چلیپا

Persian

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Syriac ܨܠܝܒܐ (ṣəlīḇā) or some other Aramaic form, perhaps via Sogdian ܨܠܝܒܐ (clybʾ, “Cross, crucifix”). Aramaic /ṣ/ is often borrowed as /č/ in Middle Iranian. Doublet of صلیب (salib).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [t͡ʃa.liː.ˈpɑː]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [t͡ʃʰä.liː.pʰɑ́ː]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [t͡ʃʰä.liː.pʰɑ́ː]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [t͡ʃʰä.liː.pʰɑ́ː]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [t͡ʃʰä.li.pʰɔ́ː]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [t͡ʃʰæ.liː.pʰɒ́ː]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [t͡ʃʰä.li.pʰɔ́]

Readings
Classical reading?	čalīpā
Dari reading?	čalīpā
Iranian reading?	čalipâ
Tajik reading?	čalipo

Noun

چلیپا • (čalipâ)

1. cross, crucifix

   Synonym: صلیب (salib)

2. something cruciform or crooked:
   1. curl of hair

      Synonyms: زلف (zolf), طره (torre)

   2. (calligraphy) Chalipa (calligraphic panel)
   3. swastika

      Synonyms: صلیب شکسته (salib-e šekaste), سواستیکا (sevâstikâ)

   4. (genetics) Synonym of کیاسما (kiyâsmâ, “chiasma”)

Adjective

چلیپا • (čalipâ)

1. cruciform, cross-like in shape
2. crooked, curly
   • c. 1520, Selim I of the Ottoman Empire, edited by Benedek Péri, The Persian Dīvān of Yavuz Sulṭān Selīm, Budapest, Hungary: Research Centre for the Humanities, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, →ISBN, page 131:

     هر که با زلف چلیپا عشق ورزیدن گرفت
     ترک تقوی کرد و راه بت پرستیدن گرفت

     har ki bā zulf-i čalīpā išq warzīdan girift
     tark-i taqwā kard u rāh-i but parastīdan girift

     Whoever has chosen to love curly locks of hair
     Has abandoned piety and chosen the road of idolatry.

     (Classical Persian transliteration)

Further reading

• Hayyim, Sulayman (1934) “چلیپا”, in New Persian–English dictionary, Teheran: Librairie-imprimerie Béroukhim