ـان

Persian

Pronunciation

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

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [.ʔɑːn]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [.ʔɑːn]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [.ʔɑːn]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [.ʔɔːn]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [.ʔɒːn]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [.ʔɔn]

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

Etymology 1

From Middle Persian 𐭠𐭭 (-ān). Compare Pashto ـونه (-ona), Northern Luri ـۆ(ن) (-ø(n)).

Suffix

Dari	ـان
Iranian Persian
Tajik	-он

ـان • (-ân)

1. a suffix forming the plural of nouns, chiefly animate ones

   Hypernym: ها (-hâ, possible for any noun)

Usage notes

• In the formal standard language, -ân is usable with almost all words for persons and many animal names. It is also employed with a limited number of inanimate nouns, e.g. چشمان (češmân, “eyes”), سخنان (soxanân, “words”). In pre-modern or poetic texts it is used more freely. In the contemporary Iranian vernacular, on the other hand, the suffix is rare and only a handful of words are common, e.g. آقایان (âqâyân, “misters”), عزیزان ('azizân, “dear ones, friends”).
• The suffix becomes گان (-gân) after a native word in silent ه (-e), and یان (-yân) after و (-u) or ا (-a).

Etymology 2

Suffix

Dari	ـان
Iranian Persian
Tajik	-он

ـان • (-ân)

1. a suffix attached to the present stem of verbs to derive adjectives

   ‎خند (xand-, present stem of خندیدن (xandidan, “to laugh”)) + ‎ـان (-ân) → ‎خندان (xandân, “laughing”)

   ‎رو (rav-, present stem of رفتن (raftan, “to go”)) + ‎ـان (-ân) → ‎روان (ravân, “flowing”)