ـی

Persian

Etymology 1

From Middle Persian -yk' / 𐭩𐭪𐭩‎ (-īg) or Arabic ـِيّ‎ (-iyy).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [iː], [i]

Suffix

ـی • (-i)

1. Forms adjectives from nouns.

   تهران‎ (Tehrân, “Tehran”) + ـی (-i) = تهرانی‎ (Tehrâni, “Tehrani”)

   خورشید‎ (xoršid, “sun”) + ـی (-i) = خورشیدی‎ (xoršidi, “solar”)

2. Forms surnames.

Usage notes

ـی is the form that follows words ending in consonants. Adjectives ending in the short vowel ـه‎ (-e) will use the form ـگی‎ (-egi) for their derived nouns, while nouns ending in ـه‎ (-e) will usually add the non-joining ای‎ (-i) to form their derived adjectives. Both nouns and adjectives ending in the long vowels ـا‎ (-â) and ـو‎ (-u) will use the form یی‎ (-yi)

As a derivational suffix, ـی and the above-mentioned alternative forms take the stress in a word, as in خورشیدی‎ (xoršidí, “solar”). As the marked indefinite or relative definite suffix, the stress remains on the root of the word, as in خورشیدی‎ (xoršídi, “a sun / the sun which”)

Most Persian surnames end in this suffix.

See also

• Category:Persian words suffixed with ـی

Etymology 2

From Middle Persian 𐭩𐭧‎ (-īh).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [iː]

Suffix

ـی • (-i)

1. Forms abstract nouns from adjectives.

   بزرگ‎ (bozorg, “big”) + ـی (-i) = بزرگی‎ (bozorgi, “bigness”)

   شیرین‎ (širin, “sweet”) + ـی (-i) = شیرینی‎ (širini, “sweetness”)

   جوان‎ (javân, “young”) + ـی (-i) = جوانی‎ (javâni, “youth”)

Etymology 3

From Middle Persian 𐭸‎ (ē(w)).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian, Dari) IPA^(key): [eː]
• (Iranian Persian) IPA^(key): [iː]

Suffix

Dari Persian	ـی‎
Iranian Persian	ـی‎
Tajiki Persian	-е (-e)

ـی • (-ê)

1. a, one