ճիւ

Old Armenian

Etymology

Ačaṙyan and J̌ahukyan consider the origin of the word unknown.

Martirosyan proposes derivation from Proto-Iranian *čiHwá- (“shank”), attested only in the compound *HastčiHwá-, reconstructed from Avestan 𐬀𐬯𐬗𐬎𐬎𐬀- (ascuua-, “shank”), which Lubotsky connects with Sanskrit अष्ठीवत् (aṣṭhīvát, “shin, shank”), reconstructing Proto-Indo-Iranian *HastčiHwa-, interpreting it as a compound of the word for ‘bone’ (compare Sanskrit अस्थि (asthi)) with a reflex of Proto-Indo-European *(s)kiHu- (“shin”) (compare Russian цевка (cevka), Serbo-Croatian cijev/цијев, Lithuanian šeivà, Old English scīa). If Martirosyan's etymology is correct, Armenian ճիւ (čiw) provides us with the only independent evidence for Proto-Indo-Iranian *čiHwa- (“shank”).

Noun

ճիւ • (čiw)

1. leg; shank

Usage notes

Unattested in Old Armenian outside the compounds երկաճիւ (erkačiw) and մենաճիւ (menačiw).

Derived terms

• երկաճիւ (erkačiw)
• մենաճիւ (menačiw)

Descendants

• Middle Armenian: ճիվ (čiv)
  • Armenian: ճիվ (čiv)

References

• Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “ճիւ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• J̌axǰaxean, Manuēl (1837) “ճիւ”, in Baṙgirkʻ i barbaṙ hay ew italakan [Armenian–Italian Dictionary], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Awgerean, Mkrtičʻ, Čēlalean, Grigor (1865) “ճիւ”, in Aṙjeṙn baṙaran haykaznean lezui [Pocket Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1971–1979) “ճիւ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press
• Martirosyan, Hrach (2005) “On Armenian čiw ‘shank’”, in Iran and the Caucasus‎^[1], volume 9, number 1, pages 81–84
• Lubotsky, Alexander (2002) “The Indo-Iranian Word for ‘shank, shin’”, in Journal of the American Oriental Society‎^[2], volume 122, number 2, pages 318–324