-զան

An Iranian borrowing: compare Parthian 𐫉𐫗𐫃‎‎ (zng‎ /zanag/), Middle Persian 𐫉𐫗𐫃‎‎ (zng‎ /zanag/, “kind, sort”). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-Iranian *ȷ́ánHas. The derivatives գեղազանակ (gełazanak) and զանազանակ (zanazanak) may contain *-զանակ (*-zanak) borrowed wholly from Iranian rather than formed in Armenian with -ակ (-ak). The word զանակ (zanak, “piece of gold or silver”) may be of the same origin.

-զան • (-zan)

1. -like, type, kind

Among the derivatives, զանազան (zanazan) may be the only old one.

• Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1973), “զան”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Dictionary of Armenian Root Words] (in Armenian), volume II, 2nd edition, reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press, page 78ab
• Awetikʿean, G.; Siwrmēlean, X.; Awgerean, M. (1836–1837), “զան”, in Nor baṙgirkʿ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Hübschmann, Heinrich (1897) Armenische Grammatik. 1. Theil: Armenische Etymologie (in German), Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, pages 148–149
• Djahukian, G. B. (1993), “The Armenian Suffixes of Iranian Origin”, in Bela Brogyanyi and Reiner Lipp, editors, Comparative-historical linguistics: Indo-European and Finno-Ugric. Papers in honor of Oswald Szemerényi III (Current issues in linguistic theory; 79), Amsterdam, Philadelphia: John Benjamins, page 265
• Nyberg, H. S. (1974) A Manual of Pahlavi, Part II: Glossary, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, page 229a