մութ

From Old Armenian մութ (mutʿ).

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

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մութ • (mutʿ) (superlative ամենամութ)

1. dark; unlit

   Synonym: խավար (xavar)

   մութ անկյուն ― mutʿ ankyun ― a hidden place cut off from life and the world

   մութն ընկնել ― mutʿn ənknel ― to get dark, to become evening

   մութը կոխել / մութը գետինն առնել ― mutʿə koxel / mutʿə getinn aṙnel ― to grow dark, to become night

   մութ մառան ― mutʿ maṙan ― stomach, belly

   մութն ու լուսին / մութն ու լուսուն ― mutʿn u lusin / mutʿn u lusun ― twilight, between night and day

   մթնով ― mtʿnov ― time of darkness, dark times

2. (figuratively) incomprehensible, unknowable; doubtful, uncertain
3. (figuratively) gloomy, dismal, glum

մութ • (mutʿ)

1. darkness

Has the combining form մթն- (mtʿn-), e.g. in մթնոլորտ (mtʿnolort), reflecting Old Armenian մութն (mutʿn).

• մթնել (mtʿnel)

• Ałayan, Ēduard (1976), “մութ”, in Ardi hayereni bacʿatrakan baṙaran [Explanatory Dictionary of Contemporary Armenian] (in Armenian), volume II, Yerevan: Hayastan, page 1037c
• Gabamačean, Simon (1910), “մութ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʿ Hayerēn Lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, Constantinople: R. Sakayan press, page 953b
• Malxaseancʿ, Stepʿan (1944), “մութ”, in Hayerēn bacʿatrakan baṙaran [Armenian Explanatory Dictionary] (in Armenian), volume III, Yerevan: State Publishing House, page 361c
• Ter Xačʿaturean, Artašēs (1992), “մութ”, in Hayocʿ lezui nor baṙaran [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Armenian), volume II, 2nd edition, Beirut: G. Doniguian & Fils, page 229a
• “մութ”, in Žamanakakicʿ hayocʿ lezvi bacʿatrakan baṙaran [Explanatory Dictionary of Contemporary Armenian] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Academy Press, 1974, page 571b

• մութն (mutʿn)

Of unclear origin.

Has been linked with Old Irish mothar (“dark”), German Moder and English mother, mud. Other possible cognates include Latin mūtus (“mute, silent”), Ancient Greek μύω (múō, “to shut (one's eyes)”), Sanskrit मुदिर (mudira, “cloud”), मूत्र (mūtra, “urine”), Avestan 𐬨𐬏𐬚𐬭𐬀‎ (mūθra), ultimately all from Proto-Indo-European *muH-. Compare also Classical Syriac ܥܡܘܛ‎ (ʕmwṭ /ʕammūṭ/, “dark, obscure”).[1][2][3] Olsen considers these comparisons unplausible and proposes instead a connection with the word մուխ (mux, “smoke”), tentatively deriving it from the Proto-Indo-European past participle *(s)mukʰ-to-.[4]

On the other hand, Martirosyan reckons that this word comes from Proto-Indo-European *nókʷts (“night”), with the change *n → m apparently also seen in մագիլ (magil).[5]

մութ • (mutʿ)

1. darkness

մութ • (mutʿ)

1. dark

• Armenian: մութ (mutʿ)

• Awetikʿean, G.; Siwrmēlean, X.; Awgerean, M. (1837), “մութ”, in Nor baṙgirkʿ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), volume II, Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 299b
• Łazarean, Ṙ. S. (2006), “մութ”, in Grabari homanišneri baṙaran [Dictionary of Old Armenian Synonyms], Yerevan: University Press, page 490b
• J̌axǰaxean, Manuēl (1837), “մութ”, in Baṙgirkʿ i barbaṙ hay ew italakan [Armenian–Italian Dictionary], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 1000b
• Petrosean, H. Matatʿeay V. (1879), “մութ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʿ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 485a