گیاه

Persian

Etymology

From Middle Persian [Book Pahlavi needed] (gyʾh /⁠giyāh⁠/, “grass”), from a compound formation related to Avestan 𐬔𐬀𐬊𐬛𐬁𐬌𐬌𐬎 (gaodāiiu, “grass”, literally “cow-giver”), or that which nourishes the cow, synchronically analyzable as گاو (gâv, “cow”) +‎ دادَن (dâdan, “to give”). Compare with Manichaean Middle Persian 𐫃𐫏𐫀𐫇 (gyʾw /⁠giyāw⁠/, “grass, herbage”), 𐫃𐫏𐫀𐫃 (gyʾg /⁠gyāg⁠/, “grass”), Parthian 𐫃𐫇𐫏𐫀𐫇 (gwyʾw /⁠guyāw⁠/, “grass”), Northern Kurdish giya (“grass, herb”), Central Kurdish گِیا (giya), Gurani گیواو (gīwāw), گیاو (giyāw) and Baluchi گیاب (giyáb).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [ɡi.ˈjɑːh]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ɡi.jɑ́ːʱ]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ɡi.jɑ́ːʱ]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [ɡi.jɑ́ː]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [ɡi.jɔ́ː]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [ɡi.jɒ́ːʰ]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [ɡi.jɔ́ʱ]

Readings
Classical reading?	ɡiyāh
Dari reading?	ɡiyāh
Iranian reading?	ɡiyâh
Tajik reading?	ɡiyoh

Noun

Dari	گیاه
Iranian Persian
Tajik	гиёҳ

گیاه • (giyâh) (plural گیاهان (giyâhân) or گیاه‌ها (giyâh-hâ))

1. grass
2. plant
3. vegetable
4. herb

Derived terms

• گیاهی (giyâhi)
• گیاهخوار (giyâhxâr)
• گیاهخواری (giyâhxâri)
• گیاه‌شناس (giyâh-šenâs)
• گیاه‌شناسی (giyâh-šenâsi)

Descendants

• → Gujarati: ગિયાહ (giyāh)
• → Uyghur: گىياھ (giyah)

Further reading

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