Сравнительно-историческое, типологическое и сопоставительное языкознание | Филологический аспект №6 (50) Июнь 2019

УДК 811

Дата публикации 30.06.2019

On semantic types of blessing formulas in English and Armenian cultures

Harutyunyan Hermine
Lecturer at Shushi University of Technology, Shushi, hermine.harutyunyan.1987@mail.ru

Abstract: The word “blessing” has different meanings in different contexts. In this article we shall speak of blessings as part of English and Armenian cultures. We have tried to compare the main types of blessing formulas that are found in both cultures. They are: blessings for life and longevity, health, wealth and prosperity, marriage and wedding, continuation and growth of generation, newborn baby blessings, blessings for happiness and joy, blessings for salvation of the soul (funeral blessings) and house blessings. The aim of the article is to compare the semantic types of English and Armenian blessings revealing their common and distinctive features. The comparative analysis of English and Armenian blessings has revealed that they have more similarities than differences.
Keywords: blessing, culture, wish, language, perception, semantic type, comparative analysis

The idea of blessing is found in all the religions and in all the spheres of our daily life. It is impossible to imagine a ritual, including funeral ceremonies without blessings. The term “blessing” has different shades of meaning, from worldly activities and common speech to religious contexts.

In this article we shall deal with blessings as part of English and Armenian cultures. What we are aiming is to compare the semantic types of English and Armenian blessings for revealing their common and distinctive features. There is a vast literature on Armenian blessings and their semantic types, while in the English language the topic lacked deserved attention. Regrettably we could not find a single book, written on English blessings and their semantic types. So the novelty of the article lies in exposing semantic similarities and differences of English and Armenian blessings.

We may start by the semantic grouping of English and Armenian blessings. As we have mentioned above we could not find information on the semantic classification of English blessings. So we have tried to compare the main types of blessing formulas that are found in both cultures. They are: blessings for life and longevity, health, wealth and prosperity, marriage and wedding, continuation and growth of generation, newborn baby blessings, blessings for happiness and joy, blessings for salvation of the soul (funeral blessings) and house blessings.

Blessings for life and longevity. The aim of these formulas is to see the long life of the person being blessed:

“May you live a hundred years with one extra to repent”.

“May you live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live”.

“Long may your chimney smoke”.

“May you live to comb the hair of your children’s children”.

“May your coffin have six handles of finest silver. May your coffin be carried by six fair young maids. And may your coffin be made of finest wood from a 100-year old tree, that I shall go plant tomorrow”.

“May God grant you many years to live, for sure he must be knowing, the earth has angels all too few and heaven is overflowing”. (Irish)

 ‹‹Երկար կյանքով ու արևով ապրես››:                                                                            

‹‹Աստված քեզ երկար կյանք տա››:

‹‹Շատ տարիների արժանանաս››:

‹‹Արեգակով կշտանաս››:

‹‹Աստված արև տա››:

From the blessings mentioned above we see that in the Armenian language there is a great number of blessings, where the idea of life and longevity is somewhat associated with the word “sun” (արև). There may be different explanations for that. We accept the view that from ancient times on, the word “sun” had the meanings of life, god, light and fertility in the Armenian culture and this is the reason for the abundant use of the constituent “sun” in this type of blessings.

The next point to be made is that studying English blessings we came across blessings by which a person blesses himself, wishing himself life and longevity:

“May I live for a hundred times a hundred years, each hundred of them in turn!” (Irish)

“May three deaths be taken from me! May three ages be given to me! May seven waves of fortune be granted to me!”

“May the Lord preserve me!”

In the Armenian language we could not find such type of blessing formulas.

Blessings for health. The idea of this type of blessing formulas is wishing good health to the person being blessed and his relatives:

“Good health and every good blessing to you”.

“May your doctor never earn a penny from you; may your heart never give out; may the ten toes of your feet steer you clear of misfortune and before you're much older, may you hear better blessings than this one!”

 “Good fortune and good health throughout the ages to your successors forever!”

