بلکه

Khalaj

Adverb

بَلکه (bəlki)

1. Arabic spelling of bəlki (“maybe”)

Persian

Etymology

Derived from Arabic بَلْ (bal, “but”) + که (ke, “that”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [bal.ki]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [bäl.kʰɪ]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [bäl.kʰɪ]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [bäl.kʰɪ]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [bäl.kʰi]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [bæl.kʰʲe]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [bäl.kʰi]

Readings
Classical reading?	balki
Dari reading?	balki
Iranian reading?	balke
Tajik reading?	balki

Conjunction

Dari	بلکه
Iranian Persian
Tajik	балки

بلکه • (balke)

1. but (... also)

   نه تنها آسانسور هتلتان خراب بود، بلکه ما از پلّکانتان هم نتوانستیم استفاده کنیم!

   Na tanhâ âsânsor-e hoteletân xarâb bud, balke mâ az pellekânetân ham na tavânestim estefâde konim!

   Not only was the elevator of your hotel out of order, but we also couldn't use the stairs!

2. but (... instead)

   من با مدیر حرف نزدم، بلکه با کارمندی که در آن‌جا بود حرف زدم.

   Man bâ modir harf na zadam, balke bâ kârmandi ke dar ânjâ bud harf zadam.

   I didn't talk to the manager, but (rather) to the employee who was there.

Descendants

• → Armenian: բալքի (balkʻi)
• → Old Anatolian Turkish: بلكه (bälki)
  • Azerbaijani: bəlkə (“maybe, perhaps”)
  • Khalaj: bəlki (“maybe, perhaps”)
  • Ottoman Turkish: بلكه (“certainly, beyond any doubt; even; perhaps”)
    • Turkish: belki (“maybe, perhaps”)
    • → Crimean Tatar: belki (“maybe, perhaps”)
    • → Hijazi Arabic: بلكن (balkin, “maybe, perhaps”), بلكي (balki) (archaic)
    • → South Levantine Arabic: بلكي (balki, “perhaps”), بلكن (balken), بركي (barki)
    • → Libyan Arabic: بلكي (balki, “perhaps”)
    • → Cypriot Arabic: perki (“maybe, perhaps”)
    • → Macedonian: белки (belki, “perhaps, possibly”), белким (belkim, “perhaps, possibly”)
    • → Zazaki: belki (“maybe, perhaps”)
• Hindustani
  • → Hindi: बल्कि (balki)
  • → Urdu: بلکہ (balke)