Armenian

Adjective

փոքր • ‎(pʿokʿr) ‎(superlative ամենափոքր)

1. small, little

   փոքր շուն‎ ― pʿokʿr šun ― little dog

   փոքր մեքենա‎ ― pʿokʿr mekʿena ― small car

2. younger, junior

   փոքր եղբայր‎ ― pʿokʿr ełbayr ― younger brother

Declension

Antonyms

• մեծ ‎(mec)

Adverb

փոքր • ‎(pʿokʿr)

1. little

Old Armenian

Etymology

The stem is փոքու- ‎(pʿokʿu-). Traditionally ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂w- ‎(“few, little”). The formal difficulties are explained by the "expressive" nature of the word and by dissimilatory and assimilatory changes. For the -ք- ‎(-kʿ-) compare the Latin cognate paucus.

Adjective

փոքր • ‎(pʿokʿr)

1. little, small; few; inconsiderable, trifling; minor

   փոքր ինչ, փոքր մի‎ ― pʿokʿr inčʿ, pʿokʿr mi ― somewhat, a little

   փոքու իմն‎ ― pʿokʿu imn ― in few; almost

   յետ փոքու, զկնի փոքու ինչ, յետ փոքր ինչ‎ ― yet pʿokʿu, zkni pʿokʿu inčʿ, yet pʿokʿr inčʿ ― shortly after, in a short time, shortly

   ի փոքուստ‎ ― i pʿokʿust ― from small matters

   ի փոքուն‎ ― i pʿokʿun ― in small things

   ի փոքուստ/փոքրուստ‎ ― i pʿokʿust/pʿokʿrust ― in infancy, yet young

   փոքր փոքր, առ փոքր փոքր, ըստ փոքու փոքու, առ ի փոքր փոքր‎ ― pʿokʿr pʿokʿr, aṙ pʿokʿr pʿokʿr, əst pʿokʿu pʿokʿu, aṙ i pʿokʿr pʿokʿr ― by little and little, little by little, by degrees, insensibly

   փոքր մի յառաջ‎ ― pʿokʿr mi yaṙaǰ ― shortly before

   փոքր մի եւս՝ եւ, փոքր միւս եւս, փոքր ինչ՝ եւ‎ ― pʿokʿr mi ews, ew, pʿokʿr miws ews, pʿokʿr inčʿ, ew ― little was wanting, there was little wanting to, almost, nearly

   փոքր միւս եւս եւ անկանէի‎ ― pʿokʿr miws ews ew ankanēi ― I was very near falling in

   փոքր մի եւս սասանեալ էին ոտք իմ‎ ― pʿokʿr mi ews sasaneal ēin otkʿ im ― my feet were near sliding

   փոքր ինչ համարել, վարկանիլ, փոքր իմն թուիլ յաչս‎ ― pʿokʿr inčʿ hamarel, varkanil, pʿokʿr imn tʿuil yačʿs ― to hold as trifles, to consider as insignificant

   ի փոքունս յարեալ հայիլ‎ ― i pʿokʿuns yareal hayil ― to stand upon trifles, to lay much stress upon things of no importance

Declension

Derived terms

Descendants

• Armenian: փոքր ‎(pʿokʿr)

References

• Petrosean, H. Matatʿeay V. (1879), “փոքր”, in Nor Baṙagirkʿ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Awetikʿean, G.; Siwrmēlean, X.; Awgerean, M. (1836–1837), “փոքր”, in Nor baṙgirkʿ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1979), “փոքր”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Dictionary of Armenian Root Words] (in Armenian), volume IV, 2nd edition, Yerevan: University Press, published 1926–1935, page 530ab
• Godel, Robert (1975) An introduction to the study of classical Armenian, Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, page 33
• Solta, G. R. (1960) Die Stellung des Armenischen im Kreise der indogermanischen Sprachen (Studien zur armenischen Geschichte; 9) (in German), Vienna: Mechitharisten, pages 361–362
• 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 165