վայ

From Old Armenian վայ (vay). The adverbial usage is a semantic loan from Russian го́ре (góre).

• (Eastern Armenian, standard) IPA^(key): [vɑj]
• (Western Armenian, standard) IPA^(key): [vɑj]

վայ • (vay)

1. cry of distress, woe!; cry of negative amazement

   Վայ, ի՞նչ արեց։ ― Vay, i^?nčʿ arecʿ. ― Oh my, what did he do?

վայ • (vay)

1. a cry of distress, pain or grief, wail
2. (figuratively) woe, sorrow
3. (figuratively) misfortune, disaster, calamity

   Այս ի՜նչ վայ էր, որ եկավ մեր գլխին ― Ays i^!nčʿ vay ēr, or ekav mer glxin ― Oh, what misfortune that befell us!

վայ • (vay)

1. placed before a word to express one's view that something or someone is not worthy of being called as such; so-called, poor excuse for

   վայ-գիտնականներ ― vay-gitnakanner ― so-called scientists

   վայ-քննադատ ― vay-kʿnnadat ― criticaster

Often treated as an inheritance from Proto-Indo-European *wai, with word-initial *w- not yielding the regular Old Armenian գ- (g-) due to the expressive nature of the word (compare the similar problem with Ancient Greek οὐαί (ouaí)).[1][2] But a simpler explanation is the borrowing from the Middle Iranian cognate: compare Middle Persian [Book Pahlavi needed] (wʾd /wāy/), 𐫇𐫀𐫏‎ (wʾy /wāy/), Parthian 𐫇𐫀𐫏‎‎ (wāy), Persian وای‎ (vây, “woe, woe to!”). The Iranian origin would not require ad hoc assumptions.

վայ • (vay)

1. cry of distress, woe! alas! oh! ah!

   վա՛յ քեզ ― váy kʿez ― woe to you!

   վա՛յ ինձ, վա՛յ զիս, վա՛յ զինեւ ― váy inj, váy zis, váy zinew ― woe is me! how unhappy I am!

   վա՛յ քաղաքդ մեծ ― váy kʿałakʿd mec ― woe! woe to the great city!

վայ • (vay)

1. woe, cry of pain or grief, lament, wail, moans

   վայ զվայիւ աղաղակել, ճիչել ― vay zvayiw ałałakel, čičʿel ― to cry bitterly, to wail, to lament aloud, to deplore, to complain

   արդարեւ վայի են արժանի ― ardarew vayi en aržani ― they are truly unhappy

2. disaster, calamity, misfortune

   վայ կարդալ անձին ― vay kardal anjin ― to create misfortunes for oneself

• վայեմ (vayem)
• վայասացութիւն (vayasacʿutʿiwn)
• վայումն (vayumn)

• գայլ (gayl) (perhaps)

• Awetikʿean, G.; Siwrmēlean, X.; Awgerean, M. (1836–1837), “վայ”, 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 197
• Petrosean, H. Matatʿeay V. (1879), “վայ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʿ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Malxaseancʿ, Stepʿan (1944–1945), “վայ”, in Hayerēn bacʿatrakan baṙaran [Armenian Explanatory Dictionary] (in Armenian), Yerevan: State Publishing House
• Ałayan, Ēduard (1976), “վայ”, in Ardi hayereni bacʿatrakan baṙaran [Explanatory Dictionary of Contemporary Armenian] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Hayastan