# բահ
## Armenian
### Etymology

Inherited from Old Armenian բահ (bah). Doublet of պել (pel).

### Pronunciation

* (Eastern Armenian) IPA: /bɑh/, [bɑh]
* (Western Armenian) IPA: /pɑh/, [pʰɑh]
* Audio (Eastern Armenian):(file)

### Noun

բահ • (bah)
* spade, shovel
    Synonym: լապատկա (lapatka) (colloquial, proscribed)

#### Derived terms

* բահակոթ (bahakotʻ)
* բահակտրուկ (bahaktruk)
* բահաձեւ (bahajew)
* բահափոր (bahapʻor)
* բահաքենջ (bahakʻenǰ)
* բահել (bahel)
* բահքերիկ (bahkʻerik)

## Old Armenian
### Etymology

Simplified from earlier *բարհ (*barh) (like in մահ (mah), զոհ (zoh), պահ (pah), կահ (kah), ահ (ah)), an Iranian borrowing, ultimately from Proto-Iranian *bádHr̥.
The Caucasian descendants may have been borrowed from Iranian without Armenian mediation.

### Noun

բահ • (bah)
* spade, shovel; hoe
** 5th century, Agatʻangełos, Patmutʻiwn Hayocʻ [History of the Armenians] :Արդ՝ առեալ թագաւորին փայտատ եւ բահ՝ հատանէր զդիրս հանգստոցաց սրբոցն իւրաքանչիւր ըստ չափու արկեղացն։Ard, aṙeal tʻagaworin pʻaytat ew bah, hatanēr zdirs hangstocʻacʻ srbocʻn iwrakʻančʻiwr əst čʻapʻu arkełacʻn.

#### Declension

post-classical

#### Derived terms

* բահաւոր (bahawor)

#### Descendants

* Armenian: բահ (bah)
* →? Abkhaz: абаҳа (abaḥa)
* →? Budukh: бар (bar)
* →? Chechen: баьхьа (bäḥʳa), бахьа (baḥʳa), бахь (baḥʳ), бехье (beḥʳe), бехьа (beḥʳa) — dialectal
* →? Ingush: бахьа (baḥʳa)
* →? Lezgi: пер (per)
* →? Old Georgian: ბარი (bari)
** Georgian: ბარი (bari)
*** → Bats: ბარ (bar)
*** → Bezhta: бари (bari)
*** → Laz: ბარი (bari)
*** → Mingrelian: ბარი (bari)
*** → Svan: ბა̈რ (bär)

### References

* ↑ Gershevitch, Ilya (1962) “Outdoor terms in Iranian”, in W. B. Henning, E. Yarshater, editors, A locust’s leg: Studies in honour of S. H. Taqizadeh‎, London: Percy Lund, Humphries & Co. Ltd, pages 78–79
* ↑ Bailey, H. W. (1970) “A Range of Iranica”, in Mary Boyce, Ilya Gershevitch, editors, W.B. Henning memorial volume‎, London: Lund Humphries, page 31
* ↑ Bailey, H. W. (1975) “Excursus Iranocaucasicus”, in Monumentum H. S. Nyberg I (Acta Iranica; 4)‎, Leiden: Brill, page 32 of 31–35
* ↑ Bailey, H. W. (1979) Dictionary of Khotan Saka, Cambridge, London, New York, Melbourne: Cambridge University press, page 240b

### Further reading

* Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1973) “բահ”, 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, pages 392–393
* Ačaṙyan, Hračʻya (1940) Hayocʻ lezvi patmutʻyun [History of the Armenian Language] (in Armenian), volume I, Yerevan: University Press, pages 40–41
* Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836) “բահ”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), volume I, Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 425b
* J̌ahukyan, Geworg (2010) “բահ”, in Vahan Sargsyan, editor, Hayeren stugabanakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Asoghik, page 113b
* J̌axǰaxean, Manuēl (1837) “բահ”, in Baṙgirkʻ i barbaṙ hay ew italakan [Armenian–Italian Dictionary], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 280c
* Nikolaev, Sergei L., Starostin, Sergei A. (1994) “*bV̆χ_V”, in A North Caucasian Etymological Dictionary‎, Moscow: Asterisk Publishers
* Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “բահ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 88b