Etymology
Together with the synonymous Old Georgian ხარჭი (xarč̣i) borrowed from Middle Iranian *harč, attested as the first part of the Sassanian title for the chief eunuch / head of the harem – Middle Persian 𐭠𐭫𐭰𐭯𐭲 (ʾlcpt /arzbed/), Classical Syriac ܐܪܙܒܕ (ˀrzbd /arzbed/), Persian هرزهبد (hrzhbd /harzbad, harzbed/),[1] Arabic هرزبد (hrzbd),[2] هرجبد (harjbad)[3] – formed with -pt' (/-bed/, “lord, master”) and literally meaning "woman-master, person in charge of women".[4][5][6][7][8][9] First etymologized by Asatrian (apud Tafazzoli 1990). According to Asatrian the Middle Iranian word is cognate with Avestan 𐬵𐬁𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬱𐬍 (hāirišī, “woman”).
For a less likely Northeast Caucasian origin see Old Georgian ხარჭი (xarč̣i).
Noun
հարճ • (harč)
- concubine
5th century,
Bible,
Genesis 22.24:
- Եւ հարճն նորին որոյ էր անուն Ռեէմա, ծնաւ եւ նա զՏաբեկ եւ զԳաամ եւ զՏոքոս եւ զՄովքա:
- Ew harčn norin oroy ēr anun Ṙeēma, cnaw ew na zTabek ew zGaam ew zTokʻos ew zMovkʻa:
- And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.
Declension
More information singular, plural ...
|
singular |
|
plural |
| nominative |
հարճ (harč) |
հարճք (harčkʻ) |
| genitive |
հարճի (harči) |
հարճից (harčicʻ) |
| dative |
հարճի (harči) |
հարճից (harčicʻ) |
| accusative |
հարճ (harč) |
հարճս (harčs) |
| ablative |
հարճէ (harčē) |
հարճից (harčicʻ) |
| instrumental |
հարճիւ (harčiw) |
հարճիւք (harčiwkʻ) |
| locative |
հարճի (harči) |
հարճս (harčs) |
Close
Derived terms
- հարճորդէգիր (harčordēgir)
- հարճորդի (harčordi)
- հարճութիւն (harčutʻiwn)
Descendants
- → Armenian: հարճ (harč) (learned)
References
attested in the Arabic rendering of the Shahnameh by Bundārī made in 620 A.H. attested in Al-Tabari, emended from the corrupt form هرجيد (hrjyd) Tafazzoli, Ahmad (1990) “An Unrecognized Sasanian Title”, in Bulletin of the Asia Institute, volume 4, pages 301–305 Asatryan, Gaṙnik (1997) “Baṙakʻnnakan-stugabanakan ētyudner V [Lexical–etymological studies V]”, in G. Asatryan, editor, Iran-namē : Arewelagitakan handēs [Iran-nameh : Armenian Journal of Oriental Studies] (in Armenian), numbers 26–27–28, Yerevan, page 37 Lerner, Judith A., Skjærvø, Prods Oktor (2006) “The Seal of a Eunuch in the Sasanian Court”, in Journal of Inner Asian Art and Archaeology, volume 1, →DOI, page 115 of 113–118 Macuch, Maria (2014) “The Case against Mār Abā, the Catholicos, in the Light of Sasanian Law”, in ARAM, volume 26, numbers 1–2, page 48 of 47–58
Further reading
- Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1977) “հարճ”, 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, pages 60–61
- Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836–1837) “հարճ”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
- Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “հարճ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
