فرمودن

From Middle Persian (plmwtn', plmʾd- /⁠framūdan, framāy-⁠/, “to order, command”), from Old Persian (/⁠framа̄-⁠/), from Proto-Iranian *fra- + *maH- (“to measure”), the latter from Proto-Indo-European *meh₁- (“to measure”).

• Audio (Iran):

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فرمودن • (farmudan) (present stem فرما (farmâ))

1. to order, to command

   Synonym: دستور دادن (dastur dâdan)

   • c. 1260, Saʿdī, “Rubaʿī 73”, in دیوان سعدی [The Divān of Saʿdī]‎:

     گر تیر جفای دشمنان می‌آید
     دل تنگ مکن که دوست می‌فرماید
     بر یار ذلیل هر ملامت کاید
     چون یار عزیز می‌پسندد شاید

     gar tīr-i jafā-yi dušmanān mē-āyad
     dil tang ma-kun ki dōst mē-farmāyad
     bar yār-i zalīl har malāmat k-āyad
     čōn yār-i azīz mē-pasandad šāyad

     If the arrow of the enemies' cruelty comes ,
     Grieve not your heart, for the Friend commands !
     Every disgrace that comes to the wretched lover
     Is endurable, should the dear beloved desire it.

     (Classical Persian transliteration.)

2. (deferential, formal) to say; used as a substitute for گفتن (goftan, “to say”) to show respect.

   چی فرمودید؟ ― či farmudid? ― What did you say?

   • c. 1599, Bahāʾ al‐Dīn ʿĀmilī, “Section 3”, in کشکول‎:

     امیر مؤمنان علی(ع) را روزی که بر قاطری به جنگ بود، گفتند: کاش اسبی را بر همی نشستی. فرمود: من از کسی که حمله آرد، نگریزم و بر آن کس که گریزد حمله نبرم. از این رو، همین قاطر کفایتم می‌کند.

     amīr-i mu'minān (alayhi-s-salām) rā rōzē ki bar qātirē ba jang būd, guftand: kāš asbē rā bar hamē nišastī. farmūd: man az kasē ki hamla ārad, na-gurēzam u bar ān kas ki gurēzad hamla na-baram. az īn rō, hamīn qātir kifāyat-am mē-kunad.

     When the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) went to battle on a mule one day, they said to him: "I wish you were sitting on a horse!" He said: "I do not flee from the one who attacks me and do not attack the one who flees. Therefore this mule is enough for me."

     (Classical Persian romanization)

3. (deferential, formal) In compound verbs, occasionally used as a substitute for کردن (kardan, “to do”) to show respect.

• When speaking respectfully, گفتن (goftan, “to say”) is replaced by the humble verb عرض کردن (arz kardan, literally “to petition”) for your own speech and the deferential verb فرمودن (farmudan, literally “to command”) for the other person's speech. These two verbs should not be confused.

• ⇒ Gujarati: ફરમાવવું (pharmāvvũ)
• ⇒ Bengali: ফরমানো (fôrmano)
• ⇒ Hindustani:

  Hindi: फ़रमाना (farmānā)

  Urdu: فرمانا (farmānā)

• ⇒ Marathi: फर्मावणे (pharmāvṇe)
• ⇒ Punjabi:

  Gurmukhi script: ਫ਼ਰਮਾਉਣਾ (farmāuṇā)

  Shahmukhi script: فَرماؤنا (farmā'onā)

• Cheung, Johnny (2007) “*maH”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 2), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 255
• Horn, Paul (1893) Grundriss der neupersischen Etymologie (in German), Strasbourg: K.J. Trübner, § 821, page 182