Armenian

Noun

պինչ • ‎(pinčʿ)

1. (dialectal) nose
2. (dialectal) nostril
3. (dialectal) muzzle, snout

Declension

Old Armenian

Alternative forms

• պինջ ‎(pinǰ) (misspelling)
• մինչք ‎(minčʿkʿ) (found in Aṙjeṙn baṙaran)

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. Compare Georgian პინჩვი ‎(ṗinčvi, “nostrils”), Ossetian фындз ‎(fynʒ, “nose”), Abkhaz а-ҧынҵа ‎(ā-pənc̣ā, “nose”). Compare also Kabardian фӏыншэ ‎(f̣ənšă, “palate”) and Egyptian

[script needed] ‎(fnḏ, “nose”). According to Hübschmann, the Caucasian words are borrowed from Armenian, which would fit if the final syllable -vi in Georgian პინჩვი ‎(ṗinčvi, “nostrils”) reflected prehistoric Armenian dual number, found also in պինչ-վը-ներ ‎(pinčʿ-və-ner), read pinčʿ-vi-ner, of Erzurum dialect.

Noun

պինչ • ‎(pinčʿ)

1. the nostrils

Derived terms

Descendants

• Armenian: պինչ ‎(pinčʿ)

References

• Petrosean, H. Matatʿeay V. (1879), “պինչ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʿ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Awetikʿean, G.; Siwrmēlean, X.; Awgerean, M. (1836–1837), “պինչ”, in Nor baṙgirkʿ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1971–1979), “պինչ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Dictionary of Armenian Root Words] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, Yerevan: University Press, published 1926–1935
• Awgerean, Mkrtičʿ (1865), “մինչք”, in Aṙjeṙn baṙaran haykaznean lezui [Pocket Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Armenian), corrected and expanded by Čēlalean, Grigor, 2nd edition, Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy