اسپ

See also: اسب and است

Baluchi

Etymology

From Proto-Iranian *Hácwah, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *Háćwas, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁éḱwos.

Noun

اسپ • (asp)

1. horse

See also

• اپس (aps)

Persian

Etymology

Inherited from Middle Persian 𐭮𐭥𐭮𐭩𐭠 (sʿsyʾ /⁠asp⁠/), from Old Persian 𐎠𐎿𐎱 (a-s-p /⁠aspa⁠/, “horse”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /ˈʔasp/

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔäsp]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔäsp]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [ʔäsp]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [ʔɔːs]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔæspʰ]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔäsp]

Readings
Classical reading?	asp
Dari reading?	asp
Iranian reading?	asp
Tajik reading?	asp

Noun

Dari	اسپ
Iranian Persian	اسب
Tajik	асп

اسپ • (asp) (plural اسپان)

1. Dari standard spelling of اسب (asb, “horse”)
2. Classical form of اسب (asb, “horse”)

Descendants

• → Gujarati: અસપ (asap)

Urdu

Etymology

PIE word
*h₁éḱwos

Borrowed from Classical Persian اسپ (asp) from Middle Persian 𐭮𐭥𐭮𐭩𐭠 (sʿsyʾ /⁠asp⁠/) from Old Persian 𐎠𐎿𐎱 (a-s-p /⁠aspa⁠/, “horse”). Cognate with Baluchi اسپ (asp), Pashto اس (as), Kalasha hãš, and Shina اںشپو (ä̃špo).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /əsp/

Noun

اَسْپ • (asp) m (Hindi spelling अस्प)

1. horse

   Synonyms: گھوڑا (ghoṛā), اَشْو (aśv), تُرَن٘گ (turaṅg)

   وَزِیرِ زَماں نے لِیا ایک اَسْپ کِہ ہَے رَشْکِ گُلْگُون بادِ بَہار نَظَر پوسْت سے اُس کے آتا ہَے خُوں

   vazīr-i zamā̃ ne liyā ek asp ki hai raśk-i gulgūn bād-i bahār nazar post se us ke ātā hai xū̃

   The vizier of the time had gotten a horse, the sight of which rivals the rose-colored bād-i bahār (a speedy Mughal chariot). Blood comes out of its hide.

2. (chess) knight

   Synonym: گھوڑا (ghoṛā)

   سَجے ہُوئے ہَیں پیادَہ و اَسْپ و فِیل تَمام۔ بِچھی ہُوئی ہَے بِساط جَہاں کَہاں گَیا مَیں۔

   saje hūe ha͠i pyāda o asp o fīl tamām. bichī hūī hai bisāt jahā̃ kahā̃ gayā ma͠i.

   All the pawn and knight and bishop (or alfil) are set / Where the chess cloth is spread / Where did I go?

Declension

Declension of اسپ

	singular	plural
direct	اسپ (asp)	اسپ (asp)
oblique	اسپ (asp)	اسپوں (aspõ)
vocative	اسپ (asp)	اسپو (aspo)

Derived terms

• اَسپ دُوانی (asp-duvānī, “horserace”)
• اَسپِ تازی (asp-e-tāzī, “Arabian horse”)
• اَسپِ عُمر (asp-e-'umr, “horse of age”)
• اَسپِ مَگَسی (asp-e-magasī, “black-spotted horse”)
• اَسپِ پالانی (asp-e-pālānī, “pack horse”)
• اَسپی (aspī, “equine”)
• اَسپی طاقَت (aspī tāqat, “horsepower”)

References

• “اسپ”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2025.
• Platts, John T. (1884), “اسپ”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co.
• John Shakespear (1834), “اسپ”, in A dictionary, Hindustani and English: with a copious index, fitting the work to serve, also, as a dictionary of English and Hindustani, 3^rd edition, London: J.L. Cox and Son, →OCLC
• “اسپ”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.