մաղթ

• մախթ (maxtʿ)

Usually considered a borrowing from Ancient Greek μάλθα (máltha, “mixture of wax and pitch used for caulking ships and on writing tablets”),[1][2][3] even though the meanings do not match precisely. The Armenian is not a scholarly borrowing, but is alive in the Hamshen dialect as մախտ (maxt, “a certain tree resin”). Because of this and because the Greek is itself a loanword and has parallels in Eastern languages – Hebrew מֶלֶט‎ (meleṭ), Classical Syriac ܡܠܴܛܳܐ‎ (mlāṭā), Arabic مِلَاط‎ (milāṭ, “mortar”) – we may be dealing with independent borrowings from an unidentified third source.

մաղթ • (małtʿ)

1. the designation of various natural gums and resins, in particular the resin of Ferula galbaniflua (syn. gummosa, galbanum), Ferula assa-foetida (asafoetida), and the մարխ (marx) tree
   • 17th century, Eremia Mełrecʿi, Baṙgirkʿ hayocʿ [Armenian Dictionary] Խ.50:[4]

     Խայտխան եւ ռետին· դեղ վիրի, կամ կատրան, կամ մաղթ։

     Xaytxan ew ṙetin· deł viri, kam katran, kam małtʿ.

   • 1478 – 1492, Amirdovlatʿ Amasiacʿi, Angitacʿ anpēt [Useless for Ignoramuses] :[5]

     Մախթ· որ է խասնի․ հլթիս․ յիշած է։

     Maxtʿ· or ē xasni; hltʿis; yišac ē.

     Maxtʿ = Is the xasni; [and also] the hltʿis [= Arabic حِلْتِيث‎ (ḥiltīṯ)]. It is recorded.

   • 1614 – 1622, Asar Sebastacʿi, Girkʿ bžškakan arhesti [Book of Medical Art] :[6]

     Մաղթ, որ է չարհոտն։

     Małtʿ, or ē čʿarhotn.

   Hypernym: խէժ (xēž)

   Coordinate terms: անգուժատ (angužat), քաղբան (kʿałban), խայծղան (xaycłan), բարգժատ (bargžat), չարհոտ (čʿarhot), ղասնի (łasni), խասնի (xasni), հլթիս (hltʿis), կռէզ (kṙēz), լացուր (lacʿur), դեղ վիրի (deł viri), կատրան (katran), ուպան (upan)

• Armenian: մախտ (maxt)

• Ališan, Łewond (1895), “մաղթ”, in Haybusak kam haykakan busabaṙutʿiwn [Armenian Botany] (in Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, § 1945, pages 412–413
• Asar Sebastacʿi (1993) Girkʿ bžškakan arhesti (XVI—XVII dd.) [Book of Medical Art (16–17th cc.)]‎, preparation of the text, preface and dictionary by D. M. Karapetyan, Yerevan: Academy Press, page 363
• Bedevian, Armenag K. (1936), “F. galbaniflua”, in Illustrated Polyglottic Dictionary of Plant Names, Cairo: Argus & Papazian Presses, § 1610a, page 275
• Łazaryan, Ṙ. S.; Avetisyan, H. M. (2009), “մաղթ”, in Miǰin hayereni baṙaran [Dictionary of Middle Armenian] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, Yerevan: University Press, page 488a
• Norayr N. Biwzandacʿi (1880) Haykakan baṙakʿnnutʿiwn [Armenian Lexicology] (in Armenian), Constantinople: P. Kʿiriščean, pages 25–26
• Norayr N. Biwzandacʿi (2000), “մաղթ”, in Martiros Minassian, editor, Baṙagirkʿ storin hayerēni i matenagrutʿeancʿ ŽA–ŽĒ darucʿ [Dictionary of Middle Armenian Based on the Literature of 11–17th Centuries], edited from the author's unfinished manuscript written 1884–1915, Geneva: Martiros Minassian, pages 482–483
• Scheftelowitz, J. (1905), “Zur altarmenischen lautgeschichte”, in Beiträge zur kunde der indogermanischen Sprachen (in German), volume 29, page 29

From Proto-Indo-European *meldʰ- (“to ask, pray, speak”). Cognate with Lithuanian maldýti (“to implore”), Proto-Slavic *modlìti (“to ask, pray”), Hittite 𒈠𒀀𒀠𒁲 (māldi, “to recite, make a vow”), Proto-West Germanic *melþōn (“to specify; to inform; to accuse”). Martirosyan explains the derivation as Proto-Armenian *maɫ(d)tʰi-, from Proto-Indo-European *ml̥dʰ-ti-, a *-ti-deverbative with a regular zero-grade of *meldʰ-.

մաղթ • (małtʿ)

1. prayer, supplication

• Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1971–1979), “մաղթ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press
• Awetikʿean, G.; Siwrmēlean, X.; Awgerean, M. (1836–1837), “մաղթ”, in Nor baṙgirkʿ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Martirosyan, Hrach (2010) Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 8), Leiden, Boston: Brill, page 445
• Petrosean, H. Matatʿeay V. (1879), “մաղթ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʿ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy