գաւակ

The origin is uncertain. Related to the synonymous Georgian გავა (gava). Because of -ակ (-ak), an Iranian origin is suspected. Middle Armenian գաւ-եղ (gaw-eł, “having a large rump”) may preserve the root *գաւ (*gaw), if it is not a misspelling of գաւկեղ (gawkeł).

According to Ačaṙyan, the similarity with Arabic كَفَل‎ (kafal, “rump”) is accidental.

գաւակ • (gawak)

1. rump, hindquarters of a horse or another animal
2. (metonymically, derogatory) human behind, butt

• առոգագաւակ (aṙogagawak)

• Armenian: գավակ (gavak)
  • →? Turkish: kavak
• ⇒ Middle Armenian: գաւկել (gawkel), գաւկեղ (gawkeł)

• Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1971), “գաւակ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), volume I, 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press, page 527
• Awetikʿean, G.; Siwrmēlean, X.; Awgerean, M. (1836–1837), “գաւակ”, in Nor baṙgirkʿ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Awgerean, Mkrtičʿ; Čēlalean, Grigor (1865), “գաւակ”, in Aṙjeṙn baṙaran haykaznean lezui [Pocket Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Bugge, Sophus (1892), “Beiträge zur etymologischen Erläuterung der armenischen Sprache”, in Indogermanische Forschungen (in German), volume 1, pages 445, 454
• Lidén, Evald (1906) Armenische Studien (in German), Göteborg: Wald. Zachrissons, pages 32–33
• Mirianischvili, Pierre (1910), “Sur le rapport mutuel entre le géorgien et l'arménien”, in Revue de Linguistique et de Philologie comparée‎ (in French), volume 43, Paris, page 247 of 233–270
• Pedersen, Holger (1906), “Armenisch und die Nachbarsprachen”, in Zeitschrift für vergleichende Sprachforschung auf dem Gebiete der Indogermanischen Sprachen (in German), volume 39, issue 3, pages 361–362
• Petrosean, H. Matatʿeay V. (1879), “գաւակ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʿ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy