շիլա
šila/ʃiˈlɑ/
The Armenian word for porridge is շիլա (šila).
շիլա refers to a breakfast cereal dish.
Meaning: breakfast cereal dish (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ʃiˈlɑ/. The /ʃ/ sound is like the [sh] in ship, the /i/ is like the [ea] in seat (held for a short duration), the /l/ is like the [l] in lace and the /ɑ/ is like the [a] in lava.
Did you know?
- The Armenian շիլա is actually a linguistic traveler from Persian, where it originally referred specifically to a 'rice-soup'.
- In rural Armenian settings, շիլա is not strictly a breakfast food and is frequently served as a hearty side dish for lunch and dinner.
- The pronunciation of the /ʃ/ sound in շիլա remains identical in both Eastern and Western Armenian dialects.
Examples in context
- Ես սիրում եմ շիլա ուտել առավոտյան:Yes sirum yem shila utel aravotyan:I love eating porridge in the morning.
- Այս շիլան շատ համեղ է:Ays shilan shat hamegh e:This porridge is very delicious.
Example conversation
Artash and Nane are in the kitchen preparing breakfast.
- Արտաշ ArtashՆանե, ինչ ենք ուտելու նախաճաշին:Nane, inch enk utelu nakhajashin:Nane, what are we eating for breakfast?
- Նանե NaneԵս պատրաստում եմ շիլա:Yes patrastum em shila:I am making porridge.
- Արտաշ ArtashՀիանալի է, ես շատ եմ սիրում շիլա:Hianali e, yes shat em sirum shila:Great, I love porridge very much.
- Նանե NaneԱպրես, Արտաշ, նստիր սեղանի շուրջ:Apres, Artash, nstir seghani shurj:Okay, Artash, sit around the table.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “porridge” translations and entries շիլա, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries շիլա, CC BY-SA 4.0.