“May God bless you with love and health for these are the true measures of joy and wealth”.

‹‹Աստված առողջություն տա››: ‹‹Քեզ սաղ ջան ըլնի››: ‹‹Աստված հիվանդիդ լավություն տա››:

As we see there is no difference in cultural perception of this type of blessings in the English and Armenian cultures as health is understood and perceived the same way in both cultures.

Blessings for wealth and prosperity. The aim of these formulas is to improve the material conditions of the person being blessed, wishing him wealth and abundance:

“May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light. May good luck pursue you each morning and night”. (Irish)

“Prosperity and luck to you!”

‹‹Մեկի փոխարեն հազար առնես››:

‹‹Հացդ անպակաս լինի››:

‹‹Շատ տեսնես, շատ ունենաս ու վայելես ››:

These blessing formulas comprise an important part in both cultures, as they express ideas which are always actual.

Marriage and wedding blessings

These blessings both in English and Armenian cultures (and why not in every culture) are wishes for happiness and everlasting love, bright future, sweet wedded life and continuation of generation:

 “May your love grow like a beautiful tree, sending roots deep and branches high, with new beauty every season of your life together”.

“May happiness and everlasting love be your companions as both of you stroll through the path of life. Have a happy wedded life ahead”.

“May the years ahead be filled with lasting joy”.

“May God be with you and bless you. May you see your children’s children. May you be poor in misfortune, rich in blessings. May you know nothing but happiness from this day forward”.

‹‹Բարով-խերով սրտիդ մուրազին հասնես››:

‹‹Մի բարձի ծերանաք››:

‹‹Պսակովդ ծերանաս››:

‹‹Մի բախտի, մի թախտի ծերանաք››:

As we know every marriage is the road to the next generation, children, and the continuation of one’s lineage that’s why here we may also include blessings for continuation and growth of generation:

“May there be generation of children on the children of your children”.

“May the sons of your sons fill your home with laughter”.

‹‹Որդով ու թոռնով զարդարվես››:

‹‹Ծովի ավազի չափ երեխեք ունենաս, երկնքի աստղերի չափ՝ թոռներ››:

So speaking about marriage and wedding blessings we may conclude that like the other types of blessings they are wishes for all the best, addressed to the couple.

Newborn baby blessings. In every culture the birth of a child is considered a blessing or a gift from above. Every parent irrespective of ethnic background wishes all the best to his/her child: happiness, long life, love, success, etc. These blessings are given both by the parents of the newborn and by other people who come to see and bless the child:

“May the nourishment of the earth be yours;

May the clarity of the light be yours;

May the fluency of the ocean be yours;

May the protection of the ancestors be yours,

And may you be buried in a casket made from the

wood of a century old oak I shall plant tomorrow”.

“May strong arms hold you

Caring hearts tend you

And may love await you at every step”.

“May you grow into a beautiful/handsome boy/girl just like the ones who made you!”

‹‹Հորով-մորով ըլի››: ‹‹Հորով-մորով մեծանա››: ‹‹Մեծանա, փառք ու պատվի տիրանա››: ‹‹Ժառանգներ ունենա››:

It is important to mention that in the Armenian culture in ancient times a great importance was given to the birth of a boy, while the birth of a girl meant something unpleasant, in some cases even a curse. The reasons for son preference were conditioned by cultural perceptions: the patrimonial continuity of the dynasty, stable economic provision, etc. This treatment is expressed in various traditional Armenian sayings: ‹‹Յոթ որդով սեղան նստես››: «Տղա ունեցողին` հալվա, գաթա, իսկ աղջիկ ունեցողին` մկան ծերտ»: «Աղջկա տերը դունչը հուփ կուտա» and so on.

While in the English culture we could not find traces of son or daughter preference.

