zor əntrel en imastasērkʻn ew kargeal yayl lezuacʻ [A Medieval Arabic–Armenian Botanical Dictionary] :

     նփըղ (vars. նփկըն, նըփկն) = բռինչ

     npʻəġ (vars. npʻkən, nəpʻkn) = bṙinčʻ

     نَبْق (nabq) = bṙinčʻ

Usage notes

The identification of the tree has been controversial. However, the etymology and the dialectal descriptions clearly point to Celtis, two species of which are found on the territory of modern Armenia (Celtis caucasica and Celtis planchoniana). Medieval glossaries often translate jujube, which is a fruit similar to hackberry. Therefore, the identification with Viburnum opulus in modern botanical literature is spurious.

Derived terms

• բռնչի (bṙnčʻi)

Descendants

• Armenian: բռինչ (bṙinčʻ)

Further reading

• Abeghian, Manuk (1899) Der armenische Volksglaube (in German), Leipzig: Druck von W. Drugulin, page 61
• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1971) “բռինչ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume I, Yerevan: University Press, pages 490–491, noting the formal similarity with the family of Aramaic ברותא (bərōṯā, “cypress”) and leaving the origin open
• Ališan, Ġewond (1895) “բռինչ”, in Haybusak kam haykakan busabaṙutʻiwn [Armenian Botany] (in Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, § 387, page 101
• Bedevian, Armenag K. (1936) “Celtis tournefortii”, in Illustrated Polyglottic Dictionary of Plant Names‎^[2], Cairo: Argus & Papazian Presses, § 935, page 158, identifying with Celtis tournefortii
• Bedevian, Armenag K. (1936) “Pyrus aria”, in Illustrated Polyglottic Dictionary of Plant Names‎^[3], Cairo: Argus & Papazian Presses, § 2890, page 495, identifying with whitebeam, (Aria edulis, syns. Sorbus aria, Pyrus aria)
• Bläsing, Uwe (2019) “Die armenischen Pflanzennamen in Peter Simon Pallas’ Flora Rossica. Eine Studie zu Etymologie und sprachlicher Interaktion”, in U. Bläsing, J. Dum-Tragut, T.M. van Lint, editors, Armenian, Hittite, and Indo-European Studies: A Commemoration Volume for Jos J.S. Weitenberg (Hebrew University Armenian Studies; 15) (in German), Leuven: Peeters, page 28
• J̌ahukyan, Geworg (2010) “բռինչ”, in Vahan Sargsyan, editor, Hayeren stugabanakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Asoghik, page 141a, tentatively deriving from Proto-Indo-European *bʰren- (“to project”), whence Latin frōns
• Ġazaryan, Ṙuben (1981) “փռշնի”, in Busanunneri hayeren-latineren-ṙuseren-angleren-franseren-germaneren baṙaran [Armenian–Latin–Russian–English–French–German Dictionary of Plant Names], Yerevan: University Press, § 1246, page 98b, identifying with Celtis
• Ġazaryan, Ṙuben (1981) “բռնչի”, in Busanunneri hayeren-latineren-ṙuseren-angleren-franseren-germaneren baṙaran [Armenian–Latin–Russian–English–French–German Dictionary of Plant Names], Yerevan: University Press, § 170, page 18b, identifying with Viburnum opulus
• Ġazaryan, Ṙuben, Avetisyan, Henrik (2009) “բռնչի”, in Miǰin hayereni baṙaran [Dictionary of Middle Armenian] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, Yerevan: University Press, page 127a
• Martirosyan, Hrach (2010) Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 8), Leiden and Boston: Brill, pages 699–701, following Ačaṙean connecting with the family of Aramaic ברותא (bərōṯā, “cypress”) and considering a substrate word
• Norayr N. Biwzandacʻi (1925) Kʻnnadatutʻiwn Haybusaki [A Critique of Haybusak] (Azgayin matenadaran; 109) (in Armenian), Vienna: Mekhitarist Press, pages 114–116
• Malxaseancʻ, Stepʻan (1944) “լտտենի”, in Hayerēn bacʻatrakan baṙaran [Armenian Explanatory Dictionary] (in Armenian), volume II, Yerevan: State Publishing House, page 221c
• Thomson, Robert W. (1996) Rewriting Caucasian History: The Medieval Armenian Adaptation of the Georgian Chronicles. The Original Georgian Texts and the Armenian Adaptation, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 101