Persian edit

Etymology edit

Etymology is unclear and disputed.[1]

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).[1]

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.[2]

Pronunciation edit

 

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

Noun edit

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

  1. Baluch, Baloch

Derived terms edit

References edit

  1. 1.0 1.1 J. Elfenbein (January 1, 2000) “BALUCHISTAN iii. Baluchi Language and Literature”, in Encyclopædia Iranica[1]
  2. ^ Touraj Daryayee (2002) Šahrestānīhā ī Ērānšahr: A Middle Persian Text on Late Antique Geography, Epic, and History, Costa Mesa, CA: Mazda Publishers

Urdu edit

Etymology edit

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

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

بَلوچ (balocm (Hindi spelling बलोच)

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

Derived terms edit