# բալախ
## Armenian
### Alternative forms

* փալախ (pʻalax, “a kind of soft field grass used in making grass-ropes”) — Alashkert, Bulanık, Ararat, Mush
* բալախ (balax, “a kind of soft field grass”) — Mush, normalized “classicizing” spelling
* բալախ (balax, “a kind of sedge-like grass growing in swamps”) — unspecified dialectal, normalized “classicizing” spelling
* փալախոտ (pʻalaxot, “a kind of soft thin grass used for stuffing trekhs to keep the feet warm in the winter”) — Bitlis
* փալախ խոտ (pʻalax xot, “a kind of soft thin grass used for stuffing trekhs to keep the feet warm in the winter”) — Ararat, Ṙštunikʿ, Khoy, Mush, Alashkert, formed with խոտ (xot)

### Etymology

From Middle Armenian բալախ (balax), from Old Armenian բալախ (balax).

### Pronunciation

* (Eastern Armenian) IPA: /bɑˈlɑχ/, [bɑlɑ́χ]
* (Western Armenian) IPA: /pɑˈlɑχ/, [pʰɑlɑ́χ]
* Audio (Eastern Armenian):(file)

### Noun

բալախ • (balax)
* glasswort (Salicornia), especially common glasswort (Salicornia europaea)
    Synonyms: ասփուշ (aspʻuš), մոմիկ (momik), աղաբույս (aġabuys)

#### Derived terms

* ձարաբալախ (jarabalax)
* բալախ եվրոպական (balax evropakan), բալախ խոտանման (balax xotanman, “common glasswort, Salicornia europaea”)

#### Descendants

* → Azerbaijani: palax, balağ
* → Northern Kurdish: pelax, palax, palaxe
* → Turkish: palaḫ, palak, palağ
* → Zazaki: palax

#### See also

* խաճին (xačin)

### Further reading

* Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1913) “բալախ”, in Hayerēn gawaṙakan baṙaran [Armenian Provincial Dictionary] (Ēminean azgagrakan žoġovacu; 9) (in Armenian), Tiflis: Lazarev Institute of Oriental Languages, pages 164b, 1061a
* Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1971) “բալախ”, 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, pages 387–388
* Ališan, Ġewond (1895) “բալախ”, in Haybusak kam haykakan busabaṙutʻiwn [Armenian Botany] (in Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, § 278, pages 74–75
* Amatuni, Sahak (1912) “փալախ”, in Hayocʻ baṙ u ban [Armenian Words and Idioms] (in Armenian), Vagharshapat: Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, page 647a
* Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836) “բալախ”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), volume I, Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 423b
* Ayvazyan H. M. et al., editors (2006), “բալախ”, in Hayastani bnašxarh [Nature of Armenia] (Əntanekan hanragitaran matenašar; 3) (in Armenian), Yerevan: Armenian Encyclopaedia, page 215a
* Caturyan, Tʻ. G. (1970) “Salicornia”, in Astvacatryan Z. A., editor, Buyseri anunneri latineren-hayeren-ṙuseren baṙaran [Latin–Armenian–Russian Dictionary of Plant Names], 2nd edition, Yerevan: University Press, § 1074, page 101
* Ġazaryan, Ṙuben (1981) “բալախ”, in Busanunneri hayeren-latineren-ṙuseren-angleren-franseren-germaneren baṙaran [Armenian–Latin–Russian–English–French–German Dictionary of Plant Names], Yerevan: University Press, § 130, page 15b
* Ṙewazova, L. V., Musayelyan, M. S. (1997) “Salicornia europaea”, in Gabrielyan Ē. Cʻ., editor, Deġatu buyseri anunneri latineren-ṙuseren-hayeren baṙaran [Latin–Russian–Armenian Dictionary of Medicinal Plant Names], Yerevan: Yerevan State Medical University, § 817, page 97b
* Sargsyan, Artem et al., editors (2010), “փալախոտ”, in Hayocʻ lezvi barbaṙayin baṙaran [Dialectal Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Armenian), volume VI, Yerevan: Hayastan, page 332

## Middle Armenian
### Etymology

From Old Armenian բալախ (balax).

### Noun

բալախ • (balax)
* common glasswort (Salicornia europaea)
** 1478 – 1492, Amirdovlatʻ Amasiacʻi, Angitacʻ anpēt [Useless for Ignoramuses] :Բալախ· որ է օշնան․ եւ յիշած է ի վերայ այբին իւր համարն, Աստուծով։Balax· or ē ōšnan; ew yišac ē i veray aybin iwr hamarn, Astucov.Balax — which is the ōšnan; it is mentioned under its number at [the letter] ayb, with God.

