մութ

Inherited from Old Armenian մութ (mutʻ).

• (Eastern Armenian) IPA^(key): /mutʰ/, [mutʰ]
• (Western Armenian) IPA^(key): /mut/, [mutʰ]

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մութ • (mutʻ) (superlative ամենամութ)

1. dark; unlit

   Synonym: խավար (xavar)

   մութ անկյուն ― mutʻ ankyun ― a hidden place cut off from life and the world

   մութն ընկնել ― mutʻn ənknel ― to get dark, to become evening

   մութը կոխել / մութը գետինն առնել ― mutʻə koxel / mutʻə getinn aṙnel ― to grow dark, to become night

   մութ մառան ― mutʻ maṙan ― stomach, belly

   մութն ու լուսին / մութն ու լուսուն ― mutʻn u lusin / mutʻn u lusun ― twilight, between night and day

   մթնով ― mtʻnov ― time of darkness, dark times

2. (figuratively) incomprehensible, unknowable; doubtful, uncertain
3. (figuratively) gloomy, dismal, glum

մութ • (mutʻ)

1. darkness

Has the combining form մթն- (mtʻn-), e.g. in մթնոլորտ (mtʻnolort), reflecting Old Armenian մութն (mutʻn).

• Aġayan, Ēduard (1976) “մութ”, in Ardi hayereni bacʻatrakan baṙaran [Explanatory Dictionary of Contemporary Armenian] (in Armenian), volume II, Yerevan: Hayastan, page 1037c
• Gabamačean, Simon (1910) “մութ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hayerēn Lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, Constantinople: R. Sakayan press, page 953b
• Malxaseancʻ, Stepʻan (1944) “մութ”, in Hayerēn bacʻatrakan baṙaran [Armenian Explanatory Dictionary] (in Armenian), volume III, Yerevan: State Publishing House, page 361c
• Ter Xačʻaturean, Artašēs (1992) “մութ”, in Hayocʻ lezui nor baṙaran [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, volume II, Beirut: G. Doniguian & Fils, page 229a
• “մութ”, in Žamanakakicʻ hayocʻ lezvi bacʻatrakan baṙaran [Explanatory Dictionary of Contemporary Armenian] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Academy Press, 1974, page 571b

• մութն (mutʻn)

Of unclear origin.

Has been linked with Old Irish mothar (“dark”), German Moder and English mother, mud. Other possible cognates include Latin mūtus (“mute, silent”), Ancient Greek μύω (múō, “to shut (one's eyes)”), Sanskrit मुदिर (mudira, “cloud”), मूत्र (mūtra, “urine”), Avestan 𐬨𐬏𐬚𐬭𐬀 (mūθra), ultimately all from Proto-Indo-European *muH-. Compare also Classical Syriac ܥܡܘܛ (ʕmwṭ /⁠ʕammūṭ⁠/, “dark, obscure”).^[1][2][3] Olsen considers these comparisons unplausible and proposes instead a connection with the word մուխ (mux, “smoke”), tentatively deriving it from the Proto-Indo-European past participle *(s)mukʰ-to-.^[4]

On the other hand, Martirosyan reckons that this word comes from Proto-Indo-European *nókʷts (“night”), with the change *n → m apparently also seen in մագիլ (magil).^[5]

մութ • (mutʻ)

1. darkness

մութ • (mutʻ)

1. dark

• Armenian: մութ (mutʻ)

• Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1837) “մութ”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), volume II, Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 299b
• Ġazarean, Ṙubēn (2006) “մութ”, in Grabari homanišneri baṙaran [Dictionary of Old Armenian Synonyms], Yerevan: University Press, page 490b
• J̌axǰaxean, Manuēl (1837) “մութ”, in Baṙgirkʻ i barbaṙ hay ew italakan [Armenian–Italian Dictionary], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 1000b
• Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “մութ”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy, page 485a