# հարճ
## Armenian
### Etymology

Learned borrowing from Old Armenian հարճ (harč).

### Pronunciation

* (Eastern Armenian) IPA: /hɑɾt͡ʃ/, [hɑɾt͡ʃ]
* (Western Armenian) IPA: /hɑɾd͡ʒ/, [hɑɾd͡ʒ]

### Noun

հարճ • (harč)
* concubine

#### Declension
## Old Armenian
### 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/), Arabic هرزبد (hrzbd), هرجبد (harjbad) – formed with -pt' (/⁠-bed⁠/, “lord, master”) and literally meaning "woman-master, person in charge of women". First etymologized by Asatrian (apud Tafazzoli 1990). According to Asatrian the Middle Iranian word is cognate with Avestan 𐬵𐬁𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬱𐬍 (hā$^i$rišī, “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.

#### Derived terms

* հարճորդէգիր (harčordēgir)
* հարճորդի (harčordi)
* հարճութիւն (harčutʻiwn)

#### Descendants

* → Armenian: հարճ (harč) (learned)

### References

* ↑ attested in Shahnameh as a manuscript variant of هیربد (hyrbd)
* ↑ 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
* ↑ Shapur Shahbazi, A. (2003) “Harem i. In Ancient Iran”, in Encyclopædia Iranica, online edition, New York
* ↑ 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
* ↑ Gignoux, Philippe (2009) “Syriac Language ii. Syriac Writings on Pre-Islamic Iran”, in Encyclopædia Iranica, online edition, New York
* ↑ 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