մշտիկ

An Iranian borrowing: compare Middle Persian [Book Pahlavi needed] (mwšt' /⁠mušt⁠/, “fist”), Persian مشت (mošt, “fist; handful”), Sanskrit मुष्टिका (muṣṭikā, “handful”). For the sense development compare Latin manipulus (“handful, bundle”) and Armenian դաստա (dasta, “bundle”) beside Persian دست (dast, “hand”).

մշտիկ • (mštik)

1. bundle, brush, aspergillum usually made of hyssop or thyme and used for sprinkling liquids

   մշտիկ զոպայի ― mštik zopayi ― bundle of hyssop

2. sponge

• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1977) “մշտիկ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume III, Yerevan: University Press, page 336b
• Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836–1837) “մշտիկ”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ 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, page 195
• Olsen, Birgit Anette (1999) The noun in Biblical Armenian: origin and word-formation: with special emphasis on the Indo-European heritage (Trends in linguistics. Studies and monographs; 119), Berlin, New York: Mouton de Gruyter, page 457
• Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “մշտիկ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy