# մեղեխ
## Armenian
### Etymology

Learned borrowing from Old Armenian մեղեխ (mełex).

### Pronunciation

* (Eastern Armenian) IPA: /meˈʁeχ/, [meʁéχ]
* (Western Armenian) IPA: /meˈʁeχ/, [meʁéχ]
* Hyphenation: մե‧ղեխ

### Noun

մեղեխ • (meġex)
* (archaic, literary) handle of an axe, adze or a similar tool
* (archaic, literary) mace (weapon)
    Synonym: լախտ (laxt)

#### Declension

i-type, inanimate (Eastern Armenian) :
| | singular | plural |
| nominative | մեղեխ (meġex) | մեղեխներ (meġexner) |
| dative | մեղեխի (meġexi) | մեղեխների (meġexneri) |
| ablative | մեղեխից (meġexicʻ) | մեղեխներից (meġexnericʻ) |
| instrumental | մեղեխով (meġexov) | մեղեխներով (meġexnerov) |
| locative | մեղեխում (meġexum) | մեղեխներում (meġexnerum) |
| | definite forms | definite forms |
| nominative | մեղեխը/մեղեխն (meġexə/meġexn) | մեղեխները/մեղեխներն (meġexnerə/meġexnern) |
| dative | մեղեխին (meġexin) | մեղեխներին (meġexnerin) |
| | 1st person possessive forms (my) | 1st person possessive forms (my) |
| nominative | մեղեխս (meġexs) | մեղեխներս (meġexners) |
| dative | մեղեխիս (meġexis) | մեղեխներիս (meġexneris) |
| ablative | մեղեխիցս (meġexicʻs) | մեղեխներիցս (meġexnericʻs) |
| instrumental | մեղեխովս (meġexovs) | մեղեխներովս (meġexnerovs) |
| locative | մեղեխումս (meġexums) | մեղեխներումս (meġexnerums) |
| | 2nd person possessive forms (your) | 2nd person possessive forms (your) |
| nominative | մեղեխդ (meġexd) | մեղեխներդ (meġexnerd) |
| dative | մեղեխիդ (meġexid) | մեղեխներիդ (meġexnerid) |
| ablative | մեղեխիցդ (meġexicʻd) | մեղեխներիցդ (meġexnericʻd) |
| instrumental | մեղեխովդ (meġexovd) | մեղեխներովդ (meġexnerovd) |
| locative | մեղեխումդ (meġexumd) | մեղեխներումդ (meġexnerumd) |

### Further reading

* Aġayan, Ēduard (1976) “մեղեխ”, in Ardi hayereni bacʻatrakan baṙaran [Explanatory Dictionary of Contemporary Armenian] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Hayastan
* Barseġyan, Hovhannes (1973) “մեղեխ”, in Hayeren uġġagrakan-uġġaxosakan, terminabanakan baṙaran [Armenian Orthographic–Orthoepic Terminological Dictionary] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Luys
* Sukʻiasyan, A. M. (1967) “մեղեխ”, in Aġayan Ē. B., Sewak G. G., editors, Hayocʻ lezvi homanišneri baṙaran [Dictionary of Armenian Synonyms] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Academy Press

## Old Armenian
### Etymology

The origin is uncertain. Martirosyan proposes derivation from Proto-Armenian *meɫ(i) (“ash-tree”) which he relates to Ancient Greek μελία (melía, “manna ash, Fraxinus ornus; ashen spear”); both may be regarded as a Mediterranean substrate word or a shared innovation based on Proto-Indo-European *mélid (“honey”), because there is a connection in mythology between honey and ash-trees. J̌ahukyan with reservation derives մեղեխ (mełex) from Proto-Indo-European *melh₂- (“to grind, crush”) (compare Russian мо́лот (mólot, “hammer”)) and Urartian 𒄭 (-ḫe, -ḫi- /⁠-ḫə⁠/, “suffix denoting appurtenance, belonging, pertaining, or of a thing”), hence a thing from an ash-tree or a thing of grinding or crushing; a club or cudgel.
Compare also Northern Kurdish melexan (“scythe, pruning hook”), Central Kurdish مەڵەغان (melleẍan, “scythe”) and مەڵغە (mellẍe, “lever”).

### Noun

մեղեխ • (mełex)
* handle of an axe
    մեղեխ արկանել ― mełex arkanel ― to put a handle to, to set in a handle; to haft
    հանել զմեղեխ ― hanel zmełex ― to take off the handle, to take out of the handle; to unhaft
* (post-Classical) mace (weapon)

#### Descendants

* → Armenian: մեղեխ (meġex)

### References

* ↑ Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1971–1979) “մեղեխ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press
* ↑ J̌ahukyan, Geworg (2010) “մեղեխ”, in Vahan Sargsyan, editor, Hayeren stugabanakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Asoghik
* ↑ Martirosyan, Hrach (2010) Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 8), Leiden and Boston: Brill, page 460
* ↑ J̌ahukyan, Geworg (1987) Hayocʻ lezvi patmutʻyun; naxagrayin žamanakašrǰan [History of the Armenian language: The Pre-Literary Period]‎ (in Armenian), Yerevan: Academy Press, pages 355, 438
* ↑ Chyet, Michael L. (2003) “melexan”, in Kurdish–English Dictionary‎, with selected etymologies by Martin Schwartz, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, page 370b
* ↑ Hejar (1990) “مەڵەغان”, in Henbane borîne‎, Tehran: Soroush, page 833
* ↑ Hejar (1990) “مەڵغە”, in Henbane borîne‎, Tehran: Soroush, page 833
* ↑ Mukriyanî, Gîw (1999) “مەڵغە”, in Ferhengî kurdistan [Kurdistan dictionary], Erbil: Aras, page 854

### Further reading

* Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836–1837) “մեղեխ”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
* Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “մեղեխ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy