نهال

Persian

Etymology

Inherited from Middle Persian [script needed] (nhʾl /⁠nihāl⁠/, “sapling”), equivalent to نه (neh-) +‎ ـال (-âl).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [ni.ˈhɑːl]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ne̞.ɦɑ́ːl]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ne̞.ɦɑ́ːl]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [ni.jɑ́ːl]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [ni.jɔ́ːl̥]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [ne.ɦɒ́ːl̥], [næ.ɦɒ́ːl̥]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [ni.ɦɔ́l]

Readings
Classical reading?	nihāl
Dari reading?	nehāl
Iranian reading?	nehâl, nahâl
Tajik reading?	nihol

Noun

Dari	نهال
Iranian Persian
Tajik	ниҳол

نهال • (nehâl or nahâl)

1. sapling, shoot

   Synonym: دِرَختچه (deraxtče)

   • c. 1911, Mohammad Hossein Âğuli Torki-ye Shirâzi, دیوان ترکی شیرازی‎^[1]:

     عشق در عالم معنی ست نهالی شاداب
     خوش نهالی ست و لیکن ثمرش جز غم نیست

     ešq dar âlam ma'ni-st nahâli šâdâb
     xoš nahâli-st va likan samr-aš joz ğam nist

     The meaning of love in the world is a well-watered sapling;
     It is a pretty sapling, but its fruit is naught but grief.

2. seedling
3. (poetic) child

Derived terms

• نهالستان (nehâlestân)
• نهال‌نشانی (nehâl-nešâni, “tree planting, forestation”)

 

References

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