روباه

See also: روباہ

Persian

یک روباهِ سرخ

Alternative forms

• روبَهْ (rōbah / rubah) (poetic)

Etymology

From Middle Persian [Book Pahlavi needed] (lwpʾh /⁠rōbāh⁠/, “fox”), from Old Persian *raupāθah (“fox”), from Proto-Iranian *Hrawpācáh. Cognate with Baluchi روپاسک (ròpàsk).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /roː.ˈbaːh/

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [roː.bɑːʱ]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [roː.bɑːʱ]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [roː.bɑː]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [rʊː.bɔː]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [ɹuː.bɒːʱ]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [ɾɵ.bɔʱ]

• Rhymes: -aːh

Readings
Classical reading?	rōbāh
Dari reading?	rōbāh
Iranian reading?	rubâh
Tajik reading?	rüboh

Noun

روباه • (rōbāh / rubâh) (plural روباهان (rōbāhān / rubâhân), or روباه‌ها (rōbāh-hā / rubâh-hâ), Tajik spelling рӯбоҳ)

1. fox
2. (figurative) fox; cunning and sly person

   من عمراً به این روباهِ پیر اعتماد نمی‌کنم!

   man 'umran ba ēn rōbāh-i pīr i'timād ni-mē-kunam!

   I absolutely won't trust this old fox!

3. (Should we delete⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (figurative, derogatory) The British Empire, the United Kingdom, or England

   انگلیس یه روباه حقّه‌بازه!

   ingilīs-yi rōbāh-i huqqa-bāza!

   England (UK) is a sly fox!

   See also: کار، کار انگلیسی‌هاست

Derived terms

• دم‌روباهی (dum-rōbāhi, “foxtail grass”)
• روباه قطبی (rōbāh-i qutbi, “arctic fox”)

Descendants

• → Malay: rubah
  • Indonesian: rubah
• → Ottoman Turkish: روباه (rûbâh)

References

• Dehkhoda, Ali-Akbar (1931–), “روباه”, in Dehkhoda Dictionary Institute, editors, Dehkhoda Dictionary (in Persian), Tehran: University of Tehran Press.