Persian

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Pronunciation

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Readings
Classical reading?
Dari reading?
Iranian reading?
Tajik reading?

Etymology 1

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From Middle Persian 𐭠𐭭 (-ān). Compare Pashto ـونه (-ona), Northern Luri ـۆ(ن) (-ø(n)).

Suffix

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Dari ـان
Iranian Persian
Tajik -он

ـان (-ân)

  1. a suffix forming the plural of nouns, chiefly animate ones
    Hypernym: ها (-hâ, possible for any noun)
Usage notes
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  • In the formal standard language, -ân is usable with almost all words for persons and many animal names. It is also employed with a limited number of inanimate nouns, e.g. چشمان (češmân, eyes), سخنان (soxanân, words). In pre-modern or poetic texts it is used more freely. In the contemporary Iranian vernacular, on the other hand, the suffix is rare and only a handful of words are common, e.g. آقایان (âqâyân, misters), عزیزان ('azizân, dear ones, friends).
  • The suffix becomes گان (-gân) after a native word in silent ه (-e), and یان (-yân) after و (-u) or ا (-a).

Etymology 2

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Suffix

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Dari ـان
Iranian Persian
Tajik -он

ـان (-ân)

  1. a suffix attached to the present stem of verbs to derive adjectives
    خند (xand-, present stem of خندیدن (xandidan, to laugh)) + ‎ـان (-ân) → ‎خندان (xandân, laughing)
    گری (gery-, present stem of گریستن (geristan, to cry)) + ‎ـان (-ân) → ‎گریان (geryân, weeping)
    رو (rav-, present stem of رفتن (raftan, to go)) + ‎ـان (-ân) → ‎روان (ravân, flowing)

Urdu

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Etymology

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Inherited from Sanskrit -इनी (-inī), feminine of -इन् (-in, possessive suffix).

Suffix

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ـاِن (-inf (Hindi spelling -इन)

  1. forms feminine equivalents
    ناتی (nātī, grandson) + ‎ـان → ‎ناتِن (nātin)
    ناگ (nāg, snake) + ‎ـان → ‎ناگِن (nāgin)

Derived terms

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