جان

See also: ـجان and خان

Arabic

Etymology 1

Root
ج ن ي (j n y)
7 terms

Derived from the active participle of جَنَى (janā, “to gather, to harvest; to commit a crime”).

Adjective

جَانٍ • (jānin) (informal جَانِي (jānī), feminine جَانِيَة (jāniya), masculine plural جُنَاة (junāh) or جَانُونَ (jānūna), feminine plural جَانِيَات (jāniyāt))

1. guilty, delinquent, criminal, flagrant, vicious, evil

Declension

Declension of adjective جَانٍ (jānin)

singular	masculine		feminine
	singular triptote in ـٍ (-in)		singular triptote in ـَة (-a)
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
informal	جَانِي jānī	الْجَانِي al-jānī	جَانِيَة jāniya	الْجَانِيَة al-jāniya
nominative	جَانٍ jānin	الْجَانِي al-jānī	جَانِيَةٌ jāniyatun	الْجَانِيَةُ al-jāniyatu
accusative	جَانِيًا jāniyan	الْجَانِيَ al-jāniya	جَانِيَةً jāniyatan	الْجَانِيَةَ al-jāniyata
genitive	جَانٍ jānin	الْجَانِي al-jānī	جَانِيَةٍ jāniyatin	الْجَانِيَةِ al-jāniyati
dual	masculine		feminine
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
informal	جَانِيَيْن jāniyayn	الْجَانِيَيْن al-jāniyayn	جَانِيَتَيْن jāniyatayn	الْجَانِيَتَيْن al-jāniyatayn
nominative	جَانِيَانِ jāniyāni	الْجَانِيَانِ al-jāniyāni	جَانِيَتَانِ jāniyatāni	الْجَانِيَتَانِ al-jāniyatāni
accusative	جَانِيَيْنِ jāniyayni	الْجَانِيَيْنِ al-jāniyayni	جَانِيَتَيْنِ jāniyatayni	الْجَانِيَتَيْنِ al-jāniyatayni
genitive	جَانِيَيْنِ jāniyayni	الْجَانِيَيْنِ al-jāniyayni	جَانِيَتَيْنِ jāniyatayni	الْجَانِيَتَيْنِ al-jāniyatayni
plural	masculine		feminine
	broken plural triptote in ـَاة (-āh)‎; sound masculine plural		sound feminine plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
informal	جُنَاة‎; جَانِين junāt‎; jānīn	الْجُنَاة‎; الْجَانِين al-junāt‎; al-jānīn	جَانِيَات jāniyāt	الْجَانِيَات al-jāniyāt
nominative	جُنَاةٌ‎; جَانُونَ junātun‎; jānūna	الْجُنَاةُ‎; الْجَانُونَ al-junātu‎; al-jānūna	جَانِيَاتٌ jāniyātun	الْجَانِيَاتُ al-jāniyātu
accusative	جُنَاةً‎; جَانِينَ junātan‎; jānīna	الْجُنَاةَ‎; الْجَانِينَ al-junāta‎; al-jānīna	جَانِيَاتٍ jāniyātin	الْجَانِيَاتِ al-jāniyāti
genitive	جُنَاةٍ‎; جَانِينَ junātin‎; jānīna	الْجُنَاةِ‎; الْجَانِينَ al-junāti‎; al-jānīna	جَانِيَاتٍ jāniyātin	الْجَانِيَاتِ al-jāniyāti

Noun

جَانٍ • (jānin) m (construct state جَانِي (jānī), plural جَانُونَ (jānūna) or جُنَاة (junāh), feminine جَانِيَة (jāniya))

1. gatherer, harvester, harvestman, reaper
2. perpetrator, offender, delinquent, criminal, culprit, felon, evildoer

