էնի

Armenian

Etymology

From էն (ēn), dialectal development of Old Armenian այն (ayn, “that, yon”), and the suffix -իկ (-ik), with the final consonant cut off. See էսի (ēsi) for more details.

Pronunciation

• (Eastern Armenian, standard) IPA^(key): /eˈni/, [ení]

Pronoun

էնի • (ēni)

1. (dialectal) Synonym of նա (na)

Usage notes

Although էնի can be used for humans, this is not its primary meaning. Unlike նա (na), the demonstrative sense is still somewhat preserved, and it can sometimes be seen as slightly derogatory.

References

• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1977) “հեմ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume III, Yerevan: University Press, page 79