# ախազ
## Armenian
### Etymology

A Turkic borrowing: compare Karachay-Balkar агъаз (ağaz), Southern Altai агас (agas), Mamluk-Kipchak اق اص (aq as), Armeno-Kipchak ախ աս (ax as), Tatar акас (aqas, “ermine”), whence also Moksha акась (akaś). These literally mean "white weasel" or "white stoat" and contain the native Turkic words for "white" (compare Turkish ak) and "a kind of weasel" (compare Turkish as, Karakhanid ااز (āz)). For more on Turkic see Sevortjan, who does not mention the Armenian.

### Pronunciation

* (Eastern Armenian) IPA: /ɑˈχɑz/, [ɑχɑ́z]
* (Western Armenian) IPA: /ɑˈχɑz/, [ɑχɑ́z]
* Audio (Eastern Armenian):(file)

### Noun

ախազ • (axaz) (Ardeal)
* ermine
    Synonym: կնգում (kngum)
** completed 1731, Stefanus Roszka, Armenian–Latin Dictionary , (quoting from an unknown work abbreviated as Kʻaġ.):Նմանին ողջախոհք ախազաց, որք թողուն զինքեանս ըմբռնիլ յորսորդաց, քան թէ շաղախիլNmanin oġǰaxohkʻ axazacʻ, orkʻ tʻoġun zinkʻeans əmbṙnil yorsordacʻ, kʻan tʻē šaġaxilTranslation by Hrach MartirosyanThe righteous (people) resemble ermines, which prefer to let themselves be caught by hunters rather than to sin
* ermine-fur
    Synonym: կնգմենի (kngmeni)
** 1636, Simēon Lehacʻi, Ułegrutʻiwn [Travel Accounts] :Եւ ասին թէ ԺԵ Մսրայ խազնայի չափ զարար եղեւ․ զէրպապչիք, խամղալաթցիք, աթլազ-քամխացիք, պահարչիք, չուխաչիք․ քանի հարիւր խանութ սօֆչիք, խալի, քիլիմ, ապրշում եւ քանի հարիւր թօբ սամուր սարտաւայ, սինճաբ, ախազ, աղվես, եւ այլ ազգ եւ ազգ թույալաթEw asin tʻē ŽE Msray xaznayi čʻapʻ zarar eġew; zērpapčʻikʻ, xamġalatʻcʻikʻ, atʻlaz-kʻamxacʻikʻ, paharčʻikʻ, čʻuxačʻikʻ; kʻani hariwr xanutʻ sōfčʻikʻ, xali, kʻilim, apršum ew kʻani hariwr tʻōb samur sartaway, sinčab, axaz, aġves, ew ayl azg ew azg tʻuyalatʻTranslation by George A. BournoutianThey said that treasuries were lost which equaled fifteen Egyptian treasuries, golden brocades, other fine brocades, fine atlas, spices, felt cloaks, several hundred stores with wool, carpets, kilims, silk, several thousand bales of camel fur, sable, squirrel skins, ermine, fox and other various furs.

#### Declension

i-type, inanimate (Eastern Armenian) :
| | singular | plural |
| nominative | ախազ (axaz) | ախազներ (axazner) |
| dative | ախազի (axazi) | ախազների (axazneri) |
| ablative | ախազից (axazicʻ) | ախազներից (axaznericʻ) |
| instrumental | ախազով (axazov) | ախազներով (axaznerov) |
| locative | ախազում (axazum) | ախազներում (axaznerum) |
| | definite forms | definite forms |
| nominative | ախազը/ախազն (axazə/axazn) | ախազները/ախազներն (axaznerə/axaznern) |
| dative | ախազին (axazin) | ախազներին (axaznerin) |
| | 1st person possessive forms (my) | 1st person possessive forms (my) |
| nominative | ախազս (axazs) | ախազներս (axazners) |
| dative | ախազիս (axazis) | ախազներիս (axazneris) |
| ablative | ախազիցս (axazicʻs) | ախազներիցս (axaznericʻs) |
| instrumental | ախազովս (axazovs) | ախազներովս (axaznerovs) |
| locative | ախազումս (axazums) | ախազներումս (axaznerums) |
| | 2nd person possessive forms (your) | 2nd person possessive forms (your) |
| nominative | ախազդ (axazd) | ախազներդ (axaznerd) |
| dative | ախազիդ (axazid) | ախազներիդ (axaznerid) |
| ablative | ախազիցդ (axazicʻd) | ախազներիցդ (axaznericʻd) |
| instrumental | ախազովդ (axazovd) | ախազներովդ (axaznerovd) |
| locative | ախազումդ (axazumd) | ախազներումդ (axaznerumd) |

### References

* ↑ Norayr N. Biwzandacʻi (2000) “ախազ”, 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 14
* ↑ Akinean, H. N., editor (1936), Simēon dpri Lehacʻwoy uġegrutʻiwn, taregrutʻiwn ew yišatakarankʻ (Azgayin matenadaran; 141), Vienna: Mekhitarist Press, page 381
* ↑ Bournoutian, George A. (2007) The Travel Accounts of Simēon of Poland (Armenian Studies Series; 10)‎, Costa Mesa, California: Mazda Publishers, page 311

### Further reading

* Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1971) “ախազ”, 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, page 96b, unknown origin
* Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836–1837) “ախազ”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
* Ġazaryan, Ṙuben, Avetisyan, Henrik (2009) “ախազ”, in Miǰin hayereni baṙaran [Dictionary of Middle Armenian] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, Yerevan: University Press, page 20a
* Martirosyan, Hrach (2010) “axaz”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 8), Leiden and Boston: Brill, page 16, offering an incorrect etymology
* Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “ախազ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
* Sevortjan, E. V. (1974) Etimologičeskij slovarʹ tjurkskix jazykov [Etymological Dictionary of Turkic Languages] (in Russian), volume I, Moscow: Nauka, pages 191–192