հաստ

Etymology

From Old Armenian հաստ (hast).

Pronunciation

• (Eastern Armenian, standard) IPA^(key): [hɑst]

Adjective

հաստ • (hast) (superlative ամենահաստ)

1. thick

   հաստ գիրք ― hast girkʿ ― thick book

2. dense

Etymology

Connected with Proto-Germanic *fastuz (“fixed, firm, secure”), possibly also Sanskrit पस्त्य n (pastyá, “stall, stable ← stable habitation”), पस्त्या f (pastyā́, “homestead, dwelling, household”), and usually derived from Proto-Indo-European *pastV- (“solid, stable”). Kroonen separates the Sanskrit and reconstructs the Proto-Indo-European root for Armenian and Germanic as *pHst-; see *fastuz for more on this.

However, Martirosyan writes: "In view of the limited distribution (see also Salmons apud Mallory/Adams 1997: 204b) and the vowel *-a-, we are hardly dealing with a Proto-Indo-European word. One may posit a European substrate word shared by Armenian, Germanic, possibly also Indo-Aryan. In view of the semantics of the Germanic and Indic cognates, as well as that of Armenian հաստատեմ (hastatem, “to affirm, assert, reinforce; to build, found, set up, settle, establish a dwelling place”), one may posit a substratum technical term with an original meaning ‘foundation, settlement, fortified dwelling place, fortress’".

Adjective

հաստ • (hast) indeclinable

1. firm, steady, standing still, tough
2. (dialectal) thick, dense, broad

Noun

հաստ • (hast)

1. firmness, the standing still, strength

   կալ ի հաստի ― kal i hasti ― to stand firm

   ի հաստոջ պահել ― i hastoǰ pahel ― to hold fast

   ի հաստոջ ունել ― i hastoǰ unel ― to preserve, to keep

References

• Petrosean, H. Matatʿeay V. (1879), “հաստ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʿ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Awetikʿean, G.; Siwrmēlean, X.; Awgerean, M. (1836–1837), “հաստ”, in Nor baṙgirkʿ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1977), “հաստ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Dictionary of Armenian Root Words] (in Armenian), volume III, 2nd edition, Yerevan: University Press, page 49ab
• Pokorny, Julius (1959), “pasto-”, in Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume III, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 789
• Mallory, J. P.; Adams, D. Q., editors (1997) Encyclopedia of Indo-European culture, London, Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, page 204b
• Olsen, Birgit Anette (1999) The noun in Biblical Armenian: origin and word-formation: with special emphasis on the Indo-European heritage (Trends in linguistics. Studies and monographs; 119), Berlin, New York: Mouton de Gruyter, page 201
• Martirosyan, Hrach (2010) Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 8), Leiden, Boston: Brill, page 390