Inherited from Middle Persian zlyh (zrēh), from Parthian 𐫉𐫡𐫏𐫆 (zrēh), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *ȷ́ráyas (“expanse, vastness; ocean”), ultimately derived from the BMAC substrate.
Cognate with Baluchi زرا (zirá), Mazanderani دریو (deryō), Central Kurdish زەریا (zerya), and Avestan 𐬰𐬭𐬀𐬌𐬌𐬀𐬵 (zraiiah).
Doublet of دَریا (daryâ, “sea; river”), inherited from Old Persian.
| Readings | |
|---|---|
| Classical reading? | zirāh~zarāh |
| Dari reading? | zirāh~zarāh |
| Iranian reading? | zerâh~zarâh |
| Tajik reading? | ziroh~zaroh |
| Dari | زراه |
|---|---|
| Iranian Persian | |
| Tajik | зироҳ |
زراه • (zerâh)
| Basic forms of زراه (zirâh) | ||
|---|---|---|
| singular | plural | |
| bare | زراه (zirâh) |
زراهها (zirâh-hấ) زراها △ (zirâhấ) |
| definitive direct object | زراه را (zirâh râ) زراه رو △ (zirâho) |
زراهها را (zirâh-hấ râ) زراها رو △ (zirâhấ ro) |
| ezâfe | زراه (zirâh-e) |
زراههای (zirâh-hấ-ye) زراهای △ (zirâhấ-ye) |
| marked indefinite or relative definite |
زراهی (zirâh-i) |
زراههایی (zirâhấn-i, zirâh-hấ-i) زراهایی △ (zirâhấi) |
| △ Colloquial. | ||