عجوز

Arabic

Etymology 1.1

Intensive adjective from the root ع ج ز (ʕ-j-z); compare عَجَزَ (ʕajaza, “to be weak, to grow old”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʕa.d͡ʒuːz/

Noun

عَجُوز • (ʕajūz) f (plural عَجَائِز (ʕajāʔiz) or عُجُز (ʕujuz))

1. old woman
2. old man
3. advanced in years

Declension

Declension of noun عَجُوز (ʕajūz)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	عَجُوز ʕajūz	الْعَجُوز al-ʕajūz	عَجُوز ʕajūz
Nominative	عَجُوزٌ ʕajūzun	الْعَجُوزُ al-ʕajūzu	عَجُوزُ ʕajūzu
Accusative	عَجُوزًا ʕajūzan	الْعَجُوزَ al-ʕajūza	عَجُوزَ ʕajūza
Genitive	عَجُوزٍ ʕajūzin	الْعَجُوزِ al-ʕajūzi	عَجُوزِ ʕajūzi
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	عَجُوزَيْن ʕajūzayn	الْعَجُوزَيْن al-ʕajūzayn	عَجُوزَيْ ʕajūzay
Nominative	عَجُوزَانِ ʕajūzāni	الْعَجُوزَانِ al-ʕajūzāni	عَجُوزَا ʕajūzā
Accusative	عَجُوزَيْنِ ʕajūzayni	الْعَجُوزَيْنِ al-ʕajūzayni	عَجُوزَيْ ʕajūzay
Genitive	عَجُوزَيْنِ ʕajūzayni	الْعَجُوزَيْنِ al-ʕajūzayni	عَجُوزَيْ ʕajūzay
Plural	basic broken plural diptote‎; basic broken plural triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	عَجَائِز‎; عُجُز ʕajāʔiz‎; ʕujuz	الْعَجَائِز‎; الْعُجُز al-ʕajāʔiz‎; al-ʕujuz	عَجَائِز‎; عُجُز ʕajāʔiz‎; ʕujuz
Nominative	عَجَائِزُ‎; عُجُزٌ ʕajāʔizu‎; ʕujuzun	الْعَجَائِزُ‎; الْعُجُزُ al-ʕajāʔizu‎; al-ʕujuzu	عَجَائِزُ‎; عُجُزُ ʕajāʔizu‎; ʕujuzu
Accusative	عَجَائِزَ‎; عُجُزًا ʕajāʔiza‎; ʕujuzan	الْعَجَائِزَ‎; الْعُجُزَ al-ʕajāʔiza‎; al-ʕujuza	عَجَائِزَ‎; عُجُزَ ʕajāʔiza‎; ʕujuza
Genitive	عَجَائِزَ‎; عُجُزٍ ʕajāʔiza‎; ʕujuzin	الْعَجَائِزِ‎; الْعُجُزِ al-ʕajāʔizi‎; al-ʕujuzi	عَجَائِزِ‎; عُجُزِ ʕajāʔizi‎; ʕujuzi

Descendants

• Gulf Arabic: عيوز (ʕayūz)
• → Northern Kurdish: ecûze
• → Ottoman Turkish: عجوز (acuz)
  • Turkish: acuz
• → Persian: عجوز ('ajuz), عجوزه ('ajuze)
  • → Hindustani:

    Hindi: अजूज़ (ajūz)

    Urdu: عجوز (ajūz)

Etymology 1.2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʕu.d͡ʒuːz/

Noun

عُجُوز • (ʕujūz) m

1. old age

Declension

Declension of noun عُجُوز (ʕujūz)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	عُجُوز ʕujūz	الْعُجُوز al-ʕujūz	عُجُوز ʕujūz
Nominative	عُجُوزٌ ʕujūzun	الْعُجُوزُ al-ʕujūzu	عُجُوزُ ʕujūzu
Accusative	عُجُوزًا ʕujūzan	الْعُجُوزَ al-ʕujūza	عُجُوزَ ʕujūza
Genitive	عُجُوزٍ ʕujūzin	الْعُجُوزِ al-ʕujūzi	عُجُوزِ ʕujūzi

Hijazi Arabic

Root
ع ج ز
1 term

Etymology

From Arabic عَجُوز (ʕajūz).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʕa.d͡ʒuːz/

Adjective

عجوز • (ʕajūz) (feminine عَجوزة (ʕajūza), common plural عَجايِز (ʕajāyiz))

1. old (age)

   Antonym: كَبير (kabīr)

Ottoman Turkish

Etymology

From Arabic عَجُوز (ʕajūz).

Adjective

عجوز • (acuz)

1. old woman

Descendants

• Turkish: acuz

Persian

Alternative forms

• عجوزه ('ajuze)

Etymology

From Arabic عَجُوز (ʕajūz).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [ʔa.d͡ʒuːz]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔä.d͡ʒuːz]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔä.d͡ʒuːz]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [ʔä.d͡ʒuːz]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [ʔä.d͡ʒuz]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔæ.d͡ʒuːz]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔä.d͡ʒuz]

Readings
Classical reading?	ajūz
Dari reading?	ajūz
Iranian reading?	ajuz
Tajik reading?	ajuz

Noun

عَجوز • ('ajuz) (plural عَجوز‌ها ('ajuz-hâ) or عَجائِز ('ajâ'ez))

1. old woman; crone; hag; beldam

   Synonym: پیرزن (pirzan)

2. witch; sorceress

   Synonym: ساحره (sâhere)

3. (figurative, poetic) the frail and transient world, compared to a decrepit woman
   • c. 1390, Hafez, “Ghazal 37”, in دیوان حافظ‎^[1]:

     مجو درستیِ عهد از جهانِ سست نهاد
     که این عجوز، عروس هزاردامادست

     majû durustî-yi ahd az jahân-i sust nihâd
     ki în ajûz, arûs-i hazâr dâmâd ast

     Have no faith in promises from this feeble-hearted world,
     For this crone has been the bride to a thousand suitors.

     (romanization in Classical Persian)

Descendants

• → Hindustani:

  Hindi: अजूज़ (ajūz)

  Urdu: عجوز (ajūz)