բալախ

Armenian

Alternative forms

recorded dialectal forms and meanings

• փալախ (pʻalax, “a kind of soft field grass used in making grass-ropes”)
• բալախ (balax, “a kind of soft field grass”) (normalized “classicizing” spelling)
• բալախ (balax, “a kind of sedge-like grass growing in swamps”) (normalized “classicizing” spelling)
• փալախոտ (pʻalaxot) , փալախ խոտ (pʻalax xot, “a kind of soft thin grass used for stuffing trekhs to keep the feet warm in the winter”) (formed with խոտ (xot))

Etymology

From Middle Armenian բալախ (balax), from Old Armenian բալախ (balax).

Pronunciation

• (Eastern Armenian) IPA^(key): /bɑˈlɑχ/, [bɑlɑ́χ]
• (Western Armenian) IPA^(key): /pɑˈlɑχ/, [pʰɑlɑ́χ]

Noun

բալախ • (balax)

1. glasswort (Salicornia), especially common glasswort ()

   Synonyms: ասփուշ (aspʻuš), մոմիկ (momik), աղաբույս (aġabuys)

Declension

i-type, inanimate (Eastern Armenian)

	singular	plural
nominative	բալախ (balax)	բալախներ (balaxner)
dative	բալախի (balaxi)	բալախների (balaxneri)
ablative	բալախից (balaxicʻ)	բալախներից (balaxnericʻ)
instrumental	բալախով (balaxov)	բալախներով (balaxnerov)
locative	բալախում (balaxum)	բալախներում (balaxnerum)
	definite forms
nominative	բալախը/բալախն (balaxə/balaxn)	բալախները/բալախներն (balaxnerə/balaxnern)
dative	բալախին (balaxin)	բալախներին (balaxnerin)
	1st person possessive forms (my)
nominative	բալախս (balaxs)	բալախներս (balaxners)
dative	բալախիս (balaxis)	բալախներիս (balaxneris)
ablative	բալախիցս (balaxicʻs)	բալախներիցս (balaxnericʻs)
instrumental	բալախովս (balaxovs)	բալախներովս (balaxnerovs)
locative	բալախումս (balaxums)	բալախներումս (balaxnerums)
	2nd person possessive forms (your)
nominative	բալախդ (balaxd)	բալախներդ (balaxnerd)
dative	բալախիդ (balaxid)	բալախներիդ (balaxnerid)
ablative	բալախիցդ (balaxicʻd)	բալախներիցդ (balaxnericʻd)
instrumental	բալախովդ (balaxovd)	բալախներովդ (balaxnerovd)
locative	բալախումդ (balaxumd)	բալախներումդ (balaxnerumd)

Derived terms

• ձարաբալախ (jarabalax)
• բալախ եվրոպական (balax evropakan), բալախ խոտանման (balax xotanman, “common glasswort, ”)

See also

• խաճին (xačin)

Further reading

• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1913) “բալախ”, in Hayerēn gawaṙakan baṙaran [Armenian Provincial Dictionary] (Ēminean azgagrakan žoġovacu; 9) (in Armenian), Tiflis: Lazarev Institute of Oriental Languages, pages 164b, 1061a
• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1971) “բալախ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume I, Yerevan: University Press, pages 387–388
• Ališan, Ġewond (1895) “բալախ”, in Haybusak kam haykakan busabaṙutʻiwn [Armenian Botany] (in Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, § 278, pages 74–75
• Amatuni, Sahak (1912) “փալախ”, in Hayocʻ baṙ u ban [Armenian Words and Idioms] (in Armenian), Vagharshapat: Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, page 647a
• Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836) “բալախ”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), volume I, Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 423b
• Ayvazyan H. M. et al., editors (2006), “բալախ”, in Hayastani bnašxarh [Nature of Armenia] (Əntanekan hanragitaran matenašar; 3) (in Armenian), Yerevan: Armenian Encyclopaedia, page 215a
• Caturyan, Tʻ. G. (1970) “Salicornia”, in Astvacatryan Z. A., editor, Buyseri anunneri latineren-hayeren-ṙuseren baṙaran [Latin–Armenian–Russian Dictionary of Plant Names], 2nd edition, Yerevan: University Press, § 1074, page 101
• Ġazaryan, Ṙ. S. (1981) “բալախ”, in Busanunneri hayeren-latineren-ṙuseren-angleren-franseren-germaneren baṙaran [Armenian–Latin–Russian–English–French–German Dictionary of Plant Names], Yerevan: University Press, § 130, page 15b
• Ṙewazova, L. V., Musayelyan, M. S. (1997) “Salicornia europaea”, in Gabrielyan Ē. Cʻ., editor, Deġatu buyseri anunneri latineren-ṙuseren-hayeren baṙaran [Latin–Russian–Armenian Dictionary of Medicinal Plant Names], Yerevan: Yerevan State Medical University, § 817, page 97b
• Sargsyan, Artem et al., editors (2010), “փալախոտ”, in Hayocʻ lezvi barbaṙayin baṙaran [Dialectal Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Armenian), volume VI, Yerevan: Hayastan, page 332

---

Middle Armenian

Etymology

From Old Armenian բալախ (balax).

