ناهار

Persian

Etymology

The adjective is most probably from ناـ (nâ-, “non-, un-”) + آهار (âhâr, “food, stew”), exactly equivalent to Sanskrit अनाहार (anāhāra, “not taking food, abstinent”). Compare with Sogdian 𐼻𐼰𐼳𐼰𐽀 (nʾhʾr /⁠nāhār⁠/, “un-food (lit.), hungry”) and also Old Armenian նիհար (nihar, “skinny”), an Iranian borrowing. The Persian dictionaries derive the noun for “lunch” from this adjective, saying that it originally referred to something eaten on an empty stomach (breakfast). On the other hand, John R. Perry derives the noun from Arabic نَهار (nahār, “day, daytime”) with a vocalic assimilation that is not unusual in Persian; compare colloquial چاهار (čâhâr) for چهار (čahâr). Compare also شام (šâm, “supper”, originally “evening”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /naː.ˈhaːr/

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [nɑː.ɦɑ́ːɾ]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [nɑː.ɦɑ́ːɾ]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [nɑːɑ́ːɾ]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [nɔːɔ́ːɾ]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [nɒː.ɦɒ́ːɹ]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [nɔ.ɦɔ́ɾ]

• Rhymes: -aːr

Readings
Classical reading?	nāhār
Dari reading?	nāhār
Iranian reading?	nâhâr
Tajik reading?	nohor

• Audio (Iran):

  (file)

Noun

ناهار • (nāhār / nâhâr) (Tajik spelling ноҳор)

1. lunch

   Synonym: چاشت (čâšt)

Adjective

ناهار • (nāhār / nâhâr) (Tajik spelling ноҳор)

1. not having eaten since having awoken
   • c. 1011, Abu'l-Qāsim Firdawsī, “The Reign of Khusraw Parvīz”, in شاهنامه [Book of Kings]‎^[3]:

     به نزدیک ایشان سخن خوار بود
     سپاهش همه سست و ناهار بود

     ba nazdīk-i ēšān suxan xwār būd
     sipāhaš hama sust u nāhār būd

     The words were contemptible in their view;
     His army was all frail and unfed.

     (Classical Persian romanization)