حلقه به گوش

Persian

FWOTD – 26 June 2022

Alternative forms

• حلقه بگوش (halqe be guš)

Etymology

حلقه (halqe, “ring, hoop”) +‎ به (be, “on”) +‎ گوش (guš, “ear”), literally “ring-on-the-ear”. In ancient and medieval Persia, slaves were marked by earrings bearing their owner’s name.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [hal.qa ba ɡoːʃ]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [häl.qä bä ɡoːʃ]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [häl.qä bä ɡoːʃ]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [ʔäl.qä bä ɡoːʃ]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [ʔäl.qä bä ɡʊːʃ]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [hæl.ɢe be ɡ̥uːʃ]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [häl.qä bä ɡɵʃ]

Readings
Classical reading?	halqa ba gōš
Dari reading?	halqa ba gōš
Iranian reading?	halğe be guš
Tajik reading?	halqa ba güš

Noun

حلقه به گوش • (halqe be guš)

1. (metonymically) slave; bondsman

   Synonyms: بنده (bande), غلام (ğolâm)

   • c. 1390, Hafez, “Ghazal 317”, in دیوان حافظ [The Divān of Hafez]‎^[1]:

     تا شدم حلقه به گوشِ درِ میخانهٔ عشق
     هر دم آید غمی از نو به مبارکبادم

     tâ šudam halqa ba gôš-i dar-i mayxâna-yi išq
     har dam âyad ğammî az naw ba mubârakbâd-am

     Since I became a slave to the door of love’s tavern
     A sorrow comes every moment to congratulate me anew.

     (romanization in Classical Persian)

Adjective

حلقه به گوش • (halqe be guš)

1. (figurative) obedient; submissive; slavish