երախայ

• երեխայ (erexay)

According to Ačaṙyan, the original meaning is an “unbaptized person”; it was used for both children and grown-ups. Later, as it became customary to be baptized in childhood, the word received the sense of a “child”.[1] For the origin he compares Middle Persian [Book Pahlavi needed] (lsyk'), [Book Pahlavi needed] (lhyk'), 𐫡𐫍𐫏𐫃‎ (rhyg /rahīg/), Parthian 𐫡𐫍𐫏𐫃‎ (rhyg /rahīg/, “child; page, servant”), and because these cannot account for Armenian, assumes origin from a hypothetical Classical Syriac *raxā, from which both Armenian and Iranian are borrowed.[1] According to him, the spelling երեխայ (erexay) arose due to the assimilation to the first vowel.[1] Ačaṙyan does not elaborate on the meaning and origin of Classical Syriac *raxā. It should probably be identified with the Semitic etymon of Ancient Greek ῥακά (rhaká), ῥαχά (rhakhá), ῥαχᾶς (rhakhâs), Old Armenian ռակայ (ṙakay, “idiot, fool”): compare Aramaic רֵיקָא‎ (rēqā, “worthless person; profane”), Classical Syriac ܪܝܩܐ‎ (rēqā, “vain thing”),[2] Hebrew רֵיק‎ (rēq, “empty; vain; worthless”). The connection with ռակայ (ṙakay) was made already by Hiwnkʿearpēyēntean.[3] Old Armenian սրիկայ (srikay) is ultimately borrowed from the same Semitic root. Basil describes Ancient Greek ῥακά (rhaká) as "a vernacular word of mild abuse used in the family circle".[4] For the sense development ‘fool’ → ‘child’ see խոխա (xoxa). Alternatively, the sense development is ‘worthless person’ → ‘profane person’ → ‘unbaptized person’ → ‘child’. For the alternation երախայ (eraxay) ~ երեխայ (erexay), compare Ancient Greek ῥαχά (rhakhá) ~ Aramaic רֵיקָא‎ (rēqā).

Iranian rahīg is probably unrelated and rather belongs under Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hrátʰas (“chariot”).[5]

In the above etymologies it is assumed that ե- (e-) is a prothetic vowel added to words starting with ր- (r-), as in եղբայր (ełbayr), երագ (erag), երակ (erak), երախ (erax), երասան (erasan).

See also Արախա (Araxa).

երախայ • (eraxay)

1. (Christianity) unbaptized person; catechumen
2. newborn child; child that cannot yet speak

երախայ • (eraxay)

1. child- or simple-minded, silly

• Armenian: երեխա (erexa), խոխա (xoxa) (possibly)

• Awetikʿean, G.; Siwrmēlean, X.; Awgerean, M. (1836–1837), “երախայ”, in Nor baṙgirkʿ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• J̌ahukyan, Geworg (2010), “երախայ”, in Vahan Sargsyan, editor, Hayeren stugabanakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Asoghik, page 219b
• Petrosean, H. Matatʿeay V. (1879), “երախայ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʿ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy