شیدا

Persian

Etymology

Borrowed from Aramaic שידא (šēḏā) or Classical Syriac ܫܐܕܐ (šēḏā, “demon”), from Akkadian 𒀭𒆘 (šēdum, “a protective deity”).

For the semantic shift, compare مجنون (majnun, “mad, insane; enamored”), which is from جن (jinn, “demon”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /ʃaj.ˈdaː/

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʃäj.d̪ɑː]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʃäj.d̪ɑː]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [ʃäj.d̪ɑː]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [ʃäj.d̪ɔː]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [ʃej.d̪ɒː]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [ʃäj.d̪ɔ]

Readings
Classical reading?	šaydā
Dari reading?	šaydā
Iranian reading?	šeydâ
Tajik reading?	šaydo

Adjective

Dari	شیدا
Iranian Persian
Tajik	шайдо

شیدا • (šeydâ) (comparative شیداتَر, superlative شیداتَرین)

1. (archaic, poetic, literary) mad, insane
2. (poetic) enamored, enamoured

Derived terms

• شیدایی (šeydâyi)
• شیدایانه (šeydâyâne)

Noun

شیدا • (šeydâ) (plural شیدایان)

1. (poetic) lover

Synonyms

• مجنون (majnun)

Proper noun

شیدا • (šeydâ)

1. a female given name, Sheyda, Shayda, or Sheida
2. a surname

Descendants

• → Urdu: شیدا (śaidā)

References

• “šd”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–

Urdu

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian شیدا (šaydā, “mad, insane; enamored”).

For the semantic sense of "mad, crazy; enamored, infatuated", compare دیوانہ (dīvāna). Both stemming from etymological meanings of "demonic" and "crazy", but being poetically used for "love" and "infatuation", especially in Sufi mysticism.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /ʃɛː.d̪ɑː/

Adjective

شیدا • (śaidā)

1. enamored, infatuated; deeply in love
2. mad, crazy

Noun

شیدا • (śaidā) m or f

1. lover

   میری شیدا نے مجھے ہونٹوں پر بوسہ دیا

   merī śaidā ne mujhe honṭõ par bosa diyā

   my lover kissed me on the lips

2. madman

Derived terms

• شَیدائی (śaidā'ī, “insanity; infatuation”)
• والَہ و شَیدا (vāla-o-śaidā, “head over heels”)

References

• “شیدا”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
• Qureshi, Bashir Ahmad (1971), “شیدا”, in Kitabistan's 20th Century Standard Dictionary‎, Lahore: Kitabistan Pub. Co.
• Platts, John T. (1884), “شیدا”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co.
• “شیدا”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2025.