# Armenian: դաշնակահար (Etymology)



## seitt

Hi
Please, what is the etymology of դաշնակահար 'pianist'?
Best
Simon


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## Stoggler

Wiktionary is always worth trying for starters (this is for the word piano rather than pianist, but you get the basic etymology)


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## seitt

Thanks; however, I've tried Wiktionary but it did not help.
Sure, the first bit must be short for դաշնամուր 'pianoforte' almost in the same way that 'piano' is short for 'pianoforte'.
But what about the rest of the word, the [ա]կահար?


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## Stoggler

I don’t know Armenian but quick looks on Wiktionary for other agent nouns suggests it is a typical agent suffix found in the language.


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## clamor

seitt said:


> Thanks; however, I've tried Wiktionary but it did not help.
> Sure, the first bit must be short for դաշնամուր 'pianoforte' almost in the same way that 'piano' is short for 'pianoforte'.
> But what about the rest of the word, the [ա]կահար?


No, it's not  դաշն/ա/կահար , it's  դաշնակ/ա/հար (*դաշնակ* means piano). I know դաշնամուր exists too, but I don't think I hardly ever heard it. I don't know the etymology of this suffix, but I think you can find something


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## clamor

seitt said:


> Hi
> Please, what is the etymology of դաշնակահար 'pianist'?
> Best
> Simon


Ok I found something which is logical. It's short for *հարկանել* (''beat'', ''strike'' in a musical sense).


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## seitt

ah, thank you, now we really are getting somewhere.


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