ոչինչ

Armenian

Alternative forms

• վոչինչ (vočʻinčʻ) — 1922–1940 reformed orthography

Etymology

From Old Armenian ոչինչ (očʻinčʻ). The additional senses are a semantic loan from Russian ничего́ (ničevó).

Pronunciation

• (Eastern Armenian) IPA^(key): /voˈt͡ʃʰint͡ʃʰ/, [vot͡ʃʰínt͡ʃʰ]
• (Western Armenian) IPA^(key): /voˈt͡ʃint͡ʃ/, [vot͡ʃʰínt͡ʃʰ]
• Hyphenation: ո‧չինչ

Pronoun

ոչինչ • (očʻinčʻ)

1. nothing

   նա ոչինչ չգիտի ― na očʻinčʻ čʻgiti ― he knows nothing

2. (colloquial) so-so, not bad, pretty

   — Ո՞նց ես։ — Ոչինչ, լավ եմ։

   — O^?ncʻ es. — Očʻinčʻ, lav em.

   How're you? Not bad.

3. (colloquial) never mind!; that's all right!; no problem!

Declension

i-type, inanimate (Eastern Armenian)

	singular (singulare tantum)
nominative	ոչինչ (očʻinčʻ)
dative	ոչնչի (očʻnčʻi)
ablative	ոչնչից (očʻnčʻicʻ)
instrumental	ոչնչով (očʻnčʻov)
locative	ոչնչում (očʻnčʻum)
	definite forms
nominative	ոչինչը/ոչինչն (očʻinčʻə/očʻinčʻn)
dative	ոչնչին (očʻnčʻin)
	1st person possessive forms (my)
nominative	ոչինչս (očʻinčʻs)
dative	ոչնչիս (očʻnčʻis)
ablative	ոչնչիցս (očʻnčʻicʻs)
instrumental	ոչնչովս (očʻnčʻovs)
locative	ոչնչումս (očʻnčʻums)
	2nd person possessive forms (your)
nominative	ոչինչդ (očʻinčʻd)
dative	ոչնչիդ (očʻnčʻid)
ablative	ոչնչիցդ (očʻnčʻicʻd)
instrumental	ոչնչովդ (očʻnčʻovd)
locative	ոչնչումդ (očʻnčʻumd)

Further reading

• Pisowicz, Andrzej (2019) “A short phrase book of the Stepanakert variant of the Karabagh dialect”, 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), Leuven: Peeters, page 251