Armenian

Suffix

-ակ • ‎(-ak)

1. forming diminutives

   գետակ‎ ― getak ― rivulet

   տնակ‎ ― tnak ― little house

2. forming names of things (tools) or people performing some action

   սուզակ‎ ― suzak ― diver

   սահնակ‎ ― sahnak ― sled, sleigh

Synonyms

• (diminutive): -իկ ‎(-ik), -ուկ ‎(-uk)

Derived terms

Old Armenian

Etymology

From Iranian *-ak, *-āk. Compare Middle Persian -k' ‎(-ag), Persian ـه ‎(-e). The suffix in its agent-noun-forming function is found in the following wholly borrowed terms: դերձակ ‎(derjak), վարձակ ‎(varjak), պատմուճակ ‎(patmučak), նուիրակ ‎(nuirak) and perhaps աւազակ ‎(awazak).

Suffix

-ակ • ‎(-ak)

1. forming diminutives from nominal stems

   աթոռ‎ ― atʿoṙ ― chair

   աթոռակ‎ ― atʿoṙak ― small chair

   նաւ‎ ― naw ― ship

   նաւակ‎ ― nawak ― boat

2. forming agent nouns from verbal stems

   գտանեմ‎ ― gtanem ― to find, invent

   գտակ‎ ― gtak ― inventor

   լողամ‎ ― lołam ― to swim

   լողակ‎ ― lołak ― swimmer

3. forming adjectives

   բոլորակ‎ ― bolorak ― circular

4. forming nouns from verbs

   է‎ ― ē ― is

   էակ‎ ― ēak ― being

5. forming nouns from adjectives, adverbs and pronouns

   քանի‎ ― kʿani ― how many?

   քանակ‎ ― kʿanak ― quantity

Declension

Synonyms

• (diminutive): -իկ ‎(-ik), -ուկ ‎(-uk)

Derived terms

Descendants

• Armenian: -ակ ‎(-ak)

References

• J̌ahukyan, Geworg (1998), “-ակ”, in Hin hayereni verǰacancʿneri cagumə [The Origin of Old Armenian Suffixes] (Hayocʿ lezvi hamematakan kʿerakanutʿyan harcʿer; 2) (in Armenian), Yerevan: Anania Širakacʿi, pages 5–48
• Asatrjan, G. S. (2013), “Parfjanskoje gōsān [Parthian gōsān]”, in Toxtasʹjev S. R., Lurʹje P. B., editors, Commentationes Iranicae. Sbornik statej k 90-letiju Vladimira Aronoviča Livšica (in Russian), Saint Petersburg: Nestor-Istorija, ISBN 978-5-4469-0127-2, page 103