Declension

Declension of noun جَانٍ (jānin)

singular	masculine			feminine
	singular triptote in ـٍ (-in)			singular triptote in ـَة (-a)
	indefinite	definite	construct	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	جَانِي jānī	الْجَانِي al-jānī	جَانِي jānī	جَانِيَة jāniya	الْجَانِيَة al-jāniya	جَانِيَة jāniyat
nominative	جَانٍ jānin	الْجَانِي al-jānī	جَانِي jānī	جَانِيَةٌ jāniyatun	الْجَانِيَةُ al-jāniyatu	جَانِيَةُ jāniyatu
accusative	جَانِيًا jāniyan	الْجَانِيَ al-jāniya	جَانِيَ jāniya	جَانِيَةً jāniyatan	الْجَانِيَةَ al-jāniyata	جَانِيَةَ jāniyata
genitive	جَانٍ jānin	الْجَانِي al-jānī	جَانِي jānī	جَانِيَةٍ jāniyatin	الْجَانِيَةِ al-jāniyati	جَانِيَةِ jāniyati
dual	masculine			feminine
	indefinite	definite	construct	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	جَانِيَيْن jāniyayn	الْجَانِيَيْن al-jāniyayn	جَانِيَيْ jāniyay	جَانِيَتَيْن jāniyatayn	الْجَانِيَتَيْن al-jāniyatayn	جَانِيَتَيْ jāniyatay
nominative	جَانِيَانِ jāniyāni	الْجَانِيَانِ al-jāniyāni	جَانِيَا jāniyā	جَانِيَتَانِ jāniyatāni	الْجَانِيَتَانِ al-jāniyatāni	جَانِيَتَا jāniyatā
accusative	جَانِيَيْنِ jāniyayni	الْجَانِيَيْنِ al-jāniyayni	جَانِيَيْ jāniyay	جَانِيَتَيْنِ jāniyatayni	الْجَانِيَتَيْنِ al-jāniyatayni	جَانِيَتَيْ jāniyatay
genitive	جَانِيَيْنِ jāniyayni	الْجَانِيَيْنِ al-jāniyayni	جَانِيَيْ jāniyay	جَانِيَتَيْنِ jāniyatayni	الْجَانِيَتَيْنِ al-jāniyatayni	جَانِيَتَيْ jāniyatay
plural	masculine			feminine
	sound masculine plural‎; broken plural triptote in ـَاة (-āh)			sound feminine plural
	indefinite	definite	construct	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	جَانِين‎; جُنَاة jānīn‎; junāt	الْجَانِين‎; الْجُنَاة al-jānīn‎; al-junāt	جَانِي‎; جُنَاة jānī‎; junāt	جَانِيَات jāniyāt	الْجَانِيَات al-jāniyāt	جَانِيَات jāniyāt
nominative	جَانُونَ‎; جُنَاةٌ jānūna‎; junātun	الْجَانُونَ‎; الْجُنَاةُ al-jānūna‎; al-junātu	جَانُو‎; جُنَاةُ jānū‎; junātu	جَانِيَاتٌ jāniyātun	الْجَانِيَاتُ al-jāniyātu	جَانِيَاتُ jāniyātu
accusative	جَانِينَ‎; جُنَاةً jānīna‎; junātan	الْجَانِينَ‎; الْجُنَاةَ al-jānīna‎; al-junāta	جَانِي‎; جُنَاةَ jānī‎; junāta	جَانِيَاتٍ jāniyātin	الْجَانِيَاتِ al-jāniyāti	جَانِيَاتِ jāniyāti
genitive	جَانِينَ‎; جُنَاةٍ jānīna‎; junātin	الْجَانِينَ‎; الْجُنَاةِ al-jānīna‎; al-junāti	جَانِي‎; جُنَاةِ jānī‎; junāti	جَانِيَاتٍ jāniyātin	الْجَانِيَاتِ al-jāniyāti	جَانِيَاتِ jāniyāti

Etymology 2

Root
ج ن ن (j n n)
9 terms

Has the form derived from the active participle, as if from جَنَّ (janna, “to hide”) (in the passive جُنَّ (junna, “to go crazy”)).

