Arménienkarmir, sogdienkrmʾyret hébreukarmīl« rouge

Bibliographic Data

ID2773752
AuthorsAgnes Korn (0000-0003-0302-6751, Mondes Iranien et Indien, corresponding author)
Year2016
Volume79
Issue1
Pages1-22
Publication date2016-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0041-977X • E-ISSN: 1474-0699
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0041977x15000968
OpenAlexW2281491924
LanguageFR
Citations received2
References cited24

Armeniankarmir"red" has often been considered as deriving from East Iranian, thus speaking in favour of relations between Armenian and Sogdian, a Middle Iranian language spoken at considerable distance from Armenia. For the origin of Hebrewkarmīl, on the other hand, a Middle Persian "karmīr" has been suggested. In either case, the etymology would be Proto-Indo-European*ku̯ṛ́mi-"worm" (be it directly or as a borrowing from Sanskritkṛ́mi-) from which the colour term would be derived in a way parallel to Frenchvermeil"scarlet" fromver"worm", thus a term referring to a red dye obtained from scale insects (cochineals). I argue thatkarmīris not a Middle Persian word for "red", that Sogdian is unlikely to be the source of the Armenian and Hebrew words, and that an Indian origin is not probable either because of the specific features of the Indian scale insect dye. Conversely, Armenian scarlet was widely known and appreciated already in antiquity, so that, for historical as well as linguistic reasons, the origin of the word is likely to be an Iranian language within the region where Armenian was spoken

Ancient history · Archaeology · Armenian · Etymology · Hebrew · Linguistics · Middle East · Persian · Sanskrit · Classics · Eurasian Exchange Networks · History · Medicinal plant effects and applications · Philosophy

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