آخوند

Persian

Etymology

Unclear. It has been suggested that this word is a compound, with the first element possibly being a contraction of آقا (âqâ, “agha”) and the second related to خوانْدَن (xândan, “to read, study”) or a contraction of خداوند (xodâvand, “master, God”), though the Encyclopædia Iranica states that this set of etymologies is "[not] entirely satisfactory".

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [ʔɑː.ˈxuːnð]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔɑː.xúːn̪d̪]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔɑː.xúːn̪d̪]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [ʔɑː.xúːn̪d̪]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [ʔɔː.xún̪d̪̥]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔɒː.xúːn̪d̪̥]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔɔ.χún̪d̪]

Readings
Classical reading?	āxūnd
Dari reading?	āxūnd
Iranian reading?	âxund
Tajik reading?	oxund

• Audio (Iran):

  (file)

Noun

Dari	آخوند
Iranian Persian
Tajik	охунд

آخوند • (âxund) (plural آخوندها (âxund-hâ))

1. (sometimes derogatory) An akhund, specifically a cleric of the Usuli Shia school.

Usage notes

• In Iran, though not necessarily in other countries, this word is often used as a term of derision. It has been so used by clerics themselves to mark other clerics as backward or unlearned, but it is most often heard from those who are critical of the Shiite clergy and/or the Iranian revolution.

Derived terms

• آخوندک (âxundak)
• آخوندزاده (âxund-zâde)
• آخوندی (âxundi)

Descendants

• → Azerbaijani: axund
• → Bengali: আখন্দ (akhondo)
• → Chinese:

  Mandarin: 阿訇 (āhōng)

  Dungan: ахун (ahun)

• → English: akhund
• →? Kazakh: ақын (aqyn)