The Lord’s Prayer (Our Father)

The Lord’s Prayer, also known as Our Father, in Armenian word-by-word, transliterated, translated, and with etymological notes, as originally published on Arak-29.

The Lord’s Prayer is:

• written as Տէրունական աղօթք in the classical orthography and Տերունական աղոթք in the reformed orthography.
  • pronounced Terunakan aghotk in Eastern Armenian.
  • pronounced Derunakan aghotk in Western Armenian.
• also known as Հայր Մեր (Hayr Mer), or Our Father.
  • the pronunciation is the same in Eastern and Western Armenian.

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Հայերեն/Armenian	Transliteration	Translation	Etymology
Հայր	Hayr	Father	Eng. father/Arm h = Eng f = Lat. p, as in paternal
մեր	mer	our	Eng. our/Ger. unser/Lat. noster (pater noster = hayr mer = father our)
որ	vor	who	=Eng. who/Lat. quo
յերկինս	hergins	in heaven	h=in, ergin=heaven, s=in, h-prefix from i before vowels, i+yergins = hergins, i+yergri = hergri
ես	es	are-thou	Lat. es, Fr. es, Span. estas/ -s ending means you (singular), thou
սուրբ	surp	hallowed	holy; see Sanskrit çubhra clean
եղիցի	yeghitsi	be	Eng. colony, wheel, cycle/Arm. yeghi=be, become, -tsi =may it, -tsin= may they/Arm. gh = Eng. l, Boghos=Paul, agh=salt
անուն	anun	name	Eng. name, noun
քո	ko	thy	Eng. thy, Lat. tuo (tuo=>kuo=>ko)
եկեսցէ	yegestse	come	Eng. come, Lat. convene, yeg– come, estse = may it (as in Arm. gyank– ‘life’ Eng. quick, Lat. vivacious)
արքայութիւն	arkayutyun	kingdom	Eng. arch as in monarch (Gk.) utyun=tion
քո	ko	thy	see above; related kez, zkez, zken=you, kum=your
եղիցին	yeghitsin	be	see above; -n=they, Sp. estan, Lat. exeunt, Fr. sont
կամք	gamk	will	Eng. care, charity, God’s caring wish for us/Arm. pare-gam (pari=good): well-wisher or friend
քո	ko	thy	see above
որպէս	vorbes	as	how from vor= which + -bes=way, as in inchbes es = how are you?
յերկինս	hergins	in heaven	s=plural as in heavens (note: base word is yergink)
եւ	yev	and	Eng. epi, epidermis, epitaph, meaning, on top of (p>v)
յերկրի	hergri	earth	Eng. earth, h=on + yergir=earth, Arm. yergink ‘heaven’ derives from Arm. yergir
զհաց	z-hats	bread	z=direct object (of dur, give) hats= Eng. food=Latin pasture, Fr. pain, as in companion, someone who breaks bread (pan) with (com) you, as in, Arm. unt=with + ger=eat =>unger; hov-iv = someone who pastures the ewes, i.e., shepherd, pastor
մեր	mer	our	see above; related forms: mek=we, mez=to us, zmez=us, merots=our
հանապազորդ	hanabazort	daily	hanabaz=continual; ort=ly
տուր	dur	give-thou	du=Eng. donate, -r = you sg., thou, see danir lead
մեզ	mez	us	see above
այսօր	aysor	this day	ays=Eng. this; -or=day
եւ	yev	and	see above
թող	togh	forgive	Eng. tolerate, Lat. tollis =take away, see toghu-mk
մեզ	mez	us	see above
զպարտիս	z-bardis	debts	z- =direct object (of togh) -s =pl. direct object, see bard-a-ban =debt-keeper
մեր	mer	our	see above
որպէս	vorbes	as	see above
եւ	yev	and	see above
մեք	mek	we	see above, mek becomes menk in Mod. Arm.
թողումք	toghumk	forgive	see above, -mk = we, as in havadamk=we believe
մերոց	merots	our	ee above, -ots/-ats=to pl.
պարտապանաց	bardabanats	debtors	see above, -ats=to pl., indirect object (of toghumk), give pardon to debtors
եւ	yev	and	see above
մի՛	mi	not	mi = don’t, not to be confused with miayn, mimyants = one, one another
տանիր	danir	lead	Eng. donate, give over to, -r=thou, you singular
զմեզ	zmez	us	z- direct object (of danir)
ի	i	into	Eng. in, means at, into, on, from depending on context and suffix of following word
փորձութիւն	portsutyun	temptation	Eng. peril -utyun = -tion
այլ	ayl	but	Eng. else
փրկեա	prg-ya	deliver	rescue, save, as in Prg-ich, Savior, –ya=thou, you singular, command
ի	i	from	Eng. in=from due to suffix char-e
չարէ	char-e	evil	ch=not, ar=create, as in ar-ar-ich=Creator, constructive – creative vs. destructive – evil, -e=from