ձագի դեղ

Old Armenian

FWOTD – 21 July 2020

ձագի դեղ – Melissa officinalis

Etymology

From a post-classical genitive of ձագ (jag, “young of an animal; in modern dialects also swarm of bees”) + դեղ (deł, “herb”). For the sense development compare Turkish oğul otu (“lemon balm”), from oğul (“son; descendant; swarm of bees”) and ot (“grass, herb”). Note that the plant's scientific name Melissa is derived from the Greek word meaning "honeybee", owing to the abundance of nectar in the flower. See also ձագախոտ (jagaxot).

Noun

ձագի դեղ • (jagi deł)

1. lemon balm, Melissa officinalis
   • 9th or 10th century, with changes and additions in later centuries, Tʻargmanutʻiwn dełocʻ zor əntrel en imastasērkʻn ew kargeal yayl lezuacʻ [A Medieval Arabic–Armenian Botanical Dictionary] :

     Աթրունջան՝ ձագի դեղ (var. ձագի տեղ)։

     Atʻrunǰan, jagi deł (var. jagi teł).

     التُّرُنْجَان (at-turunjān) = jagi deł

Further reading

• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1977) “ձագ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume III, Yerevan: University Press, page 141a
• Ališan, Ġewond (1895) “ձագի դեղ”, in Haybusak kam haykakan busabaṙutʻiwn (in Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, § 1763, page 381