շէն

Etymology

Borrowed from a Middle Iranian word of the form *šēn, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tḱey-m̥no-, from the root *tḱey- (“to cultivate, settle, live”). Akin to Avestan 𐬱𐬀𐬌𐬌𐬀𐬥𐬀‎ (šaiiana, “place of residence”) and Classical Syriac ܫܝܢܐ‎ (šainā), an Iranian borrowing. The Sogdian [script needed] (šyn /šēn/), which is often glossed as “resting place” and adduced as a cognate, in reality means “bed” and is borrowed from Sanskrit शयन (śayana, “bed”), which is from the unrelated root *ḱey- (“to be lying down”).

Noun

շէն • (šēn)

1. inhabited place; village, hamlet; inhabitation

   ոչ միայն շէնս, այլեւ յանշէնս ― očʿ miayn šēns, aylew yanšēns ― not only in inhabited but also in desert places

2. edifice, building

Adjective

շէն • (šēn)

1. peopled, inhabited

   եւ որ շէնն մնասցէ ― ew or šēnn mnascʿē ― and that which shall not be destroyed

2. in good state, prosperous
3. fertile, fruitful
4. happy, gay

References

• Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1971–1979), “շէն”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Dictionary of Armenian Root Words] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, Yerevan: University Press
• Awetikʿean, G.; Siwrmēlean, X.; Awgerean, M. (1836–1837), “շէն”, in Nor baṙgirkʿ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Gharib, B. (1995), “շէն”, in Sogdian dictionary: Sogdian–Persian–English, Tehran: Farhangan Publications, page 379b
• 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 899
• Petrosean, H. Matatʿeay V. (1879), “շէն”, in Nor Baṙagirkʿ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy