ܦܰܝܣܟܳܝܳܐ pyskyʾ payskāyā 1. spotted, of changeable colour; 2. ambiguous, dubious
Early MP pēsak leper, with the addition of the Syr. adjectival morpheme -āyā (see § 11.6); cf. MP pēs [pys] mottled, leprous; leper (CPD 68); Arm. LW pisak (← MP pēsak, Hübschmann AG 230, no. 542); NP pēs leprosy, pēst leprous, pēsagī an intermixture of colours, piebaldness; leprosy (Steingass 265); see the gloss Gr. πισάγας: ὀ λεπρός (Ktesias FGrH 688 F 14), πισσάγαι (Hesych.). The etymological connection of the Ir. word with Av. paēsa- ornament (AirWb 818), paēs- (ibid. 817), OP pais-, MP pēsīd adorned (proposed by Horn 79), seems improbable ● spotted, of changeable colour Gn 30, 32; Za 1, 8; ES 1, 85C; Nis 31, 46; EN 42, 57; BB 1403, 5; 1556, 17; ambiguous, dubious AS 4, 11, 5 ◆ LS 567b; Lagarde GA 75, 191