Noun

جَانّ • (jānn) m or f (plural جَوَانّ (jawānn) or جِنَّان (jinnān))

1. snake, serpent
2. (defined, proper noun, Islam) Jann, the forefather of the race of jinn
   • 1445-1505, Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī, Al-Dur al-Manthur, page Surah 2:30:

     وقد كان فيها قبل أن يخلق بألفي عام الجن بنو الجان، ففسدوا في الأرض.

     Two thousand years before [Adam] He [God] created the jinn, the sons of Jann, on earth, and they spread corruption and shed blood therein.

3. (rare or Classical Arabic) a jinn; a genie, a jann.
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 55:74:

     لَمْ يَطْمِثْهُنَّ إِنْسٌ قَبْلَهُمْ وَلَا جَانٌّ

     lam yaṭmiṯhunna ʔinsun qablahum walā jānnun

     touched them has not mankind before them nor a jinn.

4. a serpentine or draconic class of the jinn
5. (in the plural) any supernatural being in general, especially elves and fairies.

Declension

Declension of noun جَانّ (jānn)

singular	basic singular triptote
	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	جَانّ jānn	الْجَانّ al-jānn	جَانّ jānn
nominative	جَانٌّ jānnun	الْجَانُّ al-jānnu	جَانُّ jānnu
accusative	جَانًّا jānnan	الْجَانَّ al-jānna	جَانَّ jānna
genitive	جَانٍّ jānnin	الْجَانِّ al-jānni	جَانِّ jānni
dual	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	جَانَّيْن jānnayn	الْجَانَّيْن al-jānnayn	جَانَّيْ jānnay
nominative	جَانَّانِ jānnāni	الْجَانَّانِ al-jānnāni	جَانَّا jānnā
accusative	جَانَّيْنِ jānnayni	الْجَانَّيْنِ al-jānnayni	جَانَّيْ jānnay
genitive	جَانَّيْنِ jānnayni	الْجَانَّيْنِ al-jānnayni	جَانَّيْ jānnay
plural	basic broken plural diptote
	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	جَوَانّ jawānn	الْجَوَانّ al-jawānn	جَوَانّ jawānn
nominative	جَوَانُّ jawānnu	الْجَوَانُّ al-jawānnu	جَوَانُّ jawānnu
accusative	جَوَانَّ jawānna	الْجَوَانَّ al-jawānna	جَوَانَّ jawānna
genitive	جَوَانَّ jawānna	الْجَوَانِّ al-jawānni	جَوَانِّ jawānni

Related terms

• جِنّ (jinn, “jinn”)
• نَسْنَاس (nasnās, “nasnas”)
• غُول (ḡūl, “ghoul”)

Azerbaijani

Noun

جان (can) (definite accusative جانێ (canı), plural جانلار (canlar))

1. Arabic spelling of can (“life, soul”)

Declension

Declension of جان

	singular	plural
nominative	جان	جانلار
definite accusative	جانێ	جانلارێ
dative	جانا	جانلارا
locative	جاندا	جانلاردا
ablative	جاندان	جانلاردان
definite genitive	جانێن	جانلارێن

Old Anatolian Turkish

Etymology

Borrowed from Persian جان.

Noun

جَانْ • (cān)

1. soul, spirit
   • 14th Century, anonymous author, Dresden manuscript: Kitāb-ı Dedem Ḳorḳud Alā Lisān-ı Tāife-i Oġuzān:

     اولن آدم دیرلمز, چیخان جان كرو كلمز

     ölän ādäm dirilmäz, çıḫan cān gerü gälmäz

     [a] dead person does not arise back, [a] departed soul does not come back

2. life

Derived terms

• جَانْبَازْ

Descendants

• Azerbaijani: can
• Gagauz: can
• Ottoman Turkish: جان (can)
  • Turkish: can
  • → Albanian: xhan
  • → Macedonian: џан (džan)
  • → Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: џан

    Latin script: džan

Further reading

• “can”, in XIII. Yüzyılından Beri Türkiye Türkçesiyle Yazılmış Kitaplarından Toplanan Tanıklarıyle Tarama Sözlüğü (Türk Dil Kurumu yayınları; 212)‎^[1] (in Turkish), Ankara: Türk Dil Kurumu, 1963–1977, page 126

Ottoman Turkish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Anatolian Turkish جان, Persian جان (jân, “soul, vital spirit, life”).

