Kef Dznund

[Arpa]

Kef Dznund?

Merry Christmas?

 

It was bad times in Armenia, war, pestilence, drought, poverty, famine. The land was all but dead. This bothered King Armen a lot. He was desperate, he did not know what to do. The people were not singing and dancing anymore. He decided to find out personally. One night he put on a ebggar's clothes and took a walk down Glkhavor Poghots. The street was dark, quiet, no sounds of merriment, no sound at all. No lights, the whole town was in darkness as the people could not pay their debt to the kandeghagorts, the candle maker. Suddenly he spotted a dim light and began walking towards it. As he approached he could hear the sound of music and singing. He knocked at the door, Mrs. Nazar opened the door, and he begged to be invited in. It was the home of Kaj Nazar. Our heros was beating on a beaten old pot and the entire family was singing and dancing. When asked, "tsav@d tanem Nazar Jan" how it is that they were singing and dancing when everybody else was crying. Nazar answers; "Dard@d tanem"barekam, dard anoghin dard chi paksi, kef anoghin kef chi paksi"!! (** "dard" is not a native Armenian word either.)

 

Thank you Maral.

 

http://www.cafepress.com/armeniangifts.6370554

 

If the above cliche a direct translation of (let's) "Eat, Drink and be Merry"? Then it follows that the Armenian word for "merry" is "kef". Recently there was a heated debate as to use or not use a foreign, and at times not so savory word .

"kef" definitely is not a native Armenian word, even if widely used. On the surface it seems to mean merriment, but whether it is the cause or a by-product, according to my Persian dictionary it is often used to mean "dope/hashish/opium". The relationship is hard to miss. In the Soukiasian Homanishneri Bararan "kef" is defined as "khnjuyq" as well as "kef=harbetsum,kefanal=harbenal".

 

A word about "khnjuyq", festivity/merryment/khrakhjanq. It is based on the root of the seldom seen singular word "khnjo(y)" literally a "small table". The inference is self evident.

 

So, if "merry" is translated as "kef" then when we wish each other "Kef Dznund" are we in fact sayng a "dopey Christmas"?

 

Kef Dznund to you too. :)

 

Note; The above story is not totally my own original. I cannot remember where I had seen it. Was it Toumanian, Aghayan or even Mkhitar Gosh?

Edited December 20, 2004 by Arpa

[gamavor]

While Armenian language has few turcisms (words adobpted from turkish), the Armenian mentality is not that fortunate.

 

Felacio forevar!