نفرین

Persian

Etymology

From Middle Persian [script needed] (npryn /⁠nifrīn⁠/), ultimately from a negated form of Proto-Indo-European *preyH- (“to love, to please”) and related to آفرین (âfarin, “acclamation, bravo”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [nif.ɾiːn]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [nɪf.ɾiːn]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [nɪf.ɾiːn]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [nɪf.ɾiːn]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [nif.ɾin]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [nef.ɹiːn]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [nif.ɾin]

Readings
Classical reading?	nifrīn
Dari reading?	nifrīn
Iranian reading?	nefrin
Tajik reading?	nifrin

Noun

نفرین • (nefrin)

1. curse

   Synonym: لعنت (la'nat)

   • 1010, Abu'l-Qâsem Ferdowsi Tusi, “Fereydun”, in Dick Davis, transl., Shâhnâme [Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings], Penguin Books, published 1997:

     نهاد آن سرش پست بر خاک بر
     همی خواند نفرین به ضحاک بر
     همی آفرین خواند بر کردگار
     بر آن شادمان گردش روزگار

     nahâd ân sar-aš past bar xâk bar
     hami xând nefrin be zahhâk bar
     hami âfarin xând bar kardegâr
     bar ân šâdmân gardeš-e ruzgâr

     She bowed her head down to the ground, cursing Zahhak and praising God who had brought about such a happy turn of events.

Derived terms

• نفرین کردن (nefrin kardan, “to curse”)
• نفرین کرده (nefrin karde, “cursed”)

 

References

• Cheung, Johnny (2007) Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 2), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 87-8