վիզ

Etymology

From Old Armenian վիզ (viz).

Pronunciation

• (Eastern Armenian) IPA^(key): [viz]

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

վիզ • (viz)

1. neck
2. (rare) isthmus

Etymology

Usually considered a word of unknown origin, but according to J̌ahukyan and Bailey this is an Iranian borrowing. Compare Avestan 𐬥𐬌𐬎𐬎𐬌𐬰𐬀𐬌𐬙𐬌‎ (niuuizaiti, “attach”), from the base *viz-, *vaez- (“to attach, bind”), which goes back to Proto-Indo-European *weyǵ(ʰ)- and is cognate with Lithuanian výžti (“to plait”), Russian вязать (vjazatʹ), Warungu winsus (“neck”); ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wey- (“to turn”): the neck is the “turning limb”.

On the other hand, Martirosyan tentatively suggests a common substrate origin for վիզ (viz), օձիք (ōjikʿ), dialectal խզ- (xz-), խուզ- (xuz-) and Ancient Greek αὐχήν (aukhḗn).

Noun

վիզ • (viz)

1. neck

   վիզ ամբառնալ ― viz ambaṙnal ― to become rebellious, proud, insubordinate

References

• Petrosean, H. Matatʿeay V. (1879), “վիզ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʿ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Awetikʿean, G.; Siwrmēlean, X.; Awgerean, M. (1836–1837), “վիզ”, in Nor baṙgirkʿ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1971–1979), “վիզ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Dictionary of Armenian Root Words] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, Yerevan: University Press
• J̌ahukyan, Geworg (2010), “վիզ”, in Vahan Sargsyan, editor, Hayeren stugabanakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Asoghik, page 711a
• Bailey, H. W. (1979), “vīysānvā”, in Dictionary of Khotan Saka, Cambridge, London, New York, Melbourne: Cambridge University press, page 387b
• Martirosyan, Hrach (2010), “awji-k‘”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 8), Leiden, Boston: Brill, page 154