Do you know where the word HAI comes from? The Armenians call themselves HAI (pronounced HIGH or HYE). Armenian and foreign scholars have given more time and energy to the study of the origin of the word "HAI" than to that of the word "Armenia". To be sure, many opinions have been expressed about it, but relatively few of them have approached the truth. Omitting many contradictory opinions, which have only created confusion, let us consider only those that are considered probable. One theory according to Professor Hrozny, the Hungarian scholar, was that it was the most pure representatives of the Armenoid racial type that were defeated by the Hittite who founded a very powerful empire in the heart of Asia Minor. According to the same authority it was in about 4,000 BC, that the Prohatts immigrated to Asia Minor and settled in Cappadocia, founding its capital at Khattussas (now known as Boghas Keoy) near Yozgat. It was this race that faced the Armenians and the Bryges, closely related to the Armenoid type, who had left Thrace, their ancient homeland, for Asia Minor and lands farther East. In about 800 BC the Armenians came in contact with the Hittite, who weakened by long and bloody wars, were defeated and assimilated by the Armenians. The name "Hittite" is read differently in different languages. In the Egyptian hieroglyphics it is read as "KHATI, KHATA or KHETA" in Assyrian cuneiforms, "KHADDI or KHADE" in the Vanic inscriptions (Urartian or Khaldian), "KHATI or KHATE", while in the Hebraic text of the Bible we find it in the forms of "KHETE, KHITTIE, KHETTS, HETTS, and HETHIM". In accordance with the law of phonetics "KHAT" has changed to "HAT". By the same law of phonetics it becomes very easy to identify the word "HAT" with "HAI" because in the evolution of certain words we see that the letter "T" changes into "I". This change of sound from "T" to "I" is noticeable in the dialects of the Armenians of Sebastia (Sivas) and Kharpert (Harpoot). The urban Armenians of these provinces pronounce the word "gotrel" "goyrel" (to break) and the word "gtrel" as "guyrel" (to cut).
Article taken from "Atlas of Historical Armenia"- By H. K. Babessian Have a comment, contribution or suggestion? Click here and send it to us
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