خوردن

Persian

Etymology

Inherited from Middle Persian (OŠTEN-tn' /⁠xwardan⁠/), 𐫑𐫇𐫡𐫅𐫗 (k̇wrdn /⁠xwardan⁠/), from Proto-Iranian *hwar- (“to eat, consume”), with further origin unknown. Cognates include Northern Kurdish xwarin (“to eat”), Pashto خوړل (xwaṛə́l, “to eat”), Avestan 𐬓𐬀𐬭𐬀𐬌𐬙𐬌 (xᵛaraⁱti, “to consume, eat”).

Original meaning of the root was "to take". During the Proto-Iranian period it replaced the native Indo-European root for "to eat" *h₁ed-, perhaps originally being used in a more informal way. The other root has been preserved in several nominal formations, such as Proto-Iranian *HacwaHastiš (“alfalfa”) and Ossetian ад (ad, “taste”).

Pronunciation

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Verb

خوردن • (xordan) (present stem خور (xor))

1. (transitive) to eat

   امروز چی خورده‌ای؟

   emruz či xordi?

   What did you eat today?

2. (transitive) to drink

   ملاها می‌گویند شراب خوردن گناه است.

   mollâ-hâ mi-guyand šarâb xordan gonâh ast.

   The mullahs say drinking wine is a sin.

3. (transitive) to corrode, to damage, to wear away

   این گاز به شدت فلزات را می‌خورد.

   in gâz be šeddat felezzât râ mi-xorad.

   This gas severely corrodes metals.

4. (with به) to run into, collide with

   مواظب باش بچه، همیشه سرت به میز می‌خوره.

   movâzeb bâš bačče, hamiše sar-et be miz mi-xore.

   Be careful kiddo, you always hit your head on the table.

5. (with به) to fit, to match, to suit, to go along with

   این صندلی به این میز نمی‌خوره.

   in sandali be in miz ne-mi-xore.

   This chair doesn't fit this table.

6. to suffer, to receive; used in various compound verbs, often with negative meaning.

   سرما خوردن ― sarmâ xordan ― to catch a cold

   غصه خوردن ― ğosse xordan ― to become sad

   سیلی خوردن ― sili xordan ― to get slapped in the face

Conjugation

Derived terms

Related terms

See also

References

• Hayyim, Sulayman (1934) “خوردن”, in New Persian–English dictionary, Teheran: Librairie-imprimerie Béroukhim
• Cheung, Johnny (2007) Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 2), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 147