Noun

جان • (can)

1. soul
2. being
3. life
4. heart
5. darling

Descendants

• Turkish: can
• → Albanian: xhan
• → Macedonian: џан (džan)
• → Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic script: џан

  Latin script: džan

Suffix

جان • (can)

1. Suffix expressing intimacy, roughly equivalent to dear or darling, attached to a name or title

Persian

Alternative forms

• جون (jun) (colloquial Iranian)

Etymology

From Middle Persian [Book Pahlavi needed] (HYA), [Book Pahlavi needed] (yʾn'), 𐫃𐫏𐫀𐫗 (gyʾn /⁠gyān⁠/, “soul, ghost”), from Proto-Iranian *wyaHnáH (equivalent to*wi- + *HanH- (“to breathe”)), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *wyaHnás, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁- (“to breathe”), whence, for example, Latin animus.

Cognate with Northern Kurdish giyan, Central Kurdish گیان (giyan), Avestan 𐬬𐬌𐬌𐬁𐬥𐬀𐬌𐬌𐬁 (viiānaiiā), Sanskrit व्यान (vyāná).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [d͡ʒaːn]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [d͡ʒɑːn]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [d͡ʒɑːn]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [d͡ʒɑːn]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [d͡ʒɔːn]

 

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [d͡ʒɒːn]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [d͡ʒɒːn]
  • (Tehrani) IPA^(key): [d͡ʒuːn]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [d͡ʒɔn]

Readings
Classical reading?	jān
Dari reading?	jān
Iranian reading?	jân
Tajik reading?	jon

• Rhymes: -ɑːn, (Tehrani) -uːn

Noun

جان • (jân) (plural جان‌ها)

Dari	جان
Iranian Persian
Tajik	ҷон

1. soul; life; life-force

   جان خود را از دست دادن ― jân-e xod râ az dast dâdan ― to lose one's life, to pass away

   • c. 1580, Vahshī Bāfqī, “گلهٔ یار دل‌آزار”, in گزیده اشعار [Selected Poems]‎^[2]:

     جان من سنگدلی ، دل به تو دادن غلط است
     بر سر راه تو چون خاک فتادن غلط است
     چشم امید به روی تو گشادن غلط است
     روی پر گرد به راه تو نهادن غلط است
     رفتن اولاست ز کوی تو ، ستادن غلط است
     جان شیرین به تمنای تو دادن غلط است

     jān-i man-i sangdilī, dil ba tu dādan ġalat ast
     bar sar-i rāh-i tu čūn xāk fitādan ġalat ast
     čašm-i umēd ba rōy-i tu gušādan ġalat ast
     rōy-i pur gird ba rāh-i to nihādan ġalat ast
     raftan awwalā-st zi kōy-i tu, sitādan ġalat ast
     jān-i šīrīn ba tamannā-yi tu dādan ġalat ast

     My stone-hearted love, it's a mistake to give my heart to you;
     It's a mistake to fall down like dust at the head of your path;
     It's a mistake to open my hopeful eyes to your face;
     It's a mistake to lay my dusty face on your path;
     First of all, I leave your street, it's a mistake to stand here;
     It's a mistake to give up my sweet life to desiring you.

     (Classical Persian transliteration)

2. energy; strength

   پاهایم جان ندارند.

   pâ-hâ-yam jân na-dârand.

   My legs are tired.

   (literally, “My legs have no life.”)

