هندو

Persian

Etymology

From Middle Persian hndwk' (Hindūg, “Indian”), demonym derived from Old Persian 𐏃𐎡𐎯𐎢𐏁 (hiⁿduš, “India”), from Sanskrit सिन्धु (sindhu, “the Indus River”) or Proto-Iranian *sindʰu.

Pronunciation

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

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [hɪn̪.d̪uː]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [hɪn̪.d̪uː]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [ʔɪn̪.d̪uː]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [ʔin̪.d̪u]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [hen̪.d̪uː]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [hin̪.d̪u]

Readings
Classical reading?	hindū
Dari reading?	hindū
Iranian reading?	hendu
Tajik reading?	hindu

Noun

هندو • (hendu) (plural هندوها (hendu-hâ))

1. Hindu (practitioner of India's indigenous religion)
   • c. 1180, Kaqani Shervani, Divan:

     تیغ تو داند که چیست رمز و اشارات دین / طرفه بود هندویی وز عربی ترجمان

     tiğ-e to dânad ke čist ramz-o ešârât-e din / torfe bovad hendu-yi v-az 'arabi tarjomân

     your sword knows about the secrets and allusions of the [Islamic] faith / it is a remarkable phenomenon, being a Hindu and [yet] a translator [of Islamic scriptures] from Arabic

2. (dated) Indian, inhabitant of the Indian subcontinent
3. infidel
4. thief, robber, slave, hijacker

Descendants

• → English: Hindu

Adjective

هندو • (hendu)

1. Hindu, relating to Hinduism
2. (dated) Indian, relating to India
   • c. 1380, Hafez, “Shirazi Turk”, in Divan:

     به خال هندویش بخشم سمرقند و بخارا را

     be xâl-e hendu-yaš baxšam samarqand o boxârâ-râ

     for their Indian mole (beauty spot) I will give Samarkand and Bukhara

     .