بلوچ

Persian

Etymology

Etymology is unclear and disputed.

Early attestations

First attested (in any language) in Ḥudūd al-ʿĀlam (c. 982) as بلوج; note that the non-Arabic letter چ (č) was not properly established in the period. Also found in Shāhnāma (c. 1010), where it is clear that this is /balōč/ and not /*balūč/ given that it rhymes with کوچ (kōč, “wandering tribe”).

Further, the word Middle Persian [script needed] (blwcʾn) in Šahrestānīhā ī Ērānšahr (600s) has been read as /*balōč-ān/ with plural suffix /-ān/. However, the Šahrestānīhā claims that this people existed near Tabaristan on the Caspian coast, which is very far from the Baluch country. [script needed] (blwcʾn) seems more likely to be /*barōzān/, a settlement actually located in the region.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [ba.ˈloːt͡ʃ]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [bä.lóːt͡ʃ]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [bä.lóːt͡ʃ]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [bä.lóːt͡ʃ]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [bä.lʊ́ːt͡ʃ]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [bæ.lúːt͡ʃ]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [bä.lút͡ʃ]

Readings
Classical reading?	balōč
Dari reading?	balōč
Iranian reading?	baluč
Tajik reading?	baluč

Noun

بلوچ • (baluč) (plural بلوچ‌ها (baluč-hâ) or بلوچان (balučân))

1. Baluch, Baloch

Derived terms

• بلوچستان (balučestân)
• بلوچی (baluči)

 

Urdu

Etymology

From Classical Persian بلوچ (baloč), or conversely through Chagatai.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /bə.loːt͡ʃ/

Noun

بَلوچ • (baloc) m (Hindi spelling बलोच)

1. an ethnically Baloch person; a speaker of the Balochi language, or bearer of Balochi heritage

Derived terms

• بَلوچِستانِی (balocistānī)
• بَلوچِستَان
• بَلوچِی (balocī)