نیا

See also: ـنیا and نيا

Persian

Etymology

From Middle Persian nydʾk' (niyāg, “grandfather; ancestor”). Compare Manichaean Middle Persian nyʾg (niyāg).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [ni.ˈjɑː]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ni.jɑ́ː]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ni.jɑ́ː]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [ni.jɑ́ː]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [ni.jɔ́ː]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [ni.jɒ́ː]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [ni.jɔ́]

Readings
Classical reading?	niyā
Dari reading?	niyā
Iranian reading?	niyâ
Tajik reading?	niyo

Noun

نیا • (niyâ) (plural نیاکان (niyâkân))

Dari	نیا
Iranian Persian
Tajik	ниё

1. ancestor

Urdu

Etymology

Inherited from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀡𑀯𑀺𑀅 (ṇavia), from Sanskrit नविय (náviya), नव्य (návya) (whence Bhojpuri नया (nayā)), from Proto-Indo-Aryan *náwyas, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *náwyas (whence Kamkata-viri nuĩ), from Proto-Indo-European *néwyos (whence English new). Doublet of نو (no).

Cognates include Punjabi نَوَاں / ਨਵਾਂ (navā̃) and Nepali नयाँ (nayā̃).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /nə.jɑː/
• Rhymes: -ɑː

Adjective

نیا • (nayā) (Hindi spelling नया)

1. new

   Antonym: پرانا (purānā)

Declension

Declension of نیا

	masculine			feminine
	singular	plural		singular	plural
direct	نیا (nayā)	نئے (nae)		نئی (naī)	نئی (naī)
indirect	نئے (nae)	نئے (nae)		نئی (naī)	نئی (naī)
vocative	نئے (nae)	نئے (nae)		نئی (naī)	نئی (naī)

References

• “نیا”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
• “نیا”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2025.