Noun

բալախ • (balax)

1. common glasswort ()
   • 1478 – 1492, Amirdovlatʻ Amasiacʻi, Angitacʻ anpēt [Useless for Ignoramuses] :

     Բալախ· որ է օշնան․ եւ յիշած է ի վերայ այբին իւր համարն, Աստուծով։

     Balax· or ē ōšnan; ew yišac ē i veray aybin iwr hamarn, Astucov.

     Balax — which is the ōšnan; it is mentioned under its number at [the letter] ayb, with God.

Derived terms

• բալախահակ (balaxahak)

Descendants

• Armenian: բալախ (balax)

Further reading

• Ališan, Ġewond (1895) “բալախ”, in Haybusak kam haykakan busabaṙutʻiwn [Armenian Botany] (in Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, § 278, pages 74–75
• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1971) “բալախ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume I, Yerevan: University Press, pages 387–388
• Vardanjan, Stella (1990) Амирдовлат Амасиаци, Ненужное для неучей (in Russian), Moscow: Nauka, pages 87, 593

---

Old Armenian

Etymology 1

The origin is uncertain. Ačaṙyan derived from Georgian ბალახი (balaxi, “grass”), and this is usually followed by later Armenian sources. On the other hand, Klimov / Xalilov derive the Georgian word itself from Armenian.

Noun

բալախ • (balax)

1. common glasswort ()
   • Varkʻ srbocʻ harancʾ [Paterica] II.540:

     Ոչխարն առնու ճարակ ի խոտոյ անտի զբարիոք դալարիս, ապա եւ ճարակի զբալախ անապատի․ եւ յորժամ խոստանայ ի փշոց անտի, որոճայ զդալարին եւ քաղցրանայ բերան իւր, եւ դադարէ թոյնք փշոցն։

     Očʻxarn aṙnu čarak i xotoy anti zbariokʻ dalaris, apa ew čaraki zbalax anapati; ew yoržam xostanay i pʻšocʻ anti, oročay zdalarin ew kʻałcʻranay beran iwr, ew dadarē tʻoynkʻ pʻšocʻn.

Declension

unknown type

	singular		plural
nominative	բալախ (balax)		բալախք (balaxkʻ)
genitive	?		?
dative	?		?
accusative	բալախ (balax)		բալախս (balaxs)
ablative	?		?
instrumental	?		?
locative	?		բալախս (balaxs)
the oblique cases are not attested

Descendants

• Middle Armenian: բալախ (balax)
  • Armenian: բալախ (balax) (see there for more dialectal forms)
    • → Azerbaijani: palax, balağ
    • → Northern Kurdish: pelax, palax, palaxe
    • → Turkish: palaḫ, palak, palağ, palax
    • → Zazaki: palax

Further reading

• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1971) “բալախ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume I, Yerevan: University Press, pages 387–388
• Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836) “բալախ”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), volume I, Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 423b
• Bläsing, Uwe (1992) Armenisches Lehngut im Türkeitürkischen am Beispiel von Hemşin (Dutch Studies in Armenian Language and Literature; 2) (in German), Amsterdam and Atlanta: Rodopi, § 101, pages 64–65
• Dankoff, Robert (1995) Armenian Loanwords in Turkish (Turcologica; 21), Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, § 41, page 24
• J̌ahukyan, Geworg (2010) “բալախ²”, in Vahan Sargsyan, editor, Hayeren stugabanakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Asoghik, page 112
• Klimov, G. A., Xalilov, M. Š. (2003) Словарь кавказских языков. Сопоставление основной лексики [Dictionary of Caucasian Languages. A comparison of the Basic Vocabulary] (in Russian), Moscow: Vostochnaya Literatura, →ISBN, pages 218, 221
• Ġazarean, Ṙ. S. (2000) “բալախ²”, in Tʻosunean G. B., editor, Grabari baṙaran [Dictionary of Old Armenian] (in Armenian), volume I, Yerevan: University Press, page 251a

Etymology 2

The origin is unknown. Compare dialectal Azerbaijani palax, yeryapalağı (“short”).

Adjective

բալախ • (balax)

2. worthless, light, contemptible

   Synonym: սնոտի (snoti)

   • 5th century, Ephrem the Syrian, Meknutʻiwn Awetarani hamabarbaṙ , (1836 edition, page 93):

     Զոր օրինակ ոչ էր նա եղէգն բալախ, և ոչ հանդերձ փափկութան զգեցեալ էր։

     Zor ōrinak očʻ ēr na ełēgn balax, ew očʻ handerj pʻapʻkutʻan zgecʻeal ēr.

Usage notes

In the only attested passages the adjective refers to bread (alluding to Numbers 21:5 in the Bible) and to a reed.