اسفند

Persian

Alternative forms

• اسپند
• سپند

Etymology 1

A contraction of اسفندارمذ , اسفندارمزد , from Middle Persian spndrmt’ (Spandarmad, literally “holy thought”); name of the fourth Amahraspand (divine deity) in Zoroastrianism and a Goddess. Compare Old Armenian սանդարամետ (sandaramet), սպանդարամետ (spandaramet), Iranian borrowings.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [ʔis.fanð]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔɪs.fän̪d̪]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔɪs.fän̪d̪]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [ʔɪs.fän̪d̪]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [ʔis.fän̪d̪̥]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔes.fæn̪d̪̥]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔis.fän̪d̪]

Readings
Classical reading?	isfand
Dari reading?	isfand
Iranian reading?	esfand
Tajik reading?	isfand

• Audio (Iran):

  (file)

Proper noun

Dari	اسفند
Iranian Persian
Tajik	Исфанд

اسفند • (esfand)

1. Esfand, the twelfth month of the solar Persian calendar.
2. Name of the fifth day of any month of the solar Persian calendar.

Etymology 2

From Middle Persian [script needed] (spand), ultimately from Proto-Iranian *cwantaH (“holy”) (compare Avestan 𐬯𐬞𐬆𐬧𐬙𐬀 (spəṇta, “holy”), because the plant is used in fumigation against evil eye. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwen-. Cognate to Pashto "Spelani", the same thing.

Noun

اسفند • (esfand)

1. wild rue

Descendants

• → Ottoman Turkish: اسفند