# ծղնի
## Armenian
### Etymology

A ghost word found in Norayr's French–Armenian dictionary and from there copied into later dictionaries. In his unfinished Middle Armenian dictionary, Norayr quotes the term in an unpublished passage by a certain Tēr Komitas who probably should be identified with Tēr Komitas Kʻēōmiwrčean (17th c.) of Constantinople, the brother of Eremia Čʻēlēpi Kʻēōmiwrčean.
Likely borrowed from Georgian წყნარი (c̣q̇nari, “calm, peaceful”) or a related word, because of the legend that the halcyons calm the waters, but the details are unclear.

### Pronunciation

* (Eastern Armenian) IPA: /t͡səʁˈni/, [t͡səʁní]
* (Western Armenian) IPA: /d͡zəʁˈni/, [d͡zəʁní]

### Noun

ծղնի • (cġni)
* (rare) kingfisher, halcyon
    Synonyms: ալկիոն (alkion), խոթ (xotʻ)
** 1703, Komitas Kʻēōmiwrčean, On the creedal controversies of 1701–1703 at the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople :Մինչ ծովն ի խաղութեան եւ հանդարտութեան կայ, ոչ երբէք երեւին․ թեւ չունին, ջրայինք, որք լողան ի ջուրս եւ կոչին ծղնիք․ եւ այլազգաբար մարթիMinčʻ covn i xaġutʻean ew handartutʻean kay, očʻ erbēkʻ erewin; tʻew čʻunin, ǰrayinkʻ, orkʻ loġan i ǰurs ew kočʻin cġnikʻ; ew aylazgabar martʻiWhile the sea is at calm, they never appear; they have no wings—the water kinds—which float on water and are called cġni; and in infidel [language called] martı ["gull"].

#### Declension

u-type, animate (Eastern Armenian) :
| | singular | plural |
| nominative | ծղնի (cġni) | ծղնիներ (cġniner) |
| dative | ծղնու (cġnu) | ծղնիների (cġnineri) |
| ablative | ծղնուց (cġnucʻ) | ծղնիներից (cġninericʻ) |
| instrumental | ծղնով, ծղնիով (cġnov, cġniov) | ծղնիներով (cġninerov) |
| locative | — | — |
| | definite forms | definite forms |
| nominative | ծղնին (cġnin) | ծղնիները/ծղնիներն (cġninerə/cġninern) |
| dative | ծղնուն (cġnun) | ծղնիներին (cġninerin) |
| | 1st person possessive forms (my) | 1st person possessive forms (my) |
| nominative | ծղնիս (cġnis) | ծղնիներս (cġniners) |
| dative | ծղնուս (cġnus) | ծղնիներիս (cġnineris) |
| ablative | ծղնուցս (cġnucʻs) | ծղնիներիցս (cġninericʻs) |
| instrumental | ծղնովս, ծղնիովս (cġnovs, cġniovs) | ծղնիներովս (cġninerovs) |
| locative | — | — |
| | 2nd person possessive forms (your) | 2nd person possessive forms (your) |
| nominative | ծղնիդ (cġnid) | ծղնիներդ (cġninerd) |
| dative | ծղնուդ (cġnud) | ծղնիներիդ (cġninerid) |
| ablative | ծղնուցդ (cġnucʻd) | ծղնիներիցդ (cġninericʻd) |
| instrumental | ծղնովդ, ծղնիովդ (cġnovd, cġniovd) | ծղնիներովդ (cġninerovd) |
| locative | — | — |

### References

* ↑ Norayr N. Biwzandacʻi (1882–1884) “alcyon”, in Baṙagirkʻ i gałłierēn lezuē i hayerēn [Dictionnaire français-arménien], Constantinople: A. H. Boyajian Press, page 41a
* ↑ Mēnēvišean, Gabriēl (1897) Patkerazard bnakan patmutʻiwn, A. Kendanabanutʻiwn [Illustrated Natural History: 1. Zoology] (in Armenian), Vienna: Mekhitarist Press, pages 125–126
* ↑ Ġazaryan, Ṙuben (2001) “ալկիոն”, in Kendanineri anunneri hayeren-ṙuseren-latineren kargabanakan baṙaran. Girkʻ B. Tʻṙčʻunner [An Armenian–Russian–Latin Taxonomic Dictionary of Animal Names. Book II. Birds] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, Yerevan: Macmillan Armenia, →ISBN, § 415, page 31
* ↑ Norayr N. Biwzandacʻi (2000) “ծղնի”, in Martiros Minassian, editor, Baṙagirkʻ storin hayerēni i matenagrutʻeancʻ ŽA–ŽĒ darucʻ [Dictionary of Middle Armenian Based on the Literature of 11–17th Centuries]‎, edited from the author's unfinished manuscript written 1884–1915, Geneva: Martiros Minassian, page 325

### Further reading

* Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1973) “ծղնի”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume II, Yerevan: University Press, page 463b, not knowing the origin
* J̌ahukyan, Geworg (2010) “ծղնի”, in Vahan Sargsyan, editor, Hayeren stugabanakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Asoghik, page 365ab, not knowing the origin