պահրան

Middle Armenian

Etymology

A hapax legomenon found only in Smbat Sparapet and usually translated "pastureland", but this meaning is not certain. Ačaṙyan leaves the origin open. J̌ahukyan compares with Old Armenian հօրան (hōran, “flock of sheep or goats; sheepfold”).

According to Martirosyan, from Old Armenian *պահրան (*pahran), from Middle Iranian *pahran (“pasturing”), from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂-tro- (“guarder, protector, keeper”), from *peh₂- (“to protect”) and cognate with հօրան (hōran).

But perhaps the meaning should be corrected and the word identified with Middle Armenian բուհրան (buhran, “crisis of a disease”), also spelled պուհրան (puhran) and պահրան (pahran), from Arabic بُحْرَان (buḥrān, “crisis, panic”).

Noun

պահրան • (pahran)

1. pastureland (?)
   • 1265, Smbat Sparapet, Datastanagirkʻ [Law Code] 198:

     Եւ զայլ անսնոցն վնասն տեսնուլ պիտի եւ զպահրանն, նոյնպէս և զարծաւղն եւ զսպաննելն և զգնելն անասնոց. եւ զվճար վնասուն ի վերայ այնոր այնեն, որ արծաւղն վճարէ։

     Ew zayl ansnocʻn vnasn tesnul piti ew zpahrann, noynpēs ew zarcawġn ew zspanneln ew zgneln anasnocʻ. ew zvčar vnasun i veray aynor aynen, or arcawġn včarē.

     And when calculating the damage by other animals, one should take into account the pahran, as well as the shepherd and the beating, and the killing of animals; and on this basis the damage must be established, and the shepherd must pay it.