spʿh

See also: SPH

Middle Persian

Etymology

From Proto-Iranian *cwáHdaH (“army”), itself from Proto-Indo-Iranian *ćwáHdʰaH, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwéh₁-dʰ-o-h₁ (dual), from *ḱweh₁-, *ḱewh₁- (“to swell, be great”). Possible cognate with Avestan 𐬯𐬏𐬌𐬛𐬌𐬌𐬁𐬌 (sūidiiāi, “to swell, increase”, inf.), Bactrian σοδο (sodo /⁠sūd⁠/, “plenty”), Middle Persian [script needed] (swd /⁠sūd⁠/), [script needed] (swwd /⁠sūd⁠/, “profit, advantage”), Sanskrit शवस् (śavas, “strength, superiority”).

Noun

spʿh • (spʿh /spāḥ/)

1. army

Derived terms

• 𐭮𐭯𐭠𐭧𐭯𐭲 (spʾḥpt /⁠spāhbed⁠/)

Descendants

• Persian: سپاه (sepâh)
  • Urdu: سپاه (sīpāh)
• Georgian: სპა (sṗa)