How Armenia Has Been Called In Different Languages Of The World Since Ancient Times
• In the Eblaite language (2300-2100 BC) – Armanum.
• In the Sumerian language (2200-2000 BC) – Aratta.
• In the Hattic language (1800-1500 BC) – Armatana.
• In the Hittite language (1500-1200 BC) – Hayasa.
• In the Assyrian language (1200-900 BC) – Nairi.
• In the Akkadian-Babylonian language (900-400 BC) – Urartu.
• In the Old Persian language (600-200 BC) – Armina.
• In the Elamite language (encountered from the 6th century BC) – Arminuya.
• In the Greek language (encountered from the 5th century BC) – Armenia.
• In the Latin language (encountered from the 2nd century BC) – Armenia.
• In the Aramaic language (encountered from the 2nd century BC) – Armenia.
• In the Old Hebrew (8th-5th centuries BC) – Ararat.
• In the Georgian language (encountered from the 5th century) –(სომხეთი) Somkheti.
• In the Kurdish language (encountered in spoken language) – Fle.
• In the Chinese language (encountered from the 7th century) – Yamani.
• In the Ancient Egyptian language (1400-1300 BC) – Ermenen.
• In the Turkish language (encountered from the 12th-13th centuries) – Ermenistan.
• In the Syriac-Arabic language – Armani (derivative of Eblaite Armanum, encountered in 2300-2100 BC).
• In the Arabic language (encountered from the 7th century) – Arminia.
• In the Old Armenian language (encountered in the 8th-7th centuries BC) – Bi-hayani-li.
• In the Classical Armenian language (encountered from the 5th century) – Hayk.
• In the Middle and Modern Armenian languages (encountered from the 12th century) – Hayastan.
Thus, Armenia was called differently in various languages of the world. However, all these names can be conditionally divided into 3 groups:
1st group: names derived from the root “Arm”: Armenia, Arminia, Armanum, Armatana, Armina, Arminuya, Armani, Ermenen, Ermenistan, Armanistan, and so on.
2nd group: names derived from the root “hay” : Hayasa, Hayastan, Hayk, Bi-hayani-li. Such name variants were used by only two peoples: the Armenians themselves and their western neighbors, the Hittites.
3rd group of names: unique names that cannot be grouped together. These include the Georgian Somkheti(სომხეთი), Chinese Yamani, Kurdish Fle, and others.
The reason and logic behind the different names of Armenia in various languages is a topic for a separate, detailed study.
In short, I can say that the first group of names with the root “Arm” is first mentioned in writing to designate Armenia in 2300-2100 BC in the texts of kings who ruled in northern Syria, not in the texts of King Darius on the Behistun Rock (6th century BC) as we were taught in Soviet textbooks. That is, by the time of Darius, the group of names with the root “Arm” for Armenia had existed in the world for at least 1700 years!
The group of names with the root “hay” for Armenia is first mentioned in writing in the texts of the Hittite kings starting from 1500 BC, and this name is most likely associated with the cult of the god Haya, which is known in writing from the texts of the 2000s BC.
Perhaps (and most likely it is so) in Armenian folk mythology, in a later Christian era of Armenia (i.e., starting from 301 AD), the image of the ancient cult of the god Haya, known in writing from the 2000s BC, transformed into the image of the giant sent by God, who laid the foundation for Armenia – the ancestor Hayk.
As a result, Armenians, like any ancient people on Earth, have both an endonym and exonyms.
Endonym – hay.
Source:
https://allinnet.info/.../how-armenia-has-been-called.../...
