From Middle Persian (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”).[1] 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).
Readings | |
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Classical reading? | ɡiyāh |
Dari reading? | ɡiyāh |
Iranian reading? | ɡiyâh |
Tajik reading? | ɡiyoh |
Dari | گیاه |
---|---|
Iranian Persian | |
Tajik | гиёҳ |
گیاه • (giyâh) (plural گیاهان (giyâhân) or گیاهها (giyâh-hâ))