բալախ

From Middle Armenian բալախ (balax), from Old Armenian բալախ (balax).

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

• Audio (Eastern Armenian)

  (file)

բալախ • (balax)

1. glasswort (Salicornia), especially common glasswort (Salicornia europaea)

   Synonyms: ասփուշ (aspʻuš), մոմիկ (momik), աղաբույս (aġabuys)

• ձարաբալախ (jarabalax)
• բալախ եվրոպական (balax evropakan), բալախ խոտանման (balax xotanman, “common glasswort, Salicornia europaea”)

• խաճին (xačin)

• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1913) “բալախ”, in Hayerēn gawaṙakan baṙaran [Armenian Provincial Dictionary] (Ēminean azgagrakan žoġovacu; 9) (in Armenian), Tiflis: Lazarev Institute of Oriental Languages, pages 164b, 1061a
• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1971) “բալախ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume I, Yerevan: University Press, pages 387–388
• Ališan, Ġewond (1895) “բալախ”, in Haybusak kam haykakan busabaṙutʻiwn [Armenian Botany] (in Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, § 278, pages 74–75
• Amatuni, Sahak (1912) “փալախ”, in Hayocʻ baṙ u ban [Armenian Words and Idioms] (in Armenian), Vagharshapat: Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, page 647a
• Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836) “բալախ”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), volume I, Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 423b
• Ayvazyan H. M. et al., editors (2006), “բալախ”, in Hayastani bnašxarh [Nature of Armenia] (Əntanekan hanragitaran matenašar; 3) (in Armenian), Yerevan: Armenian Encyclopaedia, page 215a
• Caturyan, Tʻ. G. (1970) “Salicornia”, in Astvacatryan Z. A., editor, Buyseri anunneri latineren-hayeren-ṙuseren baṙaran [Latin–Armenian–Russian Dictionary of Plant Names], 2nd edition, Yerevan: University Press, § 1074, page 101
• Ġazaryan, Ṙ. S. (1981) “բալախ”, in Busanunneri hayeren-latineren-ṙuseren-angleren-franseren-germaneren baṙaran [Armenian–Latin–Russian–English–French–German Dictionary of Plant Names], Yerevan: University Press, § 130, page 15b
• Ṙewazova, L. V., Musayelyan, M. S. (1997) “Salicornia europaea”, in Gabrielyan Ē. Cʻ., editor, Deġatu buyseri anunneri latineren-ṙuseren-hayeren baṙaran [Latin–Russian–Armenian Dictionary of Medicinal Plant Names], Yerevan: Yerevan State Medical University, § 817, page 97b
• Sargsyan, Artem et al., editors (2010), “փալախոտ”, in Hayocʻ lezvi barbaṙayin baṙaran [Dialectal Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Armenian), volume VI, Yerevan: Hayastan, page 332

From Old Armenian բալախ (balax).

բալախ • (balax)

1. common glasswort (Salicornia europaea)
   • 1478 – 1492, Amirdovlatʻ Amasiacʻi, Angitacʻ anpēt [Useless for Ignoramuses] :

     Բալախ· որ է օշնան․ եւ յիշած է ի վերայ այբին իւր համարն, Աստուծով։

     Balax· or ē ōšnan; ew yišac ē i veray aybin iwr hamarn, Astucov.

     Balax — which is the ōšnan; it is mentioned under its number at [the letter] ayb, with God.

• բալախահակ (balaxahak)

• Armenian: բալախ (balax)

• Ališan, Ġewond (1895) “բալախ”, in Haybusak kam haykakan busabaṙutʻiwn [Armenian Botany] (in Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, § 278, pages 74–75
• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1971) “բալախ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume I, Yerevan: University Press, pages 387–388
• Vardanjan, Stella (1990) Амирдовлат Амасиаци, Ненужное для неучей (in Russian), Moscow: Nauka, pages 87, 593

The origin is uncertain. Ačaṙyan derived from Georgian ბალახი (balaxi, “grass”), and this is usually followed by later Armenian sources. On the other hand, Klimov / Xalilov derive the Georgian word itself from Armenian.

բալախ • (balax)

1. common glasswort (Salicornia europaea)
   • Varkʻ srbocʻ harancʾ [Paterica] II.540:

     Ոչխարն առնու ճարակ ի խոտոյ անտի զբարիոք դալարիս, ապա եւ ճարակի զբալախ անապատի․ եւ յորժամ խոստանայ ի փշոց անտի, որոճայ զդալարին եւ քաղցրանայ բերան իւր, եւ դադարէ թոյնք փշոցն։

     Očʻxarn aṙnu čarak i xotoy anti zbariokʻ dalaris, apa ew čaraki zbalax anapati; ew yoržam xostanay i pʻšocʻ anti, oročay zdalarin ew kʻałcʻranay beran iwr, ew dadarē tʻoynkʻ pʻšocʻn.

• Middle Armenian: բալախ (balax)
  • Armenian: բալախ (balax) (see there for more dialectal forms)
    • → Azerbaijani: palax, balağ
    • → Northern Kurdish: pelax, palax, palaxe
    • → Turkish: palaḫ, palak, palağ
    • → Zazaki: palax

• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1971) “բալախ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume I, Yerevan: University Press, pages 387–388
• Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836) “բալախ”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), volume I, Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 423b
• Bläsing, Uwe (1992) Armenisches Lehngut im Türkeitürkischen am Beispiel von Hemşin (Dutch Studies in Armenian Language and Literature; 2) (in German), Amsterdam and Atlanta: Rodopi, § 101, pages 64–65
• Dankoff, Robert (1995) Armenian Loanwords in Turkish (Turcologica; 21), Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, § 41, page 24
• J̌ahukyan, Geworg (2010) “բալախ²”, in Vahan Sargsyan, editor, Hayeren stugabanakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Asoghik, page 112
• Klimov, G. A., Xalilov, M. Š. (2003) Словарь кавказских языков. Сопоставление основной лексики [Dictionary of Caucasian Languages. A comparison of the Basic Vocabulary] (in Russian), Moscow: Vostochnaya Literatura, →ISBN, pages 218, 221
• Ġazarean, Ṙ. S. (2000) “բալախ²”, in Tʻosunean G. B., editor, Grabari baṙaran [Dictionary of Old Armenian] (in Armenian), volume I, Yerevan: University Press, page 251a

The origin is unknown.[1][2] Compare dialectal Azerbaijani palax, yeryapalağı (“short”).

բալախ • (balax)

1. worthless, light, contemptible

   Synonym: սնոտի (snoti)

   • 5th century, Ephrem the Syrian, Meknutʻiwn Awetarani hamabarbaṙ , (1836 edition, page 93):

     Զոր օրինակ ոչ էր նա եղէգն բալախ, և ոչ հանդերձ փափկութան զգեցեալ էր։

     Zor ōrinak očʻ ēr na ełēgn balax, ew očʻ handerj pʻapʻkutʻan zgecʻeal ēr.

In the only attested passages the adjective refers to bread (alluding to Numbers 21:5 in the Bible) and to a reed.