-զան

An Iranian borrowing: compare Parthian 𐫉𐫗𐫃 (zng /⁠zanag⁠/), Middle Persian 𐫉𐫗𐫃 (zng /⁠zanag⁠/, “kind, sort”). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-Iranian *ȷ́ánHas. The derivatives գեղազանակ (gełazanak) and զանազանակ (zanazanak) may contain *-զանակ (*-zanak) borrowed wholly from Iranian rather than formed in Armenian with -ակ (-ak). The word զանակ (zanak, “piece of gold or silver”) may be of the same origin. Doublet of ծին (cin).

-զան • (-zan)

1. -like, type, kind

Among the derivatives, զանազան (zanazan) may be the only old one.

• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1973) “զան”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume II, Yerevan: University Press, page 78ab
• Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836–1837) “զան”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
• Hübschmann, Heinrich (1897) Armenische Grammatik. 1. Theil: Armenische Etymologie (in German), Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, pages 148–149
• Djahukian, G. B. (1993) “The Armenian Suffixes of Iranian Origin”, in Bela Brogyanyi and Reiner Lipp, editors, Comparative-historical linguistics: Indo-European and Finno-Ugric. Papers in honor of Oswald Szemerényi III (Current issues in linguistic theory; 79), Amsterdam, Philadelphia: John Benjamins, page 265
• Nyberg, H. S. (1974) A Manual of Pahlavi, Part II: Glossary, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, page 229a