خرد

Ottoman Turkish

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Classical Persian خُرْد (xurd), from Middle Persian [script needed] (hwlt' /⁠xwurd⁠/, “little”), perhaps originally the past participle of [script needed] (hwltn' /⁠xwardan⁠/, “to eat”); for the semantic development, compare the derivation of Proto-West Germanic *biti (“bit”) from *bītan (“to bite”); see Classical Persian خوردن (xwardan / xordan) for more on the root.

Adjective

خرد • (hurd)

1. little, small
2. petty, insignificant

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Classical Persian خِرَد (xirad, “wisdom, intellect”), from Middle Persian [script needed] (hlt /⁠xrat, xrad⁠/, “wisdom, understanding, intelligence”), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *krátuš (“intelligence, mental power”), from Proto-Indo-European *krét-us.

Noun

خرد • (hıred)

1. wisdom, intellect, sense, judgment, understanding

Persian

Etymology 1

Inherited from Middle Persian [script needed] (hwlt' /⁠xwurd⁠/, “little”), perhaps originally the past participle of [script needed] (hwltn' /⁠xwardan⁠/, “to eat”); for the semantic development, compare the derivation of Proto-West Germanic *biti (“bit”) from *bītan (“to bite”). Compare Talysh هرد (hərd), Northern Luri هیرد (hird), Baluchi ہورت (hurt, “little, tiny; lamb herd”); see خوردن (xwardan / xordan) for more on the root.

Pronunciation

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

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [xʊɹd̪]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [xʊɹd̪]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [xʊɹd̪]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [xuɹd̪̥]

 

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [xoɹd̪̥]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [xoɹd̪̥]
  • (Tehrani) IPA^(key): [xuːɹd̪̥]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [χuɹd̪]

• Rhymes: -urd

Readings
Classical reading?	xurd
Dari reading?	xurd
Iranian reading?	xord
Tajik reading?	xurd

Adjective

خرد • (xurd / xord) (comparative خردتَر, superlative خردتَرین, Tajik spelling хурд)

1. (normal in Dari, archaic in Iran) little, small (in physical size)

   Synonym: کوچک (kōčak / kuček)

   Antonyms: کلان (kalān / kalân), بزرگ (buzurg / bozorg)

2. (figurative) small, micro-

   اقتصاد خرد ― eqtesâd-e xord ― micro-economics

3. insignificant, trifling (mainly used of money)

   پول خورد (colloquial Iranian) ― pul-e xurd ― small change

Usage notes

• Nowadays, this word is generally used for actual physical size only in Afghanistan.

Alternative forms

• خورد (xūrd / xurd) (colloquial Iranian)

Derived terms

• خرد کردن (xurd kardan / xord kardan, “to break into pieces”)
• خردبین (xurd-bīn / xord-bin, “small-minded”)
• خردسال (xurdsāl / xordsâl, “child”)
• خرده (xurda / xorde, “piece, bit”)
• پول خرد (pūl-i xurd / pul-e xord, “small change”)

Descendants

• → Hindustani:

  Hindi: ख़ुर्द (xurd), खुर्द (khurd) — nuqtaless

  Urdu: خُرْد (xurd)

• → Ottoman Turkish: خُرْد (hurd)

Etymology 2

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *kret-

Proto-Indo-European *-us

Proto-Indo-Iranian *krátuš

Persian خِرَد

Inherited from Middle Persian [script needed] (hlt /⁠xrat, xrad⁠/, “wisdom, understanding, intelligence”), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *krátuš (“intelligence, mental power”), from Proto-Indo-European *krét-us. Akin to Old Armenian խրատ (xrat), an Iranian borrowing.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /xi.ˈrad/

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [xɪ.ɾád̪]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [xɪ.ɾád̪]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [xɪ.ɾád̪]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [xi.ɾád̪̥]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [xe.ɹǽd̪̥]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [χi.ɾád̪]

• Rhymes: -ad

Readings
Classical reading?	xirad
Dari reading?	xirad
Iranian reading?	xerad
Tajik reading?	xirad

Noun

خرد • (xirad / xerad) (Tajik spelling хирад)

1. wisdom, intellect, judgment, understanding

Derived terms

• خردمند (xirad-mand / xerad-mand)

Descendants

• → Hindustani:

  Hindi: ख़िरद (xirad), खिरद (khirad) — nuqtaless

  Urdu: خِرَد (xirad)

• → Ottoman Turkish: خِرَد (hıred)

Urdu

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Classical Persian خُرْد (xurd), from Middle Persian [script needed] (hwlt' /⁠xwurd⁠/, “little”), perhaps originally the past participle of [script needed] (hwltn' /⁠xwardan⁠/, “to eat”); for the semantic development, compare the derivation of Proto-West Germanic *biti (“bit”) from *bītan (“to bite”); see Classical Persian خوردن (xwardan / xordan) for more on the root.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /xʊɾd̪/

Adjective

خُرْد • (xurd) (Hindi spelling ख़ुर्द)

1. little, small; minute
2. young

Derived terms

• خِرَدْمَنْد (xiradmand)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Classical Persian خِرَد (xirad, “wisdom, intellect”), from Middle Persian [script needed] (hlt /⁠xrat, xrad⁠/, “wisdom, understanding, intelligence”), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *krátuš (“intelligence, mental power”), from Proto-Indo-European *krét-us.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /xɪ.ɾəd̪/

Noun

خِرَد • (xirad) m (Hindi spelling ख़िरद)

1. wisdom, intellect; judgement
2. reason, understanding

Further reading

• “خرد”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2026.
• “خرد”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
• Qureshi, Bashir Ahmad (1971), “خرد”, in Kitabistan's 20th Century Standard Dictionary, Lahore: Kitabistan Pub. Co.
• Platts, John T. (1884), “خرد”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co.
• Fallon, S. W. (1879), “خرد”, in A New Hindustani-English Dictionary, Banaras, London: Trubner and Co.