ـی

Northern Kurdish

Suffix

ـی (-î)

Arabic spelling of -î

Ottoman Turkish

Etymology 1

Suffix

ـی • (-ı, -i, -u, -ü)

3rd-person possessive suffix
قیامت كونی
kıyamet günü
judgement day

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Classical Persian (-yi).

Particle

ی • (-yi, -yı)

Form of the ezafe particle ـِ for words ending in the vowels ـا (-â) and ـو (-u, -o).
صحرا‌ی کبیر ― Sahra-yı Kebir ― the Sahara (literally, “the great desert”)

Usage notes

It is never joining.

Descendants

Turkish: -yi, -yı

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Classical Persian (-ī).

Suffix

ـی • (-i)

Forms adjectives (often nominalizable ones) from nouns.

Derived terms

Descendants

Turkish: -i

Etymology 4

Borrowed from Classical Persian (-ī).

Suffix

ـی • (-i)

Forms abstract nouns, including names of professions or offices, from adjectives, occupational nouns, or titles.

Derived terms

Ottoman Turkish terms suffixed with ـی (abstract noun)

معماری

Descendants

Turkish: -i

Persian

Etymology 1

From Middle Persian 𐭸 (1 /⁠ē(w)⁠/), from Old Persian 𐎠𐎡𐎺 (a-i-v /⁠aiva⁠/), Proto-Iranian *Háywah, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *Háywas, from Proto-Indo-European *óywos. Compare Ancient Greek οἶος (oîos), and Avestan 𐬀𐬉𐬎𐬎𐬀 (aēuua).

Alternative forms

ای (-i) (used for words ending in (-e) (non-joining))
ـیی (-yi) (used for words ending in (â) and (u, o))

Pronunciation

(Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [.(j)eː]

(Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [.(j)eː]
- (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [.(j)eː]
- (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [.(j)eː]

(Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [.(j)iː]

(Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [.(j)e]

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

Suffix


Iranian Persian	ـی
Dari	ـی
Tajik	-е, ким-

ـی • (-ē / -i)

a, one; marks a noun phrase as indefinite or non-specific, especially in the literary language
Synonym: (colloquial) یه (ye)

― sag-i ― a dog
marks a noun phrase attributed by a subordinate clause as restrictive
sâxtemân-i ke 'ali dar ân zendegi mi-konad bozorg ast.
The building where Ali lives is big.

Contrast with:

ân sâxtemân ke 'ali dar ân zendegi mi-konad bozorg ast.
That building, where Ali lives, is big.

Usage notes

This suffix is attached as a suffix to a noun in a sentence and acts as the indefinite object marker. Nouns ending in (-e) will add the non-joining (-i), and nouns ending in the long vowels (-â) and (-u) will use the form (-i):

― xâne-i ― a house

― kadu-i ― a pumpkin

― xâne-hâ-i ― houses

The stress remains on the root of the word, e.g. (xoršídi, “a sun / the sun which”).

Etymology 2

From Middle Persian Y (ī), from Proto-Iranian *Hyáh, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hyás, from Proto-Indo-European *yós (relative pronoun).

Alternative forms

ـٔ (-ye) (used for words ending in (-e), forming (-e-ye))
ـای (-i) (misspelling, Dari)

Pronunciation

(Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [.ji]

(Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [.jɪ]
- (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [.jɪ]
- (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [.ji]

(Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [.je]

(Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [.ji]

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

Particle


Iranian Persian	ی
Dari	ی
Tajik	-и

ی • (-yi / -ye)

Form of the ezafe particle ـِ for words ending in the vowels ـا (-â), ـو (-u, -o), and ـه (-e).
― âmrikâ-ye jonubi ― South America

― xâne-ye bozorg ― the big house

Usage notes

It is never joining, and the stress remains on the root of the word to which it is attached.

After the vowel ـه (-e), ـٔ may be used instead, forming (-e-ye):

― xâne-ye bozorg ― the big house

Descendants

→ Azerbaijani: -yi-
→ Hindustani:
- Hindi: -ए- (-e-)
- Urdu: ـئے (-e)
→ Ottoman Turkish: ـی (-yi, -yı)
- Turkish: -yi, -yı

Etymology 3

From Middle Persian -yk' / 𐭩𐭪𐭩 (yky /⁠-īg⁠/), itself from Old Persian -𐎡𐎣 (-ikah) (see there for further origin). Cognates include Northern Kurdish -î, Sanskrit -कस (-kasa), Proto-Slavic *-ъkъ, Latin -icus, Old English -iġ, English -y. There is no evidence to support a relation with the Arabic ـِيّ (-iyy) which however does merge with this suffix exclusively in some Arabic loanwords. See (-e) for another instance where the 'g' phoneme is removed from the end of the Middle Persian suffix in its New Persian form. For a few examples in which the final 'g' phoneme in Middle Persian -yk' / 𐭩𐭪𐭩 (yky /⁠-īg⁠/) was transformed to a 'k' phoneme instead of being lost during the transition from Middle to New Persian, refer to تاریک (târik, “dark”), باریک (bârik, “thin, narrow, delicate”), تازیک (tâzik, “Arab”) and نزدیک (nazdik, “near”).

