Armenian

Noun

թաթ • ‎(tʿatʿ)

1. paw
2. hand; foot
3. scale (either of the pans, trays, or dishes of a balance or scales)

Declension

Synonyms

• (scale): նժար ‎(nžar)

Old Armenian

Etymology

Uncertain. Ačaṙean and Olsen leave the origin open.

J̌ahukyan derives from Proto-Indo-European *teh₂g-t-, enlarged from the root *teh₂g- ‎(“to touch”), whence Latin tangō ‎(“to touch”), etc. Alternatively, according to him we may be dealing with a Lallwort with parallels in Indo-European and non-Indo-European languages.

Noun

թաթ • ‎(tʿatʿ)

1. sole (of the foot); palm (of the hand)

   թաթ ոտից‎ ― tʿatʿ oticʿ ― foot; the sole of the foot

   թաթ կենդանեաց‎ ― tʿatʿ kendaneacʿ ― paw, claw, talon

   թաթ երկաթի‎ ― tʿatʿ erkatʿi ― gauntlet

   • 5th century, Bible, Deuteronomy 28.35

     Հարցէ զքեզ Տէր չարաչար կեղով ի ծունկս եւ ի սրունս, եւ ոչ կարասցես բժշկել ի թաթից ոտից քոց մինչեւ ցգլուխ քո։

     The Lord shall smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head.

   • 5th? century, Movsēs Xorenacʿi, Patmutʿiwn Hayocʿ [History of Armenia] 3.53

     Եւ տեսանէ ոչ ի քուն երազ եւ ոչ յարթնութեան տեսիլ, այլ ի սրտին գործարանի երեւութացեալ հոգւոյն աչաց թաթ ձեռին աջոյ՝ գրելով ի վերայ վիմի […]

     • 1978 translation by Robert W. Thompson

       And he saw not a dream in sleep, not a vision while awake, but in the depths of his heart there appeared to the eyes of his soul a right hand writing on rock […]

   • Čaṙəntir [Miscellanies cited by NHB]

     Առիւծքն թաթիւքն զոտսն մաքրէին [սրբոյն] […]

     The lions were cleaning the feet [of the saint] with paws […]

2. (post-classical) scale (either of the pans, trays, or dishes of a balance or scales)

   թաթ կշռոց‎ ― tʿatʿ kšṙocʿ ― scale

3. (post-classical) pouch of the sling

Declension

Derived terms

Descendants

• Armenian: թաթ ‎(tʿatʿ)
• → Georgian: თათი ‎(tati)
• → Mingrelian: თვათვი ‎(tvatvi)

References

• Petrosean, H. Matatʿeay V. (1879), “թաթ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʿ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Awetikʿean, G.; Siwrmēlean, X.; Awgerean, M. (1836), “թաթ”, in Nor baṙgirkʿ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), volume I, Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 790ab
• Awgerean, Mkrtičʿ (1865), “թաթ”, in Aṙjeṙn baṙaran haykaznean lezui [Pocket Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Armenian), corrected and expanded by Čēlalean, Grigor, 2nd edition, Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 316b
• Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1971), “թաթ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Dictionary of Armenian Root Words] (in Armenian), volume I, 2nd edition, Yerevan: University Press, published 1926–1935, page 137
• J̌ahukyan, Geworg (1987) Hayocʿ lezvi patmutʿyun; naxagrayin žamanakašrǰan [History of the Armenian language: The Pre-Literary Period] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Academy Press, page 409
• 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 940
• J̌ahukyan, Geworg (2010), “թաթ”, in Sargsyan, Vahan, editor, Hayeren stugabanakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Asoghik, ISBN 978-9939-50-121-5, page 253