Armenian

Noun

գիր • ‎(gir)

1. letter (symbol in an alphabet)
2. (often in the plural) script, writing system

   հայոց գրերը‎ ― hayocʿ grerə ― the Armenian script

3. tail (of a coin)
4. document

Declension

Synonyms

• (letter): տառ ‎(taṙ)

Old Armenian

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *wēr-, from *wer- ‎(“to cut, scratch, tear, sketch an outline”). Cognates include Sanskrit व्रण ‎(vraṇa, “wound”), Ancient Greek ῥινός ‎(rhinós, “skin”), Old Church Slavonic рана ‎(rana, “wound”), Old High German rīzan (German reißen) and Old English wrītan (English write).

Noun

գիր • ‎(gir)

1. letter (symbol in an alphabet)
2. letter, epistle
3. writing, document, something written

   գիր/թուղթ մեկնելոյ‎ ― gir/tʿułtʿ mekneloy ― act of divorce

   գիր առնել, հանել‎ ― gir aṙnel, hanel ― to publish, to write

   գիր հաստատել‎ ― gir hastatel ― to post up or stake on the wall a bill, writing or advertisement

   ի գիր, ընդ գրով անկանել, լինել‎ ― i gir, ənd grov ankanel, linel ― to be written or registered

   ի գիր արկանել, հանել, դրոշմել, արձանացուցանել, ի գրի առնել, զգրի հարկանել‎ ― i gir arkanel, hanel, drošmel, arjanacʿucʿanel, i gri aṙnel, zgri harkanel ― to write, to write down, to registrate; to treat a subject; to circumscribe

4. (often in the plural) book, volume, manuscript

   զգրով/զգրովք գալ‎ ― zgrov/zgrovkʿ gal ― to dedicate oneself to reading

5. (often in the plural) holy scripture, Bible

Declension

Derived terms

Descendants

• Armenian: գիր ‎(gir), գիրք ‎(girkʿ)

References

• Petrosean, H. Matatʿeay V. (1879), “գիր”, in Nor Baṙagirkʿ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1971–1979), “գիր”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Dictionary of Armenian Root Words] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, Yerevan: University Press, published 1926–1935
• Awetikʿean, G.; Siwrmēlean, X.; Awgerean, M. (1836–1837), “գիր”, in Nor baṙgirkʿ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy