روباه

See also: روباہ

Persian

یک روباهِ سرخ

Alternative forms

• روبَه (rubah) (poetic)

Etymology

From Middle Persian [Book Pahlavi needed] (lwpʾh /⁠rōbāh⁠/, “fox”), from Old Persian *raupāθah (“fox”), from Proto-Iranian *HrawpaHcáh.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [ɾoː.βɑːh]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [roː.bɑːʱ]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [roː.bɑːʱ]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [roː.bɑː]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [rʊː.bɔː]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [ɹuː.bɒːʱ]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [ɾɵ.bɔʱ]

Readings
Classical reading?	rōḇāh
Dari reading?	rōbāh
Iranian reading?	rubâh
Tajik reading?	rüboh

Noun

Dari	روباه
Iranian Persian
Tajik	рӯбоҳ

روباه • (rubâh) (plural روباهان (rubâhân) or روباه‌ها (rubâh-hâ))

1. fox
2. (figurative) a cunning and sly person

   من عمراً به این روباهِ پیر اعتماد نمی‌کنم!

   man omran be in rubâh-e pir e'temâd nemikonam

   I won't trust this sly old fox!

3. (figurative, derogatory) The British Empire, the United Kingdom, or England

   انگلیس یه روباه حقّه‌بازه!

   engelis ye rubâh-e hoqqe-bâze!

   England (UK) is a sly fox!

   See also: کار، کار انگلیسی‌هاست

Derived terms

• دم‌روباهی (dom-rubâhi, “foxtail grass”)
• روباه قطبی (rubâh-e qotbi, “arctic fox”)

Descendants

• → Malay: rubah
  • Indonesian: rubah
• → Ottoman Turkish: روباه (rubah)

References

Dehkhoda, Ali-Akbar (1931–) “روباه”, in Dehkhoda Dictionary Institute, editors, Dehkhoda Dictionary (in Persian), Tehran: University of Tehran Press