Armenian

Adjective

անարի • ‎(anari) ‎(superlative ամենաանարի)

1. cowardly, not courageous

Declension

Antonyms

• արի ‎(ari)

Etymology 2

From Old Armenian անարի ‎(anari); see it for more.

Noun

անարի • ‎(anari)

1. (historical) non-Aryan, non-Iranian

Declension

Antonyms

• արի ‎(ari)

Old Armenian

Etymology 1

From ան- ‎(an-) +‎ արի ‎(ari).

Adjective

անարի • ‎(anari)

1. weak, feeble, unmanly, timid, pusillanimous, cowardly

Declension

Antonyms

• արի ‎(ari)

Descendants

• Armenian: անարի ‎(anari)

Etymology 2

From Parthian *𐭀𐭍𐭀𐭓𐭉 ‎(anari, “non-Aryan”) (attested in 𐭀𐭍𐭀𐭓𐭉𐭀𐭍 ‎(anaryān)). Compare Middle Persian 𐭠𐭭𐭩𐭥𐭠𐭭 ‎(anērān) and see there for more.

For the development of the sense “gigantic, enormous, monstrous” remember that foreign nations are often considered “barbarian, strange”. Alternatively, the sense “gigantic, enormous, monstrous” can be formed in Armenian as ան- ‎(an-) +‎ ար- ‎(ar-, “to make, to fit”) +‎ -ի ‎(-i) and basically mean “unshaped, deformed”.

Noun

անարի • ‎(anari)

1. non-Aryan, non-Iranian
2. gigantic, enormous, monstrous

Declension

Antonyms

• արի ‎(ari)

Descendants

• Armenian: անարի ‎(anari)

References

• Petrosean, H. Matatʿeay V. (1879), “անարի”, in Nor Baṙagirkʿ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Awetikʿean, G.; Siwrmēlean, X.; Awgerean, M. (1836–1837), “անարի”, in Nor baṙgirkʿ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1971–1979), “անարի”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Dictionary of Armenian Root Words] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, Yerevan: University Press, published 1926–1935
• Martirosyan, Hrach (2010), “anari”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 8), Leiden, Boston: Brill, page 69