چرا

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Persian

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Etymology 1

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From Middle Persian ME lʾd (čim rāy, why),[1] from Proto-Iranian *čim (what) + *rādi- (reason, thing), literally, what reason.[2] The former is from Proto-Indo-Iranian *kím ~ čím, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷím (what), while the latter is a lexicalization of the locative singular of Proto-Iranian *rād-, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *HraHdʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European *Hreh₁dʰ- (to think, arrange, accomplish).[3] By surface analysis, چه (če, what) +‎ رای (rây, reason).

Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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Readings
Classical reading? čirā
Dari reading? čurā
Iranian reading? čerâ
Tajik reading? čaro

Adverb

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Dari چرا
Iranian Persian
Tajik чаро

چرا (čerâ)

  1. why
    Synonyms: برای چه (barâye če), برای چی (barâye či), واسه چی (vâse či)
    چرا رفتی شیراز؟
    čerâ rafti širâz?
    Why did you go to Shiraz?
Derived terms
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Etymology 2

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Ellipsis of چرا که نه؟ (čerâ ke na?, why not?).

Interjection

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چرا (čerâ)

  1. (definite positive response to a negative question or statement) yes; surely

Etymology 3

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From چر (čar, present stem of چریدن (čaridan, to graze, pasture)) +‎ ـا (, nominal suffix).[4]

Noun

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چرا (čarâ)

  1. pasturing, grazing

References

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  1. ^ MacKenzie, D. N. (1971) A concise Pahlavi dictionary, London, New York, Toronto: Oxford University Press, page 22
  2. ^ Rastorgujeva, V. S., Edelʹman, D. I. (2003) Etimologičeskij slovarʹ iranskix jazykov [Etymological Dictionary of Iranian Languages] (in Russian), volume 2, Moscow: Vostochnaya Literatura, page 203
  3. ^ Edelʹman, D. I. (2020) Etimologičeskij slovarʹ iranskix jazykov [Etymological Dictionary of Iranian Languages] (in Russian), volume 6, Moscow: Vostochnaya Literatura, page 451; 456
  4. ^ Rastorgujeva, V. S., Edelʹman, D. I. (2003) Etimologičeskij slovarʹ iranskix jazykov [Etymological Dictionary of Iranian Languages] (in Russian), volume 2, Moscow: Vostochnaya Literatura, pages 227-8