Alternative forms

ای (-i) (used for words ending in (-e) (non-joining))
ـیی (-yi) (used for words ending in (â) and (u, o))

Pronunciation

(Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [.(j)iː]

(Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [.(j)iː]
- (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [.(j)iː]
- (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [.(j)i]

(Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [.(j)iː]

(Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [.(j)i]

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

Suffix


Iranian Persian	ـی
Dari	ـی
Tajik	-ӣ

ـی • (-ī / -i)

Forms adjectives (often nominalizable ones) from nouns.
1. of or pertaining to
  ‎ (xoršid, “sun”) + ‎ → ‎ (xoršidi, “solar”, adjective)
  
  ‎ (peste, “pistachio”) + ‎ → ‎ (peste-i, “containing pistachio (adjective); pistachio green (adjective); pistachio green (noun)”)
2. from or belonging to
  ‎ (pârs, “Pars / Fars”) + ‎ → ‎ (pârsi, “Persian”, adjective, noun)
  
  ‎ (tehrân, “Tehran”) + ‎ → ‎ (tehrâni, “Tehrani”, adjective, noun)
  
  ‎ (âsiyâ, “Asia”) + ‎ → ‎ (âsiyâyi, “Asian”, adjective, noun)
3. able to, capable of being, deserved to be, determined to, and/or destined to
  ‎ (xordan, “to eat”) + ‎ → ‎ (xordani, “edible (adjective); something edible (noun)”)
  
  ‎ (raftan, “to go”) + ‎ → ‎ (raftani, “destined to leave”)
4. surnames (derived from previous senses)
  ‎ (soleymân) + ‎ → ‎ (soleymâni)
  
  ‎ (rezâ) + ‎ → ‎ (rezâyi)
  
  ‎ (xâmene) + ‎ → ‎ (xâmene-i)

Usage notes

is the form attached to words ending in consonants. Nouns ending in (-e) will usually add the non-joining (-i) to form their corresponding adjectives. Nouns ending in the long vowels (-â) and (-u) will use the form (-yi) to form their corresponding adjectives.

This suffix and its alternative forms take the stress, e.g. (xoršidí, “solar”).

Most Persian surnames end in this suffix.

Derived terms

Persian terms suffixed with ـی (adjective)

Descendants

→ Ottoman Turkish: ـی (-i)
- Turkish: -i

References

MacKenzie, D. N. (1986). A Concise Pahlavi Dictionary. OUP. p. 45.

Etymology 4

From Middle Persian 𐭩𐭧 (yḥ /⁠-īh⁠/).

Alternative forms

ـگی (-egi) (used for words ending in (-e))
ـیی (-yi) (used for words ending in (â) and (u, o))

Pronunciation

(Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [.ʔiː]

(Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [.ʔiː]
- (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [.ʔiː]
- (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [.ʔi]

(Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [.ʔiː]

(Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [.ʔi]

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

Suffix


Iranian Persian	ـی
Dari	ـی
Tajik	-ӣ

ـی • (-ī / -i)

Forms abstract nouns, including names of professions or offices, from adjectives, occupational nouns, or titles.
1. forms abstract nouns, from adjectives
  ‎ (bozorg, “big”) + ‎ → ‎ (bozorgi, “bigness”)
  
  ‎ (širin, “sweet”) + ‎ → ‎ (širini, “sweetness”)
  
  ‎ (yegâne, “unique”) + ‎ → ‎ (yegânegi, “uniqueness”)
2. forms the name of a profession, and the place where it is practiced, from an occupational noun
  ‎ (xayyât, “tailor”) + ‎ → ‎ (xayyâti, “tailoring; tailor shop”)
  
  ‎ (nevisande, “writer, author”) + ‎ → ‎ (nevisandegi, “writing, authorship”)
3. forms the name of an office, from a title
  ‎ (xân, “khan”) + ‎ → ‎ (xâni, “khanship”)
  
  ‎ (xalife, “caliph”) + ‎ → ‎ (xalifegi, “caliphship”)

Usage notes

is the form attached to words ending in consonants. Adjectives ending in the short vowel (-e) will use the form (-egī) for their derived nouns. Adjectives ending in the long vowels (-â) and (-u) will use the form (-yi) for their derived nouns.

This suffix and its alternative forms take the stress.

Derived terms

Persian terms suffixed with ـی (abstract noun)

Descendants

→ Azerbaijani: -i
→ Chagatai: ـی
- Uzbek: -i
→ Hindustani: -ī
Hindi: -ई (-ī)

Urdu: ـی (-ī)
→ Ottoman Turkish: ـی (-i)
- Turkish: -i

Urdu

Etymology 1

Inherited from Sauraseni Prakrit -𑀇𑀅 (-ia), from Sanskrit -इक (-ika, diminutive suffix) or Sanskrit -ईय (-īya, adjectival suffix). Later influenced by Persian (-i).

Suffix

ـی • (-ī) (Hindi spelling -ई)

relating to, forms adjectives from nouns
‎جوکِھم (jokhim, “risk”) + ‎ـِی (-ī) → ‎جوکِھمِی (jokhimī, “risky”)

‎پِسْتَہ (pista, “pistachio”) + ‎ـِی (-ī) → ‎پِسْتَئِی (pistaī, “having the color of [shelled] pistachios”)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from the nominative singular form of Sanskrit -इन् (-in, doer, possessor).

Suffix

ـی • (ī) m (Hindi spelling -ई)

doer, possessor
‎ساتھ (sāth, “company, support”) + ‎ـی (-ī) → ‎ساتھی (sāthī, “companion, partner”)

‎روگ (rog, “sickness, disease”) + ‎ـی (-ī) → ‎روگی (rogī, “sick person, patient”)