Arpa Posted August 8, 2009 Report Share Posted August 8, 2009 (edited) A long time ago someone posed this question about the meaning of their family name. http://hyeforum.com/index.php?showtopic=1040&hl=avakian There were several responses, most of them kind of correct. Yes, “ävag/avak” does mean “elder” as in “ëlder son/andranik zavag”, yet we missed the fact that “avag” also means “senior/grand” as in “avag qahana”, “avag sparapet/sënior/grand commander” . Consider the word “avagani/աւագանի”, council of elders. Besides “avag” is also used as a personal name, wherefrom the family name “aavagian” may have derived. The best known example of which is Avag Petrosian, operatic singer, tenor , among many of his roles is Saro of Anush Opera.** http://armenian.name/index.php?a=term&d=5&t=289 ԱՎԱԳ հայ. ավագ բառից, որ նշանակում է Մեծ “տարեց”: Իբրև անձնանուն այժմ էլ կենդանի է:Սրանից ունենք Ավագյան ազգանունը Armatakan; ԱՒԱԳ «մեծ, երեւելի, պատուական (բարոյապէս եւ նիւթապէս, թէ անձերի եւ թէ իրերի համար ասուած)» աւագ. ՍԳր. Եզն. Ոսկ. ես. եւ Ոսկ. մտթ. Վեցօր. 142. հմմտ. «Ոչ տղայոյ ոք աւագ բանս խօսի» Եզն. «Փոքր որ ի նոսա, կերակուր է աւագին» Վեցօր. 142: Որից աւագագոյն Եզն. աւագախումբ Բուզ. աւագամեծար ՟Գ. Մակ. ա. 11. աւագանալ Ոսկ. մ. բ. 21. Բուզ. աւագանի «իշխաններ» ՍԳր. Ագաթ. աւագափող «մեծ փող» Ես իէ. 13. աւագորեար Բուզ. աւագոյթ «ծերութիւն» ՟Բ. Մակ. բ. 51. Ագաթ. անաւագ «փոքր, տկար, խեղճ» ՍԳր. Ոսկ. ես. Եզն. անաւագակեր, կեղեքող. Վեցօր. 143. անուագիլ «մաշուիլ տկարանալ» Ոսկ. ՟ա. տիմ. ժբ. (կարդա անաւագիլ՝ ինչպէս ունի Յհ. կթ.) գեղջաւագ Կանոն. յիշոցաւագ «հայհոյողների վրայ հսկող ոստիկան» Կիր. 171. հեծելաւագ «հեծելազօրքի գլխաւորը» Ուռհ. 425. 357. հարիւրաւագ «հարիւրապետ» հազարաւագ «հազարապետ» **The family surname Avagian/Avakian… etc. is very widespread, it may have derived from an ancestor who may have been an “avag/elder/senior” something or other, or more so that an ancestor had a personal name of “AVAG” . I must tell this. A long time ago, in Beirut there was this “genius/idiot savant”, a certain Avagian , who was a loner hermit, yet a genius in his own right. He was a commercial sign painter, he would walk up and down the streets of Beirut all the way from Bourj Hammoud to Hamra with his tools of the trade , paint cans, brushes etc. He would be called to paint a sign on shop windows. He was a genius, who could paint a sign in minutes, in Armenian, Arabic or Latin, be it on glass or other, specially on glass that had to be written in reverse on the inside of the glass to be read in the correct sequence from the outside. His style was unmistakable, one could tell which sign was written by him. He was also highly educated, even if it did not show from the way he was dressed, his brother was an Evangelical minister. Many would play around with his surname like “Avagian-Avanagian”etc. which he didn’t mind as long as his fees were paid in full. Why did I tell the above story? Watch for another post about “ävanag/avanak”. You will be surprised as I was. Edited August 8, 2009 by ArpA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted August 8, 2009 Report Share Posted August 8, 2009 He did paint my dad's store sign and the window. I remember him well. Arpa do you remember another character, I can't remember his name that used to sing very loud at Evangelical churches on sundays? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpa Posted August 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2009 === Arpa do you remember another character, I can't remember his name that used to sing very loud at Evangelical churches on sundays? (Yervant, where was your father's store? What was his profession?) No. Give me more hints. Would it be Dr (dentist) Elmajian? Beside him being my mother's cousin (my maternal gandmother was born Elmajian), he was an accomplished musician (violin, the most affordable instrument o the time, and a trained operatic baritone singer), a lead featured star of the Ganachian Ensemble (in Aleppo)which he eventulaly took over. I was a featured singer of his AGBU/Hamazgayin ensmble at Baalbek Festivals. It was not solely based on the fact that we were related but my love (amateur)of "classical/read european" music, not that I am ignorant of Armenian music, the likes of Komitas... and a host of others. No "rabiz/rubbish/russo/perso/arabo/furko/azero/hispano zibil"please!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted August 8, 2009 Report Share Posted August 8, 2009 Of course the store was in Bourdj Hammoud The capital of Lebanon and the centre of commerce. The other question, I will keep it private. As our Hagarag would say! Everybody will know my identity. More hints! No he was no Doctor or anything like it. He was more like a happy go lucky kind of a person who didn't mind having a lenghty conversation with the kids about his singing capabilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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