-եայ

Old Armenian

Etymology

From the stem vowel -ի (-i) and the element -այ (-ay), which is probably of the same origin as the genitive-dative ending of a-declension nouns. Later contaminated with Classical Syriac ܝܐ- (-āyāʾ, “masculine gentilic suffix”) in borrowings such as հրեայ (hreay), քաղդեայ (kʻałdeay) and the Iranian ending in borrowings such as աշտեայ (ašteay), դժնեայ (džneay).

Suffix

-եայ • (-eay)

1. made or consisting of; -en

   մետաքս ― metakʻs ― silk

   մետաքսեայ ― metakʻseay ― silken

   եղէգն ― ełēgn ― cane, reed

   եղեգնեայ ― ełegneay ― made of cane

   երեք ամ ― erekʻ am ― three years

   երեքամեայ ― erekʻameay ― consisting of three years

2. belonging to some group

   պաշտօն ― paštōn ― office, position, employment

   պաշտօնեայ ― paštōneay ― clerk, official, minister

   փախուստ ― pʻaxust ― flight, escape

   փախստեայ ― pʻaxsteay ― fugitive

   քրիստոնեայ ― kʻristoneay ― Christian

   հրեայ ― hreay ― Jew

Declension

i-type

	singular		plural
nominative	-եայ (-eay)		-եայք (-eaykʻ)
genitive	-էի (-ēi)		-էից (-ēicʻ)
dative	-էի (-ēi)		-էից (-ēicʻ)
accusative	-եայ (-eay)		-եայս (-eays)
ablative	-էէ (-ēē)		-էից (-ēicʻ)
instrumental	-էիւ (-ēiw)		-էիւք (-ēiwkʻ)
locative	-էի (-ēi)		-եայս (-eays)

Derived terms

Old Armenian terms suffixed with -եայ

Descendants

• Armenian: -յա (-ya)

References

• Gočanean, Pōġos (2011) Dasakan grabari gorcnakan kʻerakanutʻiwn [Practical Grammar of Classical Old Armenian]‎^[1] (in Armenian), Vienna and Yerevan: Mekhitarist Press, page 68
• J̌ahukyan, Geworg (1998) “-եայ”, in Hin hayereni verǰacancʻneri cagumə [The Origin of Old Armenian Suffixes] (Hayocʻ lezvi hamematakan kʻerakanutʻyan harcʻer; 2) (in Armenian), Yerevan: Anania Širakacʻi, pages 5–48