հարճ

Armenian

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Old Armenian հարճ (harč).

Pronunciation

Noun

հարճ • (harč)

  1. concubine

Declension

Old Armenian

Etymology

Together with the synonymous Old Georgian ხარჭი (xarč̣i) borrowed from Middle Iranian *harč, attested as the first part of the Sassanian title for the chief eunuch / head of the harem – Middle Persian 𐭠‎𐭫𐭰𐭯𐭲‎ (ʾ‎lcpt /arzbed/), Classical Syriac ܐܪܙܒܕ‎ (ˀrzbd /arzbed/), Persian هرزهبد‎ (hrzhbd /harzbad, harzbed/),[1] Arabic هرزبد‎ (hrzbd),[2] هرجبد‎ (harjbad)[3] – formed with -pt' (/-bed/, “lord, master”) and literally meaning "woman-master, person in charge of women".[4][5][6][7][8][9] First etymologized by Asatrian (apud Tafazzoli 1990). According to Asatrian the Middle Iranian word is cognate with Avestan 𐬵𐬁𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬱𐬍‎ (hāirišī, “woman”).

For a less likely Northeast Caucasian origin see Old Georgian ხარჭი (xarč̣i).

Noun

հարճ • (harč)

  1. concubine
    • 5th century, Bible, Genesis 22.24:
      Եւ հարճն նորին որոյ էր անուն Ռեէմա, ծնաւ եւ նա զՏաբեկ եւ զԳաամ եւ զՏոքոս եւ զՄովքա:
      Ew harčn norin oroy ēr anun Ṙeēma, cnaw ew na zTabek ew zGaam ew zTokʿos ew zMovkʿa:
      And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.

Declension

Derived terms

  • հարճորդէգիր (harčordēgir)
  • հարճորդի (harčordi)
  • հարճութիւն (harčutʿiwn)

Descendants

  • → Armenian: հարճ (harč) (learned)

References

  1. attested in Shahnameh as a manuscript variant of هیربد‎ (hyrbd)
  2. attested in the Arabic rendering of the Shahnameh by Bundārī made in 620 A.H.
  3. attested in Al-Tabari, emended from the corrupt form هرجيد (hrjyd)
  4. Tafazzoli, Ahmad (1990), “An Unrecognized Sasanian Title”, in Bulletin of the Asia Institute‎, volume 4, pages 301–305
  5. Asatryan, Gaṙnik (1997), “Baṙakʿnnakan-stugabanakan ētyudnerV [Lexical–etymological studies V]”, in G. Asatryan, editor, Iran-namē : Arewelagitakan handēs [Iran-nameh : Armenian Journal of Oriental Studies]‎ (in Armenian), issue 26–27–28, Yerevan, page 37
  6. Shapur Shahbazi, A. (2003), “Harem i. In Ancient Iran”, in Encyclopædia Iranica, online edition‎, New York
  7. Lerner, Judith A.; Skjærvø, Prods Oktor (2006), “The Seal of a Eunuch in the Sasanian Court”, in Journal of Inner Asian Art and Archaeology‎, volume 1, →DOI, page 115 of 113–118
  8. Gignoux, Philippe (2009), “Syriac Language ii. Syriac Writings on Pre-Islamic Iran”, in Encyclopædia Iranica, online edition‎, New York
  9. Macuch, Maria (2014), “The Case against Mār Abā, the Catholicos, in the Light of Sasanian Law”, in ARAM‎, volume 26, issue 1–2, page 48 of 47–58

Further reading

  • Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1977), “հարճ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), volume III, 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press, pages 60–61
  • Awetikʿean, G.; Siwrmēlean, X.; Awgerean, M. (1836–1837), “հարճ”, in Nor baṙgirkʿ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
  • Petrosean, H. Matatʿeay V. (1879), “հարճ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʿ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
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