լաւ

Old Armenian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Indo-European *leh₂w-. Ancient Greek λωΐων (lōḯōn, “better”) is a close cognate.

Adjective

լաւ • (law)

1. good, excellent; superior, better; praiseworthy

   լաւ համարել, վարկանել ― law hamarel, varkanel ― to esteem or love more, to prefer

   առ լաւս ունել ― aṙ laws unel ― to hold in honor, to reverence

   ի լաւ անդր գալ ― i law andr gal ― to become better, to improve, to ameliorate

   լաւ է ― law ē ― it is good, it is better or worth more

   լաւ եւս ― law ews ― so much the better

   ո՞չ լաւ եւս իցէ ― o^?čʻ law ews icʻē ― would it not be better?

   ո՞չ լաւ եմ ես քեզ քան զտասն որդի ― o^?čʻ law em es kʻez kʻan ztasn ordi ― am I not worth more than ten sons to you?

   լաւ էր թէ մեռեալ էաք ― law ēr tʻē meṙeal ēakʻ ― would that we also had not survived!

2. profitable, useful
3. noble; honest, upright

Declension

i-a-type

	singular		plural
nominative	լաւ (law)		լաւք (lawkʻ)
genitive	լաւի (lawi)		լաւաց (lawacʻ)
dative	լաւի (lawi)		լաւաց (lawacʻ)
accusative	լաւ (law)		լաւս (laws)
ablative	լաւէ (lawē)		լաւաց (lawacʻ)
instrumental	լաւաւ (lawaw)		լաւաւք = լաւօք (lawawkʻ = lawōkʻ)
locative	լաւի (lawi)		լաւս (laws)

Derived terms

• ամենալաւ (amenalaw)
• ամենալաւութիւն (amenalawutʻiwn)
• անլաւ (anlaw)
• անլաւութիւն (anlawutʻiwn)
• բարելաւ (barelaw)
• բարելաւութիւն (barelawutʻiwn)
• լաւաբար (lawabar)
• լաւաբարութիւն (lawabarutʻiwn)
• լաւաբեռնիմ (lawabeṙnim)
• լաւագոյն (lawagoyn)
• լաւագունութիւն (lawagunutʻiwn)
• լաւազգի (lawazgi)
• լաւախօս (lawaxōs)
• լաւածանօթ (lawacanōtʻ)
• լաւակամ (lawakam)
• լաւակամութիւն (lawakamutʻiwn)
• լաւակն (lawakn)
• լաւահայեաց (lawahayeacʻ)
• լաւամանկութիւն (lawamankutʻiwn)
• լաւանամ (lawanam)
• լաւացուցանեմ (lawacʻucʻanem)
• լաւիմաց (lawimacʻ)
• լաւորեար (laworear)
• լաւութիւն (lawutʻiwn)
• քաջալաւ (kʻaǰalaw)
• քաջալաւագոյն (kʻaǰalawagoyn)
• քաջալաւանամ (kʻaǰalawanam)
• քաջալաւութիւն (kʻaǰalawutʻiwn)

 

Descendants

• Armenian: լավ (lav)

Further reading

• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1973) “լաւ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume II, Yerevan: University Press, page 268ab
• Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836–1837) “լաւ”, 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 451
• Olsen, Birgit Anette (1999) The noun in Biblical Armenian: origin and word-formation: with special emphasis on the Indo-European heritage (Trends in linguistics. Studies and monographs; 119), Berlin, New York: Mouton de Gruyter, page 70
• Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “լաւ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy