تنگ

See also: بنك, تنك, بنگ, and تنک

Persian

Etymology 1

From Middle Persian [script needed] (tng /⁠tang⁠/, “narrow, tight”), from Proto-Indo-European *tenk- (“to compact”), perhaps from *ten- (“to stretch”). Cognate with تنجیدن (tanjidan, “to squeeze”), as well as Old Armenian թանկ (tʻank), an Iranian borrowing.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [tanɡ]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰäŋɡ]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰäŋɡ]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰäŋɡ]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰäŋɡ̥]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰæɲɡʲ̥]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰäŋɡ]

Readings
Classical reading?	tang
Dari reading?	tang
Iranian reading?	tang
Tajik reading?	tang

Adjective

Dari	تنگ
Iranian Persian
Tajik	танг

تنگ • (tang) (comparative تنگ‌تَر (tang-tar), superlative تنگ‌تَرین (tang-tarin))

1. narrow, strait
2. tight, fitting tightly
3. sick at heart, distraught; (with دل (“heart”)) missing (something), longing for

   دلم برات تنگ شده.

   del-am barâ-t tang šode.

   I miss you.

   (literally, “My heart has become tight for you.”)

4. distressful, difficult
   • c. 1260s, Jalāl ad-Dīn Mohammad Rūmī, translated by Reynold A. Nicholson, مثنوی معنوی [Masnavi-ye-Ma'navi], volume II, verse 784:

     از وی این دنیای خوش بر تست تنگ
     از پی او با حق و با خلق جنگ

     az way īn dunyā-i xwaš bar tō-st tang
     az pay-i ō bā haq u bā xalq jang

     Through it this fair world is narrow [distressful] to you,
     for its sake [you are at] war with God and man.

     (Classical Persian transliteration)

Related terms

• تنک (tonok, “tightness”)
• تنگ آغوش (tang âğuš, “tight hugger”)
• تنگدست (tangdast, “poor”, literally “tight-handed”)
• تنگنا (tangnâ, “defile, narrow place”)
• تنگی (tangi, “thin”)
• دلتنگ (deltang, “nostalgic, despondent”, literally “tight-hearted”)
• چشم تنگ (česm tang, “stingy”, literally “tight-eyed”)

 

Etymology 2

Via Chagatai from Chinese 桶 (MC thuwngX|duwngX, “tub, keg”)

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [tunɡ]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰʊŋɡ]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰʊŋɡ]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰʊŋɡ]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰuŋɡ̥]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰoɲɡʲ̥]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰuŋɡ]

Readings
Classical reading?	tung
Dari reading?	tung
Iranian reading?	tong
Tajik reading?	tung

Noun

تنگ • (tong)

1. flagon, carafe, decanter

Etymology 3

Via Chagatai from Chinese 等 (MC tojX|tongX, “equal; sort, type, etc.”), or specifically 戥 (“small steelyard for weighing money and similar items”).

Alternative forms

• دنگ (deng, dang)

Noun

تنگ • (teng, tang)

1. a bundle on one half of a beast of burden, package, ass-load
2. a girth, a strap, a band, a brace
3. a wooden instrument with iron teeth used in separating rice from the chaff
4. a machine for making powder
5. an oil-press

Further reading

• Doerfer, Gerhard (1965) Türkische und mongolische Elemente im Neupersischen [Turkic and Mongolian Elements in New Persian] (Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur: Veröffentlichungen der Orientalischen Kommission)‎^[1] (in German), volume II, Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag, pages 574–577, Nr. 941 and 942
• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1892) “تنگ”, in A Comprehensive Persian–English dictionary, London: Routledge & K. Paul, Steingass, Francis Joseph (1892) “دنگ”, in A Comprehensive Persian–English dictionary, London: Routledge & K. Paul

Sindhi

Etymology

From Sanskrit [Term?].

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [t̪ənɡ]

Adjective

تَنگ • (tāng) (Devanagari तान्ग्)

1. narrow

References

• Khānu, Balocu (1960–1988) “تنگ”, in Jāmiʻ Sindhī lughāta (in Sindhi), Hyderabad, Sindh: Sindhī Adabī Borḍ

Urdu

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian تنگ (tang).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /t̪əŋɡ/

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

تنگ • (taṅg) (Hindi spelling तंग)

1. tight, narrow
2. troubled, distressed, vexed
3. distracted, bothered

Derived terms

• تنگ کرنا (tãṅg karnā)