3. main point; essence

   جان کلام ― jân-e kalâm ― heart of the matter

4. (mainly in جانم or جان من) someone very close, e.g. a beloved or close family

   جانم ― jân-am ― my love (literally, “my soul”)

   • c. 1580, Vahshī Bāfqī, “گلهٔ یار دل‌آزار”, in گزیده اشعار [Selected Poems]‎^[3]:

     جان من سنگدلی ، دل به تو دادن غلط است
     بر سر راه تو چون خاک فتادن غلط است
     چشم امید به روی تو گشادن غلط است
     روی پر گرد به راه تو نهادن غلط است
     رفتن اولاست ز کوی تو ، ستادن غلط است
     جان شیرین به تمنای تو دادن غلط است

     jān-i man-i sangdilī, dil ba tu dādan ġalat ast
     bar sar-i rāh-i tu čūn xāk fitādan ġalat ast
     čašm-i umēd ba rōy-i tu gušādan ġalat ast
     rōy-i pur gird ba rāh-i to nihādan ġalat ast
     raftan awwalā-st zi kōy-i tu, sitādan ġalat ast
     jān-i šīrīn ba tamannā-yi tu dādan ġalat ast

     My stone-hearted love, it's a mistake to give my heart to you;
     It's a mistake to fall down like dust at the head of your path;
     It's a mistake to open my hopeful eyes to your face;
     It's a mistake to lay my dusty face on your path;
     First of all, I leave your street, it's a mistake to stand here;
     It's a mistake to give up my sweet life to desiring you.

     (Classical Persian transliteration)

Derived terms

• از جان و دل (az jân o del, “most willingly”, literally “from soul and heart”)
• به جان آمدن (be jân âmadan, “to be endangered”, literally “to come to the soul”)
• جان تسلیم کردن (jân taslim kard, “to pass away”, literally “to surrender the soul”)
• جان دادن (jân dâdan, “to pass away; to give life; to be passionate”, literally “to give the soul”)
• جانان (jânân, “the beloved”, literally “souls; lives”)
• جانباز (jânbâz, “disabled war veteran”, literally “life-gamblers”)
• جاندار (jândâr, “animal”, literally “soul-haver”)
• جانسوز (jân-suz, “heartrending”, literally “soul-burning”)
• جانسپار (jân-separ, “devoted”, literally “soul-entrusting”)
• جان‌آفرین (jân-âfarin, “God”, literally “soul-creator”)

Interjection

جان • (jân)

1. what?; a request for clarification upon mishearing.
2. An exclamation of joy.

Usage notes

• When used for clarification, this is normally pronounced jân and not jun even in colloquial Iranian Persian.

Derived terms

• آخ جان (âx jân)
• آخ جون (âx jun)

Descendants

Descendants

• → Middle Armenian: ջան (ǰan)
  • → Armenian: ջան (ǰan), ճան (čan) — Western Armenian
    • → Russian: джан (džan)
• → Bashkir: йән (yən)
• → Bengali: জান (jan)
• → Chuvash: чун (čun)
• → Gujarati: જાન (jān)
• → Georgian: ჯანი (ǯani)
• → Hindustani:

  Hindi: जान (jān)

  Urdu: جان (jān)

• → Kazakh: жан (jan)
• → Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: جان (can)

  Northern Kurdish: can

• → Kyrgyz: жан (jan)
• Old Anatolian Turkish: جان (cān)
  • Azerbaijani: can
  • Gagauz: can
  • Ottoman Turkish: جان (can)
    • Turkish: can
    • → Albanian: xhan
    • → Macedonian: џан (džan)
    • → Serbo-Croatian:

      Cyrillic script: џан

      Latin script: džan

• → Pashto: جان (ǰān)
• → Sindhi: جان (jān)
• → Southern Altai: јан (ǰan)
• → Tatar: җан (can)
• → Old Azari: جان (ǰān)
• → Turkmen: jan
• → Uyghur: جان (jan)
• → Uzbek: jon

References

• Cheung, Johnny (2007) Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 2), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 161

Punjabi

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Classical Persian جَان (jān).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Punjabi) IPA^(key): /d͡ʒäːnᵊ/

Noun

جان • (jān) f (Gurmukhi spelling ਜਾਨ)

