ագան

The origin is uncertain. The original meaning may be “early”, hence անագան (anagan, “not early”), and related to այգ (ayg).

ագան • (agan)

1. diligent, zealous (of a pupil, child)

The word is attested only once, in a late medieval song: Զի սիրելի իցես մարդկան,/ Լե՛ր յուսանելդ մանուկ ագան.

• Petrosean, H. Matatʿeay V. (1879), “ագան”, in Nor Baṙagirkʿ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Awetikʿean, G.; Siwrmēlean, X.; Awgerean, M. (1836–1837), “ագան”, in Nor baṙgirkʿ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1971–1979), “ագան”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Dictionary of Armenian Root Words] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press
• Martirosyan, Hrach (2010), “agan”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 8), Leiden, Boston: Brill, page 3