Armenian

Noun

կարաս • ‎(karas)

1. large jar, pitcher

Declension

Old Armenian

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.

According to Ačaṙean, possibly a borrowing from a pre-Armenian substrate language, perhaps Urartian or Caucasian. He compares Aghul хӏере́цӏи ‎(ħeréc̣i, “small earthenware mug”), Lak гьарацӏи ‎(harac̣i, “middle-sized earthenware vessel”), Kubachin Dargwa [script needed] ‎(xarac̣e). J̌ahukyan is inclined to the Urartian origin, claiming that the Caucasian words themselves are borrowed from Urartian.

According to Olsen, probably borrowed from the Iranian cognate of Sanskrit कलश ‎(kaláṡa, “waterpot, pitcher, jar”). The Sanskrit word was first connected to Armenian by Scheftelowitz.

Noun

կարաս • ‎(karas)

1. large jar for wine or water, cask, barrel
   • 5th century, Bible, Proverbs 23.27

     Կարաս ծակ է տուն օտար, եւ ջրհոր նեղ՝ օտարոտին։

Declension

Derived terms

• գինեկարաս ‎(ginekaras)
• կարասձագ ‎(karasjag)
• կարասի ‎(karasi)

Descendants

• Armenian: կարաս ‎(karas)
  • Russian: кара́с ‎(karás)
• Georgian: კასრი ‎(ḳasri)

References

• Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1973), “կարաս”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Dictionary of Armenian Root Words] (in Armenian), volume II, 2nd edition, Yerevan: University Press, published 1926–1935, page 546ab
• Awetikʿean, G.; Siwrmēlean, X.; Awgerean, M. (1836), “կարաս”, in Nor baṙgirkʿ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), volume I, Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 1065a
• J̌ahukyan, Geworg (2010), “կարաս”, in Sargsyan, Vahan, editor, Hayeren stugabanakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Asoghik, ISBN 978-9939-50-121-5, page 391a
• Petrosean, H. Matatʿeay V. (1879), “կարաս”, in Nor Baṙagirkʿ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 332a
• Scheftelowitz, J. (1904), “Zur altarmenischen lautgeschichte”, in Beiträge zur kunde der indogermanischen Sprachen (in German), volume 28, page 282