1. life, soul

   Synonyms: زِنْدَگی (zindagī), جِیوَن (jīvan), جِنْدَڑی (jindaṛī), حَیَات, آتْما (ātmā), رُوح (rūḥ)

2. courage, power
3. (figuratively) love, beloved
4. truth, basis (of a matter)

Declension

Declension of جان

	singular	plural
direct	جان (jān)	جاناں (jānāṉ)
oblique	جان (jān)	جاناں (jānāṉ)
vocative	جانے (jāne)	جانو (jāno)
ablative	جانوں (jānoṉ)	جاناں (jānāṉ)
locative	جانی (jānī)	جانِیں (jānīṉ)
instrumental	جانِیں (jānīṉ)	جانے (jāne)

Etymology 2

Inherited from Prakrit 𑀚𑀸𑀡 (jāṇa), from Sanskrit ज्ञान (jñāna).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Punjabi) IPA^(key): /d͡ʒäːɳᵊ/

Noun

جَاݨ • (jāṇ) f (Gurmukhi spelling ਜਾਣ)

1. knowledge, understanding

Declension

Declension of جان

	singular	plural
direct	جَاݨ (jāṇ)	جَاݨاں (jāṇāṉ)
oblique	جَاݨ (jāṇ)	جَاݨاں (jāṇāṉ)
vocative	جَاݨے (jāṇe)	جَاݨو (jāṇo)
ablative	جَاݨوں (jāṇoṉ)	جَاݨاں (jāṇāṉ)
locative	جَاݨی (jāṇī)	جَاݨِیں (jāṇīṉ)
instrumental	جَاݨِیں (jāṇīṉ)	جَاݨے (jāṇe)

Verb

جَاݨ • (jāṇ) (Gurmukhi spelling ਜਾਣ)

1. inflection of جَاݨنا (jāṇnā):
   1. stem
   2. second-person singular present imperative

Etymology 3

Verb

جَاݨ • (jāṇ) (Gurmukhi spelling ਜਾਣ)

1. oblique infinitive of جَاݨا (jāṇā, “to go”)

Further reading

• Iqbal, Salah ud-Din (2002) “جان”, in vaḍḍī panjābī lughat‎ (in Punjabi), Lahore: ʻAzīz Pablisharz
• Bashir, Kanwal (2012) “جان”, in Punjabi-English Dictionary, Hyattsville, MD: Dunwoody Press
• “جان”, in Punjabi-English Dictionary, Patiala: Punjabi University, 2025
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “jñāna”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 291

Sindhi

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian جان (jān).

Noun

جان • (jān) ?

1. life; soul

Torwali

Etymology

From Sanskrit जन्तु (jantú).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d͡ʒaːn/

Noun

جان (ǰan)

1. snake

Further reading

• Torwali, Zubair (2019) “جان”, in Torwali Dictionary (Webonary) (in Torwali), Dallas, Texas, USA: SIL International, published 2020.

Urdu

Alternative forms

• جاں (jā̃)

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian جَان (jān).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /d͡ʒɑːn/
• Rhymes: -ɑːn

Noun

جَان • (jān) f (Hindi spelling जान)

1. life (ie. a soul, person)

   Synonyms: زِنْدَگِی (zindagī), حَیات (hayāt), جِیوَن (jīvan)

2. spirit, vitality

Declension

Declension of جان

	singular	plural
direct	جَان (jān)	جَانیں (jānẽ)
oblique	جَان (jān)	جَانوں (jānõ)
vocative	جَان (jān)	جَانو (jāno)

Derived terms

• جان باز (jān bāz)
• جان دار (jān dār)
• جان لیوَہ (jān leva)
• جان نَشِین (jān naśīn)
• جانِ جان (jān-i jān)

Uyghur

Etymology

Borrowed from Persian جان (jân, “soul, vital spirit, life”).

Noun

جان • (jan)

1. soul
2. spirit
3. life

   جېنىم ― jénim ― my dear

4. person
5. dear

   جان ئانا ― jan ana ― my dear mother