مسکان

Punjabi

Etymology

Inherited from Prakrit *𑀫𑀼𑀲𑁆𑀲𑁆- (*muss-, “smile, sob”) + Middle Indo-Aryan -𑀓𑁆𑀓- (-kka-).

Pronunciation

• (Pakistan) IPA^(key): /mʊs.käːɳ/, [mʊsᵊ.kä̃ːɳᵊ]
• (India) IPA^(key): /mʊs.käːn/, [mʊsᵊ.kä̃ːnᵊ]
• Hyphenation: مُس‧کاݨ

Noun

مُسْکاݨ • (muskāṇ) f (Gurmukhi spelling ਮੁਸਕਾਨ)

1. a smile; smirk

   Synonym: مُسْکَراہَٹ (muskarāhaṭ)

   • 2009, Imran Khan (lyrics and music), “Bounce Billo”, in Unforgettable:

     مٹھی مسکاݨ تیری، چمکݨ تیرے موتی دند

     miṭṭhī muskāṇ terī, camkaṇ tere motī dand

     Your sweet smile, shine your pearl-like teeth

2. (Units of measure) a unit of linear measure equal to 1,760 yards (approximately 1.609 kilometres)

Declension

Declension of مسکان

	singular	plural
direct	مُسْکاݨ (muskāṇ)	مُسْکاݨاں (muskāṇāṉ)
oblique	مُسْکاݨ (muskāṇ)	مُسْکاݨاں (muskāṇāṉ)
vocative	مُسْکاݨے (muskāṇe)	مُسْکاݨو (muskāṇo)
ablative	مُسْکاݨوں (muskāṇoṉ)	مُسْکاݨاں (muskāṇāṉ)
locative	مُسْکاݨی (muskāṇī)	مُسْکاݨِیں (muskāṇīṉ)
instrumental	مُسْکاݨِیں (muskāṇīṉ)	مُسْکاݨے (muskāṇe)

Further reading

• Iqbal, Salah ud-Din (2002) “مُسکان”, in vaḍḍī panjābī lughat‎ (in Punjabi), Lahore: ʻAzīz Pablisharz
• “ਮੁਸਕਾਨ”, in Punjabi-English Dictionary, Patiala: Punjabi University, 2025
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “*muss”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 834