-ܣܛܢ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Alternative forms

• -ܸܣܬܵܢ (-istān)

Etymology

Borrowed from Persian ـستان (-istān, “place where something abounds”).

Suffix

-ܸܣܛܵܢ • (-isṭān)

1. Used in the names of regions in the Middle East and Central Asia which were historically influenced by Persian and Turkic cultures.

Usage notes

Corresponding demonym formed by suffixing -ܵܝܵܐ (-āyā), yielding -ܣܛܵܝܵܢܵܐ (-sṭāyānā). When the root is an ethnicity, the -ܣܛܵܢܵܝܵܐ (-sṭānāyā) form refers to the nationality, not ethnicity. Compare ܩܲܙܵܩܵܝܵܐ (qazzāqāyā, literally “member of Kazakh ethnic group”) and ܩܲܙܵܩܸܣܛܵܢܵܝܵܐ (qazzāqisṭānāyā, literally “inhabitant of nation of Kazakhstan”).

Derived terms

• ܐܘܼܙܒܲܟܸܣܛܵܢ (uzbakkisṭān, “Uzbekistan”)
• ܐܲܦ̮ܓ݂ܵܢܸܣܛܵܢ (afḡānisṭān, “Afghanistan”)
• ܦܵܟܸܣܛܵܢ (pākisṭān, “Pakistan”)
• ܩܘܼܪܕܸܣܛܵܢ (qurdisṭān, “Kurdistan”)
• ܩܲܙܵܩܸܣܛܵܢ (qazzāqisṭān, “Kazakhstan”)
• ܩܸܪܓܝܼܣܛܵܢ (qirgīsṭān, “Kyrgyztan”)
• ܬܘܼܪܟܡܵܢܸܣܛܵܢ (turkmānisṭān, “Turkmenistan”)
• ܬܵܓ̰ܝܼܟܸܣܛܵܢ (tājīkisṭān, “Tajikistan”)