-ավուն
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Armenian[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
- -աւուն (-awun) — traditional orthography
- -ավըին (-avəin) — Maragheh
- -ավան (-avan), -ա̈վա̈ն (-ävän) — Agulis
Etymology[edit]
The origin is unknown. Confined to Eastern dialects, with the earliest attestation in the 17th century.[1] Ačaṙyan remarks that derivation from Old Armenian -ագոյն (-agoyn) (of Iranian origin) is impossible, because no գ (g) → վ (v) sound change is known in the dialects. But perhaps that change occurred within an Iranian language, where such a change is known, and thence was borrowed into Armenian.
Compare also Central Kurdish -ئەوِن (-ewin), forming adjectives from nouns.
Pronunciation[edit]
- (Eastern Armenian, standard) IPA(key): [-ɑvún]
- (Western Armenian, standard) IPA(key): [-ɑvún]
Suffix[edit]
-ավուն • (-avun)
- (dialectal) forming comparatives of adjectives
- էս տղեն էն տղից մենձավուն ա ― ēs tġen ēn tġicʻ menjavun a ― this boy is older than that boy
- (appended to adjectives) somewhat, -ish
- դեղին ― deġin ― yellow
- դեղնավուն ― deġnavun ― yellowish
- քաղցր ― kʻaġcʻr ― sweet
- քաղցրավուն ― kʻaġcʻravun ― sweetish
Usage notes[edit]
Especially common with color names.
Derived terms[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Ačaṙyan, Hračʻya (1952) Liakatar kʻerakanutʻyun hayocʻ lezvi hamematutʻyamb 562 lezuneri [Complete Grammar of the Armenian Language Compared to 562 Languages] (in Armenian), volume I, Yerevan: Academy Press, page 71