افسر

Persian

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [ʔaf.ˈsaɾ]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔäf.sǽɾ]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔäf.sǽɾ]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [ʔäf.sǽɾ]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [ʔäf.sǽɾ]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔæf.sǽɹ]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔäf.sǽɾ]

Readings
Classical reading?	afsar
Dari reading?	afsar
Iranian reading?	afsar
Tajik reading?	afsar

Etymology 1

Inherited from Middle Persian [script needed] (’p̄ysl /⁠aꞵesar⁠/). Further possibly containing a deformed prefix to سر (sar, “head”) and a clipped ending after a Proto-Iranian *upasarah.

Noun

افسر • (afsar) (plural افسرها (afsar-hâ))

1. (archaic) crown, diadem

   Synonyms: تاج (tâj), کلاه (kolâh), دیهیم (deyhim), اکلیل (eklil)

   • 10th Century CE, Ferdowsi, Shahnameh

     که جاوید باد افسر و تخت او
     ز خورشید تابنده‌تر بخت او

     ke jâvid bâd afsar o taxte 'u
     ze xoršid tâbande-tar baxte 'u

     May his crown and throne be ever-lasting
     May his fortune be brighter than the sun

Descendants

• → Azerbaijani: əfsər
• → Ottoman Turkish: افسر (efser)
  • Turkish: efser

See also

• افسار (afsâr, “headstall”)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English officer.

Noun

افسر • (afsar) (plural افسران (afsarân))

1. (military, Iran) officer

   Synonym: (Dari) آفیسر (âfiser)

References

• Dehkhoda, Ali-Akbar (1931–) “افسر”, in Dehkhoda Dictionary Institute, editors, Dehkhoda Dictionary (in Persian), Tehran: University of Tehran Press
• Henning, W. B. (1977) Selected Papers (Acta Iranica; 14)‎^[1], volume 1, Tehran and Liège: Bibliothèque Pahlavi, page 131: “darf nicht auf *abisarah- (> *ōsär) zurückgeführt werden, vielleicht aber auf *upasarah-”
• Horn, Paul (1893) Grundriss der neupersischen Etymologie (in German), Strasbourg: K.J. Trübner, page 23 Nr. 99
• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1892) “افسر”, in A Comprehensive Persian–English dictionary, London: Routledge & K. Paul, page 83
• Vullers, Johann August (1855) “افسر”, in Lexicon Persico-Latinum etymologicum cum linguis maxime cognatis Sanscrita et Zendica et Pehlevica comparatum, e lexicis persice scriptis Borhâni Qâtiu, Haft Qulzum et Bahâri agam et persico-turcico Farhangi-Shuûrî confectum, adhibitis etiam Castelli, Meninski, Richardson et aliorum operibus et auctoritate scriptorum Persicorum adauctum‎^[2] (in Latin), volume 1, Gießen: J. Ricker, page 112b