Blessings for happiness and joy. The blessings of this group are wishes, expressing happiness, joy, peace, contentment and good luck directed to the person being blessed:

“May your troubles be less and your blessings be more, and nothing but happiness come through your door”. (Irish Blessing)

“May your joys be as bright as the morning, your years of happiness as numerous as the stars in the heavens, and your troubles but shadows that fade in the sunlight of love”.

“May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to make you happy”.

“May joy and peace surround you, contentment latch your door, and happiness be with you now and bless you evermore”. (Irish)

‹‹Կարմիր ու կանաչ օրերում շատ ապրես››: ‹‹Լավ բախտ ունենաս, լավ օրեր տեսնես ››: ‹‹Աստված բարի բախտ տա ››: ‹‹Լավ օրեր ու արև շատ տեսնես ››:

It should be mentioned that these blessing formulas are widely used both in English and Armenian cultures for different occasions as they express wishes that are of great significance in every culture.

Blessings for salvation of the soul (funeral blessings). The idea of these blessing formulas is wishing rest and peace to a dead person:

“Until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand”.

“The Lord be with you and may you rest in peace”.

“May you be as free as the wind, as soft as the sheep’s wool, as straight as an arrow, that you may journey into the heart of God”.

“May the road rise to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sunshine warm upon your face. May the rains fall upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of His hand”. (Irish)

 “May the light of heaven shine on your grave”.

‹‹Աստված հոգին լուսավորե››:

‹‹Ողորմի հոգուն››:

‹‹Գնացած ճանապարհդ բարի ըլի,դատաստանդ քաղցր ըլի››:

‹‹Հողը թեթև լինի վրան››:

It should also be noted that as we speak of two Christian cultures the main components of these blessing formulas are “God” and “soul” which are the key concepts of Christian culture.

House blessings. These blessing formulas are mainly directed to the householder and express some wishes, which are intended to protect the house and its inhabitants from misfortune, evil eye, etc. In some cases, the person who blesses appeals to a High Power (God), asking for health, joy, protection and peace for the inhabitants of the house:

“God bless the house in which you dwell.

Bless every window and every wall.

Bless every soul beneath its rafters,

Bless every heart that brings it laughter.

Bless every foot that walks through its doors,

God bless the house that shelters you and yours”. (Irish)

“Bless you and yours and the house you live in.

May the roof overhead be well thatched

And those inside be well-matched”.

“May the grace of God’s protection

And His great love abide

Within your home and within the hearts

Of all who dwell inside”. (Irish)

‹‹Շեն մնա էս տունը››: ‹‹Մեջը ծերանաք››: ‹‹Աստված տունդ շեն պահե››: ‹‹Տան բարի հրեշտակը անխռով ըլի››:

It is worth mentioning that these blessings are mostly used in housewarming parties, mainly in forms of toasts and wishes and have a kind of ritual character in the two cultures.

Summing up the results of our study we would like to say that blessings reflect the hopes and fears of a nation. Hopes are expressed in forms of wishes addressed to the person who receives the blessing, while in case of fears God’s protection is asked to overcome the difficulties and misfortune. The reason for the abundant use of the word “God” in English and Armenian blessings is the same religion the two cultures follow.

Thus, the comparative analysis of English and Armenian blessings reveals that they have more similarities than differences. The main explanation for this is the ideas they express: life and longevity, health, happiness, values, prevalent and appreciated in every culture, irrespective of ethnic background. While differences are conditioned by cultural perceptions and standards (as in the case of son preference in Armenian culture).


Список литературы

1. Wright, A.R. English Folklore, London, 2017, 132 p.
2. Tibbits, Ch. J. Folk-lore and Legends: English, London, 2015, 104 p.
3. West, M. L. Indo-European Poetry and Myth, New York, 2007, 525 p.
4. Հարությունյան Ս. Անեծքի և օրհնանքի ժանրը հայ բանահյուսության մեջ, Երևան, 1975, 269 էջ
5. https://www.sengoidelc.com/category/blessings-good-wishes/
6. http://quippedandquoted.blogspot.com/p/a-world-of-wishes-at-your-command-god.html

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