You Put Gloves On, But Not Pants

The reader is probably acquainted with the old English proverb: “A cat in gloves catches no mice.” The oldest written reference is from the sixteenth century (A gloued catte can catche no myse), but perhaps it was an adaptation from French, where the proverb was already around in the fourteenth century, with the literal translation “A gloved cat will never mouse well.”

The proverb exists, of course, in other languages, as well as in Armenian. However, there is a difference between the English and the Armenian version. The latter says:

Ձեռնոց դնող կատուն մուկ չի բռներ

(Tsernots tnogh gadoon moog chi purner)

The glove wearing cat catches no mice

Remember that while you put a piece of clothing on you in English, you do not do that in Armenian. “He puts pants on” = An dapad guh hakni (Ան տաբատ կը հագնի). It is wrong to say An dapad guh tuneh, a literal translation from English.

However, in the case of accessories, both languages work in the same way:
I put my gloves on = Ես ձեռնոցներս դրի (Yes tsernotsnerus tuhri)
He is putting her hat on = Ան իր գլխարկը կը դնէ (An ir kulkharguh guh tuhneh)
She will put the ring on = Ան մատանին պիտի դնէ (An madanin bidi tuhneh)

Nevertheless, while in English you wear an accessory (gloves, hat, ring…), you carry it in Armenian. For instance, we say madani guhrel (մատանի կրել / “to carry (a) ring”) or kulkharg guhrel (գլխարկ կրել / “to carry (a) hat) and not madani haknil or kulkharg haknil. Be careful, fashion lovers!