شیرفش

Persian

FWOTD – 4 May 2021

Alternative forms

• شیروَش (širvaš)

Etymology

From شیر (šir, “lion”) +‎ ـفَش (faš, “-like”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [ʃeːɾ.faʃ]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʃeːɾ.fäʃ]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʃeːɾ.fäʃ]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [ʃeːɾ.fäʃ]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [ʃeːɾ.fäʃ]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [ʃiːɹ.fæʃ]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [ʃeɾ.fäʃ]

Readings
Classical reading?	šērfaš
Dari reading?	šērfaš
Iranian reading?	širfaš
Tajik reading?	šerfaš

Adjective

Dari	شیرفش
Iranian Persian
Tajik	шерфаш

شیرفش • (širfaš)

1. (archaic, literary) lionlike, leonine
   • 10th Century CE, Ferdowsi, Shahnameh

     سپاهی که دیدند کوپال اوی / بر و مِغفَر و شیرفش یال اوی

     sepâhi ke didand kupâle 'uy / bar o meqfar o širfaš yâle 'uy

     The (enemy) army then saw his (formidable) mace, / his (colossal) build, his (mighty) helmet, and his leonine mane of hair

2. (figurative, literary) courageous, valiant, or violent
   • 10th Century CE, Ferdowsi, Shahnameh

     بیارم یکی لشکرِ شیرفَش / برآرم شما را سر از خوابِ خَوش

     biaram yeki laškare širfaš / bar-âram šomâ râ sar az xâbe xaš

     I shall gather a valiant army / and disrupt your peaceful sleep

   Synonyms: اَرغَند (arğand), شُجاع (šojâ'), دِلیر (delir)

Related terms

• اژدهافَش (aždahâfaš), دیوفَش (divfaš), کوه‌فَش (kuh-faš)

References

1. Dehkhoda, Ali-Akbar (1931–) “شیرفش”, in Dehkhoda Dictionary Institute, editors, Dehkhoda Dictionary (in Persian), Tehran: University of Tehran Press