Sar and Šar: An Internal Semantic Connection in the Armenian Language

This study explores the semantic relationship between the Armenian words sar ("mountain") and šar ("row, masonry"). While sar has an Indo-European etymology, šar lacks a reliable PIE correspondence. Through analysis of lexicographical, folkloric, literary, and cross-cultural data—including parallels with Sumerian cosmology—the paper argues that these terms reflect an internal cognitive model of structural layering in Armenian. The findings support a view of language as a system of conceptual symmetry between natural and human-made forms.