Middle Persian

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Etymology

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Paul Horn connects with the Iranian source of Old Armenian յոյզ (yoyz, seeking, searching; trouble, agitation), յուզեմ (yuzem, to seek, to search; to trouble, to agitate), interpreting the original meaning of the animal's name as “the seeker”. Compare the simple verb یوزیدن (yuzidan, yôzidan, to look for, to search for, to seek out). It should be noted that formerly the cheetah was tamed by aristocrats and used to hunt antelopes in much the same way as is still done with members of the greyhound group of dogs; compare the names hunting leopard, hunting cat, Jagdleopard.

Cognate with Khwarezmian [script needed] (ywz, cheetah), Northern Kurdish osek (panther) and with the Iranian borrowings: Old Armenian յովազ (yovaz), յաւազ (yawaz), Georgian ავაზა (avaza), Classical Syriac ܝܘܙܐ (yōzāʾ, yawzāʾ).

Noun

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ywc (yōz)

  1. cheetah

Descendants

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  • Persian: یوز (yuz)
    • Central Kurdish: یووز (yûz, small hunting dog) (dialect of the Mokri tribe)
    • Pashto: يوز m (yuz, cheetah)

References

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