#### Derived terms

* բալախահակ (balaxahak)

#### Descendants

* Armenian: բալախ (balax)
** → Azerbaijani: palax, balağ
** → Northern Kurdish: pelax, palax, palaxe
** → Turkish: palaḫ, palak, palağ
** → Zazaki: palax

### Further reading

* Ališan, Ġewond (1895) “բալախ”, in Haybusak kam haykakan busabaṙutʻiwn [Armenian Botany] (in Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, § 278, pages 74–75
* Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1971) “բալախ”, 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, pages 387–388
* Vardanjan, Stella (1990) Амирдовлат Амасиаци, Ненужное для неучей (in Russian), Moscow: Nauka, pages 87, 593

## Old Armenian
### Etymology 1

The origin is uncertain. Ačaṙyan derived from Georgian ბალახი (balaxi, “grass”), and this is usually followed by later Armenian sources. On the other hand, Klimov / Xalilov derive the Georgian word itself from Armenian.

#### Noun

բալախ • (balax)
* common glasswort (Salicornia europaea)
** Varkʻ srbocʻ harancʾ [Paterica] II.540:Ոչխարն առնու ճարակ ի խոտոյ անտի զբարիոք դալարիս, ապա եւ ճարակի զբալախ անապատի․ եւ յորժամ խոստանայ ի փշոց անտի, որոճայ զդալարին եւ քաղցրանայ բերան իւր, եւ դադարէ թոյնք փշոցն։Očʻxarn aṙnu čarak i xotoy anti zbariokʻ dalaris, apa ew čaraki zbalax anapati; ew yoržam xostanay i pʻšocʻ anti, oročay zdalarin ew kʻałcʻranay beran iwr, ew dadarē tʻoynkʻ pʻšocʻn.

##### Descendants

* Middle Armenian: բալախ (balax)
** Armenian: բալախ (balax)
*** → Azerbaijani: palax, balağ
*** → Northern Kurdish: pelax, palax, palaxe
*** → Turkish: palaḫ, palak, palağ
*** → Zazaki: palax

#### Further reading

* Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1971) “բալախ”, 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, pages 387–388
* Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836) “բալախ”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), volume I, Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 423b
* Bläsing, Uwe (1992) Armenisches Lehngut im Türkeitürkischen am Beispiel von Hemşin (Dutch Studies in Armenian Language and Literature; 2) (in German), Amsterdam and Atlanta: Rodopi, § 101, pages 64–65
* Dankoff, Robert (1995) Armenian Loanwords in Turkish (Turcologica; 21), Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, § 41, page 24
* J̌ahukyan, Geworg (2010) “բալախ²”, in Vahan Sargsyan, editor, Hayeren stugabanakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Asoghik, page 112
* Klimov, G. A., Xalilov, M. Š. (2003) Словарь кавказских языков. Сопоставление основной лексики [Dictionary of Caucasian Languages. A comparison of the Basic Vocabulary] (in Russian), Moscow: Vostochnaya Literatura, →ISBN, pages 218, 221
* Ġazarean, Ṙubēn (2000) “բալախ²”, in G. B. Tʻosunean, editor, Grabari baṙaran [Dictionary of Old Armenian] (in Armenian), volume I, Yerevan: University Press, page 251a

### Etymology 2

The origin is unknown. Compare dialectal Azerbaijani palax, yeryapalağı (“short”).

#### Adjective

բալախ • (balax)
* worthless, light, contemptible
    Synonym: սնոտի (snoti)
** 5th century, Ephrem the Syrian, Meknutʻiwn Awetarani hamabarbaṙ , (1836 edition, page 93):Զոր օրինակ ոչ էր նա եղէգն բալախ, և ոչ հանդերձ փափկութան զգեցեալ էր։Zor ōrinak očʻ ēr na ełēgn balax, ew očʻ handerj pʻapʻkutʻan zgecʻeal ēr.

##### Usage notes

In the only attested passages the adjective refers to bread (alluding to Numbers 21:5 in the Bible) and to a reed.

### References

* ↑ Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1971) “բալախ”, 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 387ab
* ↑ J̌ahukyan, Geworg (2010) “բալախ”, in Vahan Sargsyan, editor, Hayeren stugabanakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Asoghik, page 112b