ծաւի

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Old Armenian

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Ačaṙean leaves the origin open. He asks rhetorically, whether a connection with the North Caucasian word for “sky” is possible: compare Lak ссав (s:aw, sky), Avar зоб (zob, sky), Dargwa зубри (zubri, sky), Aghul зав (zav, sky), Tabasaran дзав (dzav), Lezgi цав (cav, sky). Starostin and Nikolayev reconstruct Proto-North Caucasian *ʒǝ̆wɨ̆ (sky) for these. For the sense development “sky” → “sky-colored” → “blue” compare երկնագույն (erknaguyn).

According to J̌ahukyan, this is perhaps an ablaut grade of ծով (cov, sea) +‎ (-i), with a sense development “sea-colored” → “blue”. For such a development compare Arabic ماء (māʔ, water) vs مَائِيّ (māʔiyy, aqua blue), English aqua and the like.

Adjective

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ծաւի (cawi)

  1. (of a person) blue-eyed
  2. (of eyes) pleasant blue

Descendants

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  • Armenian: ծավի (cavi)

References

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