بیگار

Persian

Etymology

Inherited from Middle Persian byk'l (/⁠bēgār⁠/, “corvee, forced labour”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [beː.ɡɑːɾ]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [beː.ɡɑːɾ]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [beː.ɡɑːɾ]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [beː.ɡɑːɾ]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [beː.ɡɔːɾ]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [biː.ɡɒːɹ]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [be.ɡɔɾ]

Readings
Classical reading?	bēgār
Dari reading?	bēgār
Iranian reading?	bigâr
Tajik reading?	begor

Dari	بیگار
Iranian Persian
Tajik	бегор

Noun

بیگار • (bigâr)

1. corvee, forced unpaid labour
   • c. 1260s, Jalāl ad-Dīn Mohammad Rūmī, translated by Reynold A. Nicholson, مثنوی معنوی [Masnavi-ye-Ma'navi], volume II, verse 149:

     گفت عیسی یا رب این اسرار چیست
     میل این ابله در این بیگار چیست

     guft 'Isa yā Rab īn asrār čīst
     mayl īn abla dar īn bēgār čīst

     Jesus cried, “O Lord, what are these hidden purposes (of Thine)?
     What is (the meaning of) this fool's inclination (to engage) in this fruitless work?

References

• Hayyim, Sulayman (1934) “بیگار”, in New Persian–English dictionary, Teheran: Librairie-imprimerie Béroukhim