Hungarian Historical Phonology iránt
iránt 'gegen, gegenüber; hinsichtlich, bezüglich, betreffs'
First attestation/Old Hungarian data
aránt 'in der Richtung'
ëránt 'in der Richtung'
Important dialectal forms
[coming]
Uralic/Ugric/Pre-Hungarian reconstruction
Disputed:
UEW: *arɜ (urɜ) ‘edge, site, direction; Kante, Seite, Richtung‘
Status of the Ugric etymology
False
Loan etymology
None suggested
Cognates suggested in earlier research
UEW:
Khanty: East (V) ur 'Kante, scharfer Rand', South (DN) ür 'Kante, scharfer Rand, Riefe; Landrücken, Höhenzug, bewaldeter Hügel, Wald, höherliegender trockener Boden inmitten eines Sumpfes', North (O) wur 'Kante, Grat (der Stopfnadel, der Eispicke, des Spießeisens; mit Wald bewachsenes (etwas über die Umgebung hinausgehendes) Gelände', wur 'Art, Weise; Ursache' < PKh *ūr
Mansi: South (TJ) or 'Bergrücken, Landrücken', East or 'Bergrücken, Landrücken', West (P) wur 'Bergrücken, Landrücken', North (So) ur 'Bergrücken, Erdrücken; Rand, Kante, Seite; Art, Weise' < PMs *ur
Commentary
The relationship between the different Hungarian variants iránt, arány, ëránt is not quite clear. The vocalism of the form irány does not correspond regularly to Khanty *ūr or Mansi *ur.
Khanty *ūr and Mansi *ur are connected to Proto-Uralic *wara to Aikio (2012: 233) and Zhivlov (2014: 120); Aikio reconstructs the meaning of this Uralic word as 'mountain, hill', whereas Zhivlov reconstructs 'edge'. The cognates include at least Proto-Samoyed *wårə, Aikio lists also North Saami várri 'mountain, hill'.
EWUng mentions that irány is connected with the verb iramik 'rennen', which according to EWUng derives from the same source as the Ob-Ugric words mentioned above. EWUng assumes a Proto-Ugric nomen verbum. However, this explanation is unlikely due to the phonological irregularities and the regular Uralic etymology of Khanty *ūr and Mansi *ur.
The origin of the verb iramik remains unclear, but the idea that irány (as well as irány 'direction') is connected with the same stem is plausible. Further research is needed.
Conclusion
The alleged Ob-Ugric cognates have a competing Uralic etymology, and the relationship to Hu iránt is irregular. The Ugric etymology has to be rejected.
References
Aikio 2012: 233: The Ob-Ugric words < PU *wara 'mountain, hill'
EWUng: 621-622, s.v. iramik, 622-623, s.v. irány: derived from a PUg nomen verbum (> also iramik, irány)
UEW s.v. arɜ (urɜ): PUg Uralonet
Zhivlov 2014: 120: The Ob-Ugric words < PU